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.
Fast Facts
Project Information
- Project Duration: Min 4 weeks - Max 12 weeks
- Project Costs: US$ 1975.00 for 4 weeks, US$ 275.00 for every week thereafter
- Location of project:Masiphumelele, close to Kommetjie, Cape Town
- Arrival Airport:Cape Town (airport code CPT)
- Activities:Providing general care and assistance in looking after the children. This will involve playing games and exercises with disabled children
- Working Hours:Flexible; Monday to Thursday 9am to 1.30pm and Friday 9am to 1.30pm, all other time is free
- Getting to the project:5 minutes minibus taxi ride (budget approximately US$5 per week)
- Requirements:Minimum age 18
What's Included
- Accommodation:Shared dormitory room in volunteer house
- Food:Food is not included; you will need to purchase your own food (budget approximately US$50 per week)
- Airport Pickup:Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
- Training:In-country orientation
- Support:Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support
What's not included
- Flights, Insurance, Visas, Return Airport transfer, Local Transport, Food
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!

Aims
To provide a safe enviroment where children can learn to become more independant and ensure their live's are improved
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:
Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant)
We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with confirmation of your project and accommodation 2 weeks after you've booked
We will ask you to complete your forms and pay your final balance if they are still due when required
We are available for any questions you may have on 800 985 4852 or support@i-to-i.com
What you need to do after booking your place with us:
Book your flights
Arrange suitable travel insurance
Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
- Application from
- Travel details
- Insurance details
- Medical information
- Emergency contacts
Complete your police check if requested
Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
Make final payment at least 90 days before you go
Make sure you have a visa for your trip if it's needed
Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
Get on the plane!
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 youre flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
A little bit of history...
A journey into South Africa’s history is to haul through periods of racial tension, oppression and hope. Its multicultural mix originates from the earliest settlers, the San (also known as Bushmen) and Khoi-Khoi tribes, followed by Bantu-speaking groups, and through to the swarm of European traders. The Dutch were among the first European settlers and arrived in the 17th century, establishing their presence through their own dialect, Afrikaan, and religion in the form of the Dutch Reformed Church. By the end of the 18th century, the British began to push their presence forward into the country’s towns. It was a period of flared tensions with Zulu chief Shaka renouncing war on neighbouring tribes. Meanwhile, the Boers (Dutch Afrikaner farmers) and the British became locked in conflict; the Anglo-Boer War lasted from 1899 to 1902, ending with the British taking control of the Boer republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State (OFS) and consequently ruling the country.
By 1910, the Union of South Africa was created and gave political power to whites, while blacks set up political parties in protest, the African National Congress (ANC) the best known. It ushered in the beginnings of apartheid, which became widely ingrained after the Afrikaner National Party came to power in 1948. Violence against protests from blacks was enforced and the black population were evicted to so-called Homelands. In the 1960s, leaders of the ANC were imprisoned, notably Nelson Mandela, and the country became isolated having left the Commonwealth and declaring its republic status. After a long period of racial divide and conflict, in 1989 FW de Klerk came to power with the aim to rid the country of apartheid and instil democracy. The following year, Mandela was released from prison and in 1994 became president after the ANC won the country’s first non-racial general elections; the country also returned to the Commonwealth. The country’s democratic stance has steered it toward a more harmonious future, though economic inequalities between whites and blacks exist, but as the most developed economy on the continent it is in a good position to reconcile with its past.
Best time to go...
Naturally, South Africa’s seasons are the reverse of the northern hemisphere with summer heat burning from November to March and cooler winter temperatures from June to August. Temperature wise, spring (September to October) and autumn (April to May) provide a happy medium. Certain must-do activities are restricted to specific times of year: safari is best from June to September and the whale watching season is June to December. The busiest time, hence the most expensive, is during the summer months, while the major school holidays are during December and Easter.
Getting around...
Given the distances involved, flying is the most convenient way to travel between the main destinations, while land transportation can efficiently pick up the rest of the mileage for exploration in and around. There are an assortment of domestic carriers to choose from that fly the main routes, with most running from Johannesburg or Cape Town; these include South African Airways, Nationwide Airlines, Kulula and 1Time. Booking early is advisable to secure discounted rates.
There country also boasts a comprehensive bus network that covers the main cities; the road trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town is around 20 hours (compared to a 2 hour in a plane). The main bus companies are Translux, Greyhound and Intercape. Baz Bus is aimed at the backpacker crowd and provides a hop-on, hop-off service and also travels to remote areas. It’s a good way to discover the picturesque patch of coastline that is the Garden Route, which it services en route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
Train travel can work out longer than by bus, with the trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town edging toward almost 30 hours. If you’re after a little luxury, try the Blue Train or the Rovos Rail for a taste of stylish travel.
Car rental is an attractive option thanks to the good road conditions, great scenery and the flexibility driving allows. The big car rental companies like Avis and Budget have outlets and it’s essential to be fully insured and have a valid driver’s licence. It’s also a convenient way to get around cities as public transport can be unsafe.
Useful links
www.lonelyplanet.com
www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas
www.aasa.co.za
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA)
www.bazbus.com
Bus company Baz Bus
www.1time.co.za
Domestic airline 1Time
www.greyhound.co.za
Bus company Greyhound
www.intercape.co.za
Bus company Intercape
www.kulula.com
Domestic airline Kulula
www.flynationwide.co.za
Nationwide Airlines
www.flysaa.com
South African Airways
www.translux.com.za
Bus company Translux
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