Volunteer within a community-based NGO that provides grassroot holistic support to children and families affected and infected with HIV and AIDS pandemic in our most populous urban township of Soweto, South Africa.

Sizanani Home Base Care Givers was founded (2000) and initiated by Elizabeth Rapuleng who called other women to help her to fight the HIV/AIDS impact devastating her community. The organization was formed to assist children who became orphans due to HIV/AIDS. There was also a need to assist them to deal with a range of social, cultural, religious, and political and economical problems. There are about 46 staff that work in this community care organisation often working long hours for little to no stipend from the government. Caregivers are over-extended and see on average of 10 plus children / families a day on their walk-route through the community.

More and more families in historically disadvantaged communities are facing hardship as a result of various problems, which pose real challenges to communities, parents, leaders and children. The most devastating effects and impacts of HIV/AIDS is the suffering of children who are left behind by parents as orphans. The traditional support of extended family has fallen away due to the epidemic. Most of the families cannot continue taking care of their relative’s children because of the high rate of poverty, unemployment and other socio-economic problems that threaten the fibre of our society.

Their mission is to facilitate and implement programmes in three main areas, namely, Home Based Care (HBC); support to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s); and Poverty Alleviation & Extended Public Works programmes in the community. They currently have around 388 plus beneficiaries that use their services.

The Home Based Care (HBC) programme links directly into the local clinic from where they receive their referrals. Caregivers provide support ranging from direct observation, collection and monitoring of medication, home-visits, home based care to terminally ill patients, health talks to campaigns mobilising the community on key issues.

Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are provided with much needed psycho-social support. The programme provides a feeding scheme and schoolwork support from their offices. They extend their support to include house and school visits as evaluate and monitor the child’s extended environmental factors. The children are also encouraged to participate in various extra-mural activities including sports, drama and dance utilising the limited community resources. Where needed OVC’s can be referred to social workers in the area. In addition to this, the office provides administrative support so that their benefactors are able to access various government programmes and resources.

Poverty Alleviation is a programme implemented to eradicate poverty and starvation in the homes of beneficiaries.  The demographics of the beneficiary group are women over the age of 35, orphans and the elderly. The focus is to provide income generating skills for this target group. Closely aligned to the Poverty Alleviation programme is the Extended Public Works (EPW) programme. The target group differs from the above and focuses on mainly the youth between 18 and 35 years of age. The focus of this programme is to provide the youth with skills to make them more employable.

In South Africa, we are currently witnessing positive mind-set and attitudes in support for children, who are now orphans, from government, private sector and donors agencies, non-governmental organisations and community based organization. Reality is that we all have to pull together in the fight against HIV/AIDS that is destroying the pillars of our society. Volunteers are needed that will add value to the programme, its staff and the various beneficiaries from the community, such as:

• Health care professionals including social workers, nurses, counsellors, nutritionists
• Edu-care practitioners of all ages
• Human resource practitioners to help with Employee and Organisational Development
• People able to impart various life, technical and DIY skills
• Pro-active individuals to help with daily feeding and activity programmes
• Lovers of sport, arts, drama, music and dance

History
Volunteer in the heart of Soweto in what used to be the old hostel area of Meadowlands zone 11 and surrounding Mzimhlophe, Meadowlands (zone 1) and Killarney. Whilst volunteering you will learn that Soweto was established in 1904 under the Apartheid government's segregationist strategy to house mainly black labourers, who worked in the mines and industrial areas, out of white Johannesburg. This cluster of south west townships took on the acronym of Soweto in 1963. Since its beginning Soweto has been plagued by problems of poor housing, over-crowding, high unemployment and poor infrastructure. Recent efforts by the democratic government have started to transform the typical corrugated-iron sheet shacks landscape into a more modern township by planting trees, developing parks and installing electricity and running water. Soweto is the most populous black urban residential area in South Africa and in many ways sets trends in fashion, music, dance and language.

Soweto is also known for its political history and has been the hotbed of many significant political campaigns, for example the student uprising in 1976 and the defiance campaigns in the 1980's. Soweto has grown hugely as a tourist destination with many visiting the home of Nelson Mandela and the nearby Hector Pieterson museum.

Voluntours has chosen this partner for very specific reason. Lebo's is the first and only black owner backpackers in South Africa; the only backpackers in Soweto; a 2007 Tourism Investment Award winner and is one of only 50 properties in South Africa that is Fair Trade in Tourism accredited! Lebo also runs guided bicycle tours in the surrounding community and "his"cyclists are well known in the community. Staying at Lebo's will give you an experience of a lifetime - Soweto is a welcoming place where people mingle and interact on the streets. There are numerous things to do and see within walking (or cycling) distance - the Mandela Family Museum, Hector Pieterson Museum, restaurants and bars, internet café, shops and a cashpoint (ATM).

Your accommodation will either be in communal dormitories or limited private rooms are also available at the backpackers. Meals of the day will be a combination of home cooked food and traditional dishes. You can spend your leisure time interacting with other international travellers or relax at the cosy outdoor area with fireplace, bar, hammock and soccer table while you listen and dance to the beats and rhythms of African.

The "Project Contribution" included in your overall fee will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the project during your actual volunteer stay on the ground. On your return home you may continue to support the project financially with donations via TravelPledge, a UK-based charity, or via our separate Donations Account. Please enquire with our office for further information.

Your Voluntouring experience is not complete without taking in some key heritage and tourist sites during your off-periods. To find out more about South Africa and some of the fantastic sights and activities that await you see the “Sightseeing SA” tab on our home page for more information.