About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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If the answer is yes then South Africa is the country for you and this is the project! When an economy struggles the first charities to feel the pinch are those working with animals, so your efforts are much needed. This is a great society which provides food parcels, veterinary treatment and animal care education for those that could not otherwise afford it. It also works with children who have had extremely hard lives and aims to break the cycle of abuse by teaching them to care and be responsible for animals. You’ll get a great opportunity to visit local communities and visit animals there, while for those considering a future in veterinary care there is valuable chance to help the resident vet, who requires daily help.
Today you will be met at the airport and taken to our volunteer house in Fish Hoek. You’ll need to arrive in before 4.15pm so that you’re all ready for the orientation which kicks off at 5pm. The journey from the airport to Fish Hoek should take around 45 minutes and if you keep your eyes open you might get to see Table Mountain on the way! The orientation will take you 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. After the orientation you’ll have some time to relax and prepare before your first day at the project tomorrow.
If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Cape Town before 4.15pm then 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.
Having had your orientation the previous day, you’ll be shown the way to the animal rescue project bright and early today where you’ll get to know the staff you’ll be spending time with and shadowing for the first few days. Take time to get to know them and the animals as you’ll be spending a lot of time together!
There really is so much to get involved in, so plan your time wisely and talk to the staff at the project to get a realistic idea of what you can achieve during your time here so that you’re not overwhelmed by choice. One day you could be feeding, bathing and playing with cleaning the kittens, cats, puppies or the dogs, the next day could be walking the active dogs, or you could work alongside the resident vet – if you’ve got a strong stomach that is, because it’s not for the faint hearted!
The rest of your week will be following your schedule of activities to get involved in, working alongside the trained staff, giving much needed attention and affection to these felines and hounds. Most of the animals have been rescued having been treated badly or abandoned so they are in need of some time with anyone who can give them affection and make them purr or woof wholeheartedly again.
The weekends are your free time to rest and explore. There are so many things to see and do in Cape Town you’ll struggle to get bored! There’s a train line straight into Cape Town from Fish Hoek that take about an hour and you’re close to Boulders Beach where the penguins hang out. There’s also Table Mountain, Cape Point, Robben Island and that’s without leaving the city!
Mondays to Fridays, 8.30am – 5.00pm, with a one hour lunch break, if you can tear yourself away from the animals, will be spent energetically at the project with your weekends free to fill with whatever you fancy! The team have close links with reputable tour companies so there will always be something going on.
Having said goodbye to all your new friends, both human and animal, you’ll transfer back to the airport on this day. The return transfer from Fish Hoek to Cape Town International is not covered within your project fee but our regular transfer company will be able to sort the journey back for you, the costs will be around US$35 / 250 Rand.
This project is a pro-life non-profit animal rescue society called The Emma Animal Rescue Society, whose core aim is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home abandoned, abused and neglected dogs and cats.
The society is located 45 minutes drive from Cape Town city centre. it began its work in 1999 primarily to care for rescued cats and dogs that had been abused and abandoned and left in appalling conditions, but they also exist to educate the wider disadvantaged communities of the importance of caring for their animals humanely. They achieve this by providing free sterilizations and certain vaccinations in disadvantaged communities that cannot afford the services themselves.
For those who cannot look after their cats or dogs, the animals are rehabilitated by dedicated staff and volunteers. They are re-homed following an interview with prospective owners and a home visit to ensure the animal’s welfare. The project staff from the local community are totally dedicated to the cats and dogs at the centre, and on an average day, their 24 staff and numerous volunteers care for around 150 dogs and puppies and over 100 cats and kittens. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, a lot of fur to clean and a lot of miles covered by walking the energetic dogs needing to stretch their legs!
Needless to say, this project is completely animal focused and although the staff might be covered in scratches, they all have huge smiles on their faces as a result of the life changing work they are involved in, both on site and in the local communities.
The animal rescue society has many arms, including on site rehabilitation of needy animals with an onsite vet, a mobile clinic in the disadvantaged communities and several charity shops to raise money to fund the society. Private donors as well as certain animal welfare organizations primarily help with funding, but it is also the hard work and fundraising initiatives that fund the society.
Since the centre started in 1999, it has re-homed over 4500 animals. The project works directly with local communities and informal settlements in not only rescuing animals but providing food parcels, veterinary treatment and animal care education for those that could not otherwise afford it.
Although the project has around 24 staff from the local communities, they simply can’t manage to get everything done on their never ending list of jobs and activities. As they are a pro-life society, there is no limit on how long a dog or cat can stay there, but as the number of animals rehabilitated but not re-homed, increases every year, so does the need for support from the community, especially for volunteers of all ages. Often those who adopt the animals only want the kittens and puppies, so there are many older cats and dogs who have lived at the centre almost their entire life.
