Want to build a brighter future for needy families where many children have been left as orphans?

Swaziland is one of the smallest countries on the African continent full of superb scenery, amazing wildlife reserves and still maintains its monarchy and royal ceremonies. It is not without its hardships though and many families have been affected by high rates of HIV/AIDS leaving many of them without parents. The responsibility of bringing up the family then falls to the eldest child to look after their siblings which can in turn lead to them being in a vulnerable position without adequate shelter. This project not only aims to give them the adequate housing that they need but also education and care. Your help will be invaluable in giving them a decent roof over their heads and learn more about the traditional methods of building, plus you will also be able to give them some of the care and attention that they need. How can you refuse when you see their cheeky smiles?

Trip highlights;

Itinerary

Your first week

Day 1 (Monday) - Arrive into Manzini Airport (airport code MTS)

Please book your flight to arrive into Manzini Airport, Swaziland on the advertised arrival date to ensure your airport pickup (this will connect through Johannesburg International Airport (JNB))

Today you will be met at the airport and taken to your accommodation at the backpacker lodge which is approximately 20 minutes from the airport, here you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. If you prefer you can explore your new surroundings, there is a restaurant nearby and a bar is approximately 2kms away.

If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Manzini on the arrival day we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation, please give us a call for more information.

Day 2 (Tuesday) - Orientation

Today your orientation will start with a presentation by the project co-ordinator to prepare you for your project, you will be taken through what it’s going to be like at your project, do’s and don’ts, how to stay safe and it’s your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered. A tour guide will then show you around the local community in Ezulwini after which you will have a barbeque and get to know all the other volunteers who you will be staying with.

Day 3 -5 (Wednesday to Friday) –Time to get your hands dirty!

Today you'll make your way to the project and get to know who is who and what you will be doing during your stay and will be introduced to the people you will be working with throughout your project. Transport to and from the project will be on local buses and you will be shown which will get you there and back. You will be working in the local community with centers who aim to provide vulnerable and orphaned children basic education, food and care. Among the families they work with are child headed families whose homes are in desperate need of infrastructural support, the centres help them in various ways by constructing basic shelters, gardens , water systems and other physical structures.

You will start your day by catching your bus to the project at about 8am and on arrival you will then have time to organise your working tools and start to work. There will be a variety of work to be done but one thing is for sure, you will be using muscles you haven`t used for a while so expect to be tired at the end of the day.

Day 6-7 (Saturday and Sunday) - it’s the weekend!

During the weekends you will be free to travel and explore as you choose. There is plenty to do such as walking, horse riding, mountain biking, visiting craft markets, and taking part in cultural festivities or if you prefer you can just kick your heels back and just taking in the sunny climate. If you are looking for a longer weekend away then you can always take a trip to Mozambique, Kruger National Park, St. Lucia or the Natal Drakensberg. You will need to check this with the team in country and the project but the team in country can help you make arrangements where possible. Please remember that any optional trips are at your own expense. The team can also help with a zip lining weekend and adventure tours so please make sure you have a chat with them about all your options, you will wish you had more time!

Following weeks

You’ll be working Monday to Friday at your project, with the weekends all your own.

You will be carrying on with the build seeing the progress that you make day by day and see the smiles on the faces of the children as you make a change to their living conditions.

Your last day - Monday

Having said goodbye to all your new friends you’ll transfer back to the airport on this day. The return transfer is covered within your placement fee as long as you are transferring on the Monday at the end of your stay, transfers other than this day are not included.

Project

What does the project do?

Nestled in the legendary Ezulwini valley lies the ancient town of Lobamba which, as well as boasting a long history as the country's royal capital, is also thought to be the spiritual home of the Swazi nation. This gives the town a unique cultural heritage that shines through everything you see here, including the people. Thousands of travellers flock here every year to enjoy the unique blend of traditional culture and modern luxuries, allowing them to see a side of Africa that is almost unknown.

With the high rates of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland many communities now have families where orphaned children head up the household and live in inadequate shelters. The building project aims to help these vulnerable children by building basic shelters, gardens, water systems and other physical structures at households and care centres. The care centres also help provide the children with basic education, food and care thus aiming to provide all the basic necessities for these disadvantaged children.

What’s the project like?

You will be involved in a variety of activities using local techniques and locally sourced building materials, mud bricks are fabricated using a locally made compressor. This will really be an eye opener and so different to what you are used to back home! Not only will you be assisting in the building of homes and classrooms for vulnerable children but you will also be transfering skills and helping to give the communities the encouragement and motivation needed to improve their quality of life and standard of living.

Why does the project need volunteers?

There is plenty of work to be done in these communities and this is where your help comes in. Not only will you be providing the manpower necessary but you will also be providing a cultural exchange with the local community giving them the motivation for a better standard of living. You will be getting involved with the community helping to provide adult role models for the children as well as flexing those muscles during the build.

Activities and schedule

You will be working on a variety of activities from clearing and leveling the ground prior to the build, digging foundations, making mud bricks, building the structure with the help of a professional builder, painting, developing trench gardens, fencing, fixing swings and other play equipment where necessary. The activities that you will be involved with will depend on the time and type of build, as well as building homes the project also builds classrooms, gardens, water systems, other physical structures needed at care centres, or renovating existing houses and painting where necessary.

You will be working Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3pm, a typical day can be as follows; 

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive an online account that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects through our Big Giving initiative to provide resources to those projects that really need it.

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

Next Steps

What we will do after you've booked:

Orientation Information

The following information details what will happen during the first few days of your arrival. We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that aims to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Swaziland. Here's what will happen:

You will arrive on the Arrival Date (Monday) and will be met at the airport on that day (whether it is 12 in the morning or 11:59 at night). You will then be taken to the Lidwala backpacker lodge (see contact details below), approximately 20 minutes from the airport, where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. The backpacker's lodge has a communal kitchen where meals are prepared, a TV lounge with board games and a large deck with pool table and dart board. There is wireless internet for which you can purchase vouchers from the lodge staff, there are also facilities approximately 2km away. The backpacker lodge is located within walking distance of a restaurant and bar and is approximately 2km away from the main shops if you wish to have a wander - just ask at reception for directions.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:

Your orientation will take place the next morning - Tuesday - at the lodge and will introduce you to any other volunteers participating in the projects. You will also learn about what to expect in Swaziland and on your project.

Flights & Insurance

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Accommodation

What type of accommodation will I be in?

You will be staying in the Lidwala Backpacker Lodge in the Ezulwini Valley where you will be sharing accommodation with our volunteers on other projects so there should always be someone to chat to! Plus it also acts as the main office for our in country team.

Accommodation facilities

Bedrooms are based on dormitory style rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms. Bathrooms have western style toilets. You will need to bring a sleeping bag with you but there will be sheets, pillows and extra blankets.

All meals are included but you will be expected to help cook so maybe have a little bit of a practice before you arrive! You will be cooking for the group but there will be plenty of advice available. There is a full kitchen and an outside area for dining as well as socializing.

There is a lounge area where you can sit and relax after a hard days work, it will be a well needed rest! There is also a TV, board games and a large deck with a pool table, a dart board and a swimming pool. There is wireless internet for which you can purchase vouchers from the lodge staff and you can also find facilities approximately 2km away so that you can write home if you need to. The lodge is also located within walking distance to a restaurant and a bar.

Things to bring from home

General