Some of the Details
Where are you staying while you're there?
I'll be living in a volunteer house with 20 - 25 other volunteers sharing 5 bedrooms, all working on various projects in the area. I'm assured the house is in a safe and secure area with western style toilets and hot water. Meals will be provided for me (From Monday- Friday) at the following times: Breakfast: 7.00-8.00am, Lunch 1.00-2pm, Dinner 7.00-8.00pm.
The meals generally consist of:
Breakfasts: Cereal, Toast and Fruit
Lunch: Sandwiches or a hot meal
Dinner: Local dishes such as: Pasta, macaroni and cheese, boere wors (known as sausages) and smash (mielie meal), Rice and veggie dishes, Burgers and salad and barbeque dinner
What will you be doing while you're there?
I'll have a placement at a local township school. A typical school I would be volunteering with has 550+ students. The class sizes are fairly small and manageable, normally ranging from 25 to 40 pupils. I will be working alongside teachers at the school as well as working with other volunteers. Typical subjects taught at the school include English, Mathematics, Life Skills, Social Studies, Art and Physical studies. The school runs throughout the year and a typical school year has a holidays for the full month of June and December, and short 10 day holidays in April and September.
Here is an example of a placement, though not necessarily the one I'll be on:
Capricorn Primary School Located in Capricorn Township area, about 20 minutes' walk from the IVHQ volunteer house, this school has 550+ children ranging from ages 5-13 years old. Capricorn Primary school selects children from any walk of life, some of the children live with their family members, some are orphans and all come from poor backgrounds. Many of the families have a low income and can hardly afford school fees for the children. Volunteers teach in the classrooms - and fit in wherever they enjoy to help out whether it be taking their own classes or assisting teachers or volunteers with their classes. The children are in great need of attention and support, so we find that volunteers really add to making the children's lives a lot happier with having volunteers present.
Will you have time to see and do other things?
Yes, a typical day has me volunteering from about 8:30 am to 5:30 pm with a break to walk back to the volunteer house for lunch. The evenings and weekends are mine to explore with! Please note that no donated money will be used for my personal touring. My main purpose is to work as a volunteer, not to travel around South Africa. While I do hope to see some of the local attractions and to do a day safari at the nearby reserve, I will not be leaving the immediate area.
Where will you be, exactly?
I will be in Cape Town, which is in the southern part of the country, on the coast.