The society aims to educate the public about older animals and how they make better pets than the younger animals but these are often the ones who end up without a home and need your affection and attention.
Your help is appreciated from Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm, with a 1-hour lunch break. The hours are arranged to cover the busiest times at the project but there is flexibility so feel free to just talk to the staff when you get there about this.
Activities will vary on a daily basis and you can choose if you’d rather work with the cats, dogs or both! You’ll be cleaning, bottle feeding kittens and puppies, walking dogs and finding them new homes when potential new families come to visit. You can also help animals in distress, train dogs, help with maintenance, work in the charity shop and work alongside the resident vet if you’re looking for or have some experience in this area.
You will be able to visit the local informal settlements alongside staff, providing a chance to assist with basic, primary care treatments such as vaccinations and flea and tick treatments. You will also get the opportunity to observe and assist veterinary operations within the new in-house surgery and any volunteers with veterinary experience would be much appreciated.
It’s definitely not a ‘walk in the park’ but it’s so worthwhile to be able to get involved and bring joy to these animals who have been treated so badly by previous owners.
The rescue centre is based near Masiphumele, which is around fifteen minutes away from your accommodation and 45 minutes from central Cape Town.
You will be given a t-shirt by the project on arrival and we would suggest only wearing clothes to the project that you don’t mind getting dirty and scratched, save the ball gowns for the weekend!
Some of our volunteers make the decision to bring gifts and resources from home to incorporate into their work during their time in South Africa. Whilst all that the project really needs is you, full of motivation and ideas, if you do want to bring resources from home (and it is by no means necessary!), the project is in need of items to sell in their charity shops or monetary donations for pet food and other resources. Most items can be purchased in South Africa which saves luggage space for you and helps the local economy.
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….
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
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.
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.
If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 60-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
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.
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 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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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 and will be met at the airport on the specified arrival date (we recommend you arrive between 8.00 and 16.00 in order to attend your orientation at 17.00). You will be taken to the OneThreeSix (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 for directions.
If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:
The One Three Six
136 Kommetije Road
Fish Hoek
7976
T: +27 (0)21 785 4858
+27 (0)82 306 8877
Your orientation will take place at 17.00 on the arrival date at The One Three Six and will introduce you to life in Cape Town as well as important information about staying healthy and safe.
You will stay at The One Three Six on the first night before transferring to your permanent accommodation the next day. The transfer will be arranged for you by the team; transfers within Cape Town will take about 1 hour and those travelling 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.
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 >>
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.
Early airport pick up is possible to arrange on the day before the listed start date if required. You will be met at Cape Town International airport and transferred to our 'volunteer house' in Fish Hoek just outside Cape Town – where orientation takes pla
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is €145.00
You’ll be staying in our large volunteer house in Fish Hoek throughout your trip. The house is reserved solely for i-to-i volunteers and you will have use of all facilities. The house accommodates up to 25 people in dormitory-style rooms with bunk beds. There are three bathrooms and a maximum of 8 people in a room. There’s also a lounge area, balcony, garden and barbeque facilities. The house is in a locked compound in a residential area and a short distance from the shops and beach.
A 10 minute walk away there is a supermarket, serviced laundry and an internet café and there’s also a shopping mall a little further on. You can also head down to the beach area for bars and restaurants, about a 10 minute drive away.
Your time in Cape Town is on a self-catering basis so there’s a kitchen complete with cooker, fridge, microwave and a wealth of kitchen utensils. There’s a dining area in the lounge or table and chairs on the balcony if you prefer the outdoor experience! While in the house you will be responsible for keeping the place clean so please tidy up after yourself, especially in the kitchen.
There is a supermarket and shops a 10 minute walk from the volunteer house. They are open late so you’ll be able to shop either in your lunch-break or after your days work. You should budget around US$50 per week for groceries, as prices are similar to home. There is a phone at the house where you can receive incoming calls and you can easily buy local phone cards to make outbound phone calls.
The bathroom facilities include hot water, shower, bath and western style toilets. The property is well-maintained and reasonably new so the living conditions are good. There are also regular maintenance staff ready to fix any issues if they do arise. There isn’t a washing mashine at the house but there is a laundry just down the road where you can simply drop off your clothes and pick them up later!
Cape Town maintains a temperate climate throughout the year and as a result properties do not have central heating. The volunteer house is no exception (apart from a fire in the living room); if travelling to South Africa between June and August please be prepared for the Cape Town winter which can be cold at night. You’ll need to bring some warm jumpers, a decent sleeping bag and even some cosