 In Cape Town, volunteer either at an orphanage for babies and toddlers (aged newborn – 5/6 years) OR enjoy a volunteer combination of working at a primary school (literacy) in the mornings and spend afternoons at an orphanage for children and teens (aged 5 – 17 years).
Junior Programme
The orphanage provides day-care and edu-care support to a large number of children. Due to the high child to staff ratio volunteers are able to add help and skills in many important areas. Tasks range for helping out with daily activities to providing stimulation, comfort and support to the babies and toddlers. The home has a lovely play area outside, as well as a crèche where the infants` learning can be stimulated.
At the orphanage they try hard to be more like a family than an institution - there is also a strong focus on trying to reunite the child with its natural family if possible. Most of children are wards of the state waiting to be adopted, either coming to the orphanage through the Children’s Court after having been removed from abusive families, or abandoned very young. This home can accommodate about 60 plus children, and they currently have more boys than girls. The spread of age groups is fairly fluid as there are constant changes – children get adopted and leave, and new children arrive.
The orphanages have limited resources and therefore are grateful for the volunteer’s input. Having volunteers increases the ratio of children-adults, therefore enabling each child to receive more individual attention, and more chance of noticing and dealing with emotional problems before they escalate
Senior Programme
At the Home for children and teens, the volunteer’s day is spent in the mornings at a secondary school. The school is based in Observatory and volunteers will be participating in the morning component of our `Child Literacy Volunteering` project.
At this project they provide a literacy programme to support children at English-speaking, inner-city schools whose first language is not English and who need a little extra help.
While the afternoons are spent at the children’s home based in Athlone once the children have returned from school. The children are in need of positive adult attention, as well as assistance with their homework, playing games, sports and general guidance.
With both choices, activities depend on the age of the children, but giving children positive attention and meeting them at their level is the biggest requirement
 
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PROJECT OUTLINE
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Project
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Orphans and School Literacy Volunteering
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Location
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Cape Town
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Province
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Western Cape
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Country
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South Africa
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Closest city
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Cape Town
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Closest airport
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Cape town International Airport
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Malaria-free area
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Yes
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Vaccinations / Advisory
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Consult your local travel clinic for advice.
Generally, HIV/AIDS is extremely prevalent in the South Africa so it is your personal responsibility to take care with regards to health and safety, as well as sexual relationships |
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Duration
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Junior Programme
Minimum: 8 week
Maximum: 12 weeks
Senior Programme
Minimum: 4 week
Maximum: 12 weeks
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Combination
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This project can be combined with any other project
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Requirements
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- Minimum age of 18 years
- Police clearance
- Subject to availability on the project
- Resume / CV acceptance
- Intermediate to advanced English for the senior project - you need to be able to communication with children and adults in the community, and to help the older children in the literacy programme and with their school homework at the children’s home
- Telephonic interview may be required
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Skills needed
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- Relaxed and friendly with children, but also firm with the naughty ones
- Ability to comfort and calm distressed toddlers and babies
- Ability to play games and sing songs and be like a child
- Ability to communicate in a warm and simple way - meet children at their level
- Basic counselling and conflict management (for older orphanages)
- Assist with homework from school (older orphanage)
- Creativeness in regards to after school activities
- Good listening skills
- Patience, creativity and flexibility
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Dates
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Junior Programme
Starts every Monday - arrival on the Thursday before start date
Open all year round except for a short holiday over the December holidays.
Every Wednesday is a day off at the Junior Project
Senior Programme
Starts every Monday - arrival on the Thursday before start date
Closed during South African School Holidays for Western Cape Province:
Senior Programme closed
11 December 2010 – 11 January 2011
2 April – 10 April 2011
25 June – 17July 2011
1 October – 9 October 2011
9 December 2011 - 2nd week in January 2012 |
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Hours
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Hours may vary, flexibility required
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Costs*
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Junior Programme
R19,300 for 8 weeks
Additional week at R2, 420 per week
Senior Programme
R13,800 for 4 weeks
Additional week at R2, 900 per week
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Inclusions
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- Airport Transfers
- Cape Town: 3 nights accommodation, orientation that covers everything the volunteers need to know about staying in South Africa (from social skills to transport and safety), two meals per day, bus trip into town, lunch (on the Friday), walking tour of the city, a train ride back to there accommodation and day trip (on the Saturday)
- Community Impact Voluntour
- All paperwork, placement and liaising with Volunteer Program
- Appointed Supervisor for duration of program
- Accommodation
- Two meals a day - Breakfast and Dinner
- Donation per month to the Volunteer Project, to assist in their funding
- A South African SIM card that works on a pay-as-you-go top up system
- Monthly socials for volunteers to get together and meet other volunteers (cost depends on social)
- Certificate & Report on Volunteer’s Program should this be required for studies or other purposes
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Exclusions
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- Flights
- General visa costs and cost of visa in the case of your volunteering being longer than 90 days
- Travel & Medical Insurance (must cover volunteer work)
- In-country local transport
- Costs and items of a personal nature
- Weekend excursions
- Lunches (not provided by host/host family)
- Use of phone (landline and mobile)
- Towel and toiletries
- Accommodation if Volunteer arrives before start date
- Transport to Accommodation if Volunteer arrives before start date
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Accommodation
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- Volunteer House with shared rooms. Between 2 – 3 per room, communal lounge and kitchen
- OR, South African Host Family in local community - own room or shared with another volunteer
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Daily Transport on project
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For volunteer’s own account:
- Pay R200/week for You2Africa shuttle (door to door from host family/volunteer house direct to project) or
- Hire own car
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Meals
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Breakfast is self service and provided by the volunteer house host/host family
Lunch is to volunteers own account
Supper is a cooked meal provided by the volunteer house host/host family.
Please note that the accommodation and food can be basic. If you have special dietary needs you should provide this for yourself. |
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Possible Tasks
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Junior Programme
- Stimulate babies and children with games
- Assist with feedings and afternoon nap times
- Read stories to the children
- Assist creche supervisor with keeping children busy and keeping creche tidy
- Assist with cooking, laundry and gardening (optional)
- Initiate and co-ordinate activities: sports, games, drama, art, music, story telling
- Arrange and take out children on outings
- Assist with administration work
Senior Programme
- Assist with administration work
- Help children with homework and projects
- Assist in word games, reading and basic language in the literacy programme
- Listen and offer guidance
- Assist with arranging after school activities
Project highlights
- Observe children developing and discovering new things
- Stimulation and capacity building of the children
- Facilitating the learning and building of trust in relationships
- Form friendships with children
- Emotional bonding with the children
- Developing relationships and crossing culture barriers
- Being a positive influence and guiding teens to make good decisions
- Altruistic feeling of doing something meaningful
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Host Resources
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Orientation provided
Training provided |
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Included Tour
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Community Impact `Voluntour`
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* Prices subject to change without prior notice
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