VOLUNTOURS - Responsible & Ethical Volunteering in South Africa
Written by Administrator
Saturday, 06 February 2010
What is Volunteering
Volunteering is your chance to make a difference in South Africa. Your gift of time can change the world for a child with Aids, an animal in need or a family without a roof over their heads. We recognise that there are many people who have skills, compassion and time who really want to help but are not quite sure how.
“Everyone of us can make a contribution. And quite often we are looking for the big things and forget that, whoever we are, wherever we are, we can make a contribution…. “ Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize, 2004.
What is Responsible Volunteering?
Volunteering is one of the fastest growing tourism markets globally, as well as in South Africa. Unfortunately, in some cases, poor and vulnerable communities are expoited and do not benefit from volunteers. While volunteers in turn are made unrealistic promises, are over-charged and only a small portion of their spend goes into the community.
Responsible volunteering by its nature is ideally placed to provide "more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and greater understanding of local culture, social and environmental issues (Responsible Travel Handbook, 2006).
Why use us?
Read this important information before you decide on the company you want to volunteer with!
"Voluntours has demonstrated what a small family run business can contribute to the development of a marginalised and economically poor Ndebele community at Mapoch. By carefully harnessing the enthusiasm and skills of volunteers they have enabled the community to develop their nursery and school, and a bicycle project to improve their lives". - Justin Francis, Founder of The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards
Your hosts Marnie and Jeremy are South Africans who love South Africa, the land, the place and the people. We have made a commitment to improving the lives of our fellow South Africans. Your project fees will directly benefit communities and conservation of South Africa.
We personally oversee all our project with a personal touch from Midrand , situated halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Our commitment is to provide both the community and volunteer with a mutually benefiting experience which is transparent, sustainable, ethical and above all responsible.
To put it simply, we at Voluntours need your help to create a better South Africa for people to live in and a better place to visit.
Our unique package allows you to volunteer and sight-see at the same time – VOLUNTOUR or travel with impact. Voluntours allows you to get involved in the cultures you visit, whilst respecting our Code of Conduct.
Your participation fee includes a transparent project contribution, which is used directly by the volunteer on-site to implement agreed tasks on the project, therey ensuring sustainability. In addition, about 75% of your project participation fee goes directly into the community served by using local accommodation, local transport providers and local supplier spending. Our Code of Good Practice for Volunteering in South Africa ensures that the projects you volunteer on are sustainable and meet our stringent criteria.
Increasingly people worldwide are putting their hearts and hands to work while on vacation.
Responsible travel, responsible tourism and responsible volunteering is all about "making a difference" whilst learning about the community you live in and learning about yourself!
Please be aware of website(s) in South Africa trading under similar name(s) to Voluntours - make sure you do proper research and due diligence when choosing a volunteer company and project. Make sure your hard earned money goes towards supporting truly responsible, ethical and accountable volunteering initiatives. If in doubt ask for references from past volunteers, communities / beneficiaries themselves, and look for independant, external validation and recognition
Who can Volunteer?
Anyone of the age of full legal capacity can volunteer. You can volunteer as an individual, group or corporate or make a donation towards one of our existing projects.
You can volunteer if you are:
. Interested in Responsible Travel
. Interested in Ethical Travel
. Interested in Eco Tourism / Green Travel
. Need to take a Career Break
. On your Gap Year
. A business looking for a team building exercise
. A corporate seeking a social responsibility project
. Retired
. Looking for a unique holiday
experience
. Eager
to make a difference and give something back
Whether you live in South Africa or abroad you can volunteer your time towards a worthy cause. Get hands on experience by working on a specially chosen project that needs YOU.
South African requirements are that your passport will need to be valid for 6 months following your trip, you will need to have sufficient funds to cover your trip and you must not have a criminal record.
For information on visa requirements please click here.
Projects
We have hand-picked a few exciting opportunities for your Voluntouring experience . Just choose the project that interests you!
Sight-seeing
Your Voluntouring experience is not complete without taking in some key South African heritage and tourist sites during your off-periods. We can recommend some “must see places” however recommendations may vary and are dependant on the location of your project. Extensions and additional sight-seeing can be arranged at a fee on request.
South Africa is a land of absolute beauty and boundless diversity – you can whale watch in Hermanus or track elephant in the Kruger National Park, you can bunjee jump off bridges or sip cocktail overlooking the mountains. To find out more about South Africa and some of the fantastic sight and activities which await you see our webpage about Sightseeing and Tours and About South Africa
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