Do you want to work with children near South Africa’s most colourful city?

South Africa has gone through a huge process of development in the last decade, putting the dark days of apartheid behind it and making strides in reducing social inequality. The scars inflicted by that period will take a while to heal though and problems continue to linger. This project operates a day care centre for mentally and physically handicapped children from a local South African township. The centre is run by a former i-to-i volunteer to the project, so say hi from us! Your job will be to offer sensory stimulation through a variety of activities such as game playing and arts and crafts as well as assisting staff in the general running of the centre. We’ll provide you with all our support to make sure you are ready and raring to go.

What does the project do?

A group was started up in Masi due to families wanting their children to go to the sister project; Ocean View special care unit. As Ocean View was full it was decided that there was a need in Masi for the children there. So, in 2003 a group was started which ran two mornings a week. Both projects have now been combined and the group runs out of a nursery, although there are plans to move to bigger premises. It now runs Monday to Friday with the children's ages ranging from one to fourteen years.

Why does the project need volunteers?

Volunteers are needed at the project to help assist the local staff. The activities and trips are limited by the staff members as the children often require high levels of help and care. There is little government funding for these types of initiatives and the brunt of the work falls on volunteers while the local community supports the project.

The children also need care on a daily basis to help stimulate their minds and bodies in way that can help them with their disabilities. Also the project is about having fun with the kids.

Your role as a volunteer:

On a daily basis you will interact with the children by playing games, helping with arts and crafts and sensory stimulation. You will also assist staff in the general running of the centre and help with excursions and day trips. You may also get involved with the adult workshop, allowing disabled people to perform productive work.

Schedule

Your typical working hours on this project will be from Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 1.30pm. Any extra time you can give to the project will be really appreciated.

Activities

Most days you will be needed to participate in assisting staff with the children, taking part in activities, as well as the daily care of the children, which may include feeding and changing. You may also be involved in fundraising events, gardening, painting, decorating and any other jobs to do with both centres where necessary. Volunteers are encouraged to be forthcoming with ideas that they may have for the centres. Previous volunteers have assisted in book sales, painting and decorating rooms, assisted in the adults' games afternoon as well as day to day activities with the children.

Accommodation

You’ll be staying in a shared volunteer house in the nearby suburb of Fish Hoek. You will transfer to the project by taxi daily.

Airport pick-up included

You will be met at the airport if arriving on the scheduled arrival date . Please book your flight to arrive into Cape Town (airport code CPT), we advise you arrive before 16.00 to avoid missing your orientation in the afternoon.

Project resources and advice

The project has adequate resources but you may need to be creative or bring things from home if you have any specific requirements.

It may be a good idea to bring items such as playing cards, books and personal music players for your own entertainment.

Food

Food at the project is self-catering, but local groceries are readily available so you should budget for this.

You do not need any specific skills to help at the project, although child care experience or experience working with the disabled would be welcomed. You will need patience, imagination and a love of children. You will need to be prepared for the unexpected working with children can be fun and exciting but you never know what they are going to do next so be prepared from every eventuality!

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 fora 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 a Welcome Pack 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.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

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 every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do. 

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

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 helps 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 South Africa. You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Monday and will be met at the airport on that morning (from 12am in the morning until 11am). You will be taken to the Surfpackers Hostel (see contact details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. The hostel is located within walking distance shops and the beach 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 at 3.30pm on the arrival date at Surfpackers and will introduce you to life in Cape Town as well as important information about staying healthy and safe. You'll also get to try your hand at drumming! You will stay at Surfpackers on Monday night before transferring to your permanent accommodation on the Tuesday. The transfer will be arranged for you by the team; transfers within Cape Town will take about 1 hour and those traveling further away can take up to 6 hours. Tuesday will also be the first day that you meet your project and start working as a volunteer. From here on in you will spend your time with the project but the in-country team are there if you need them.

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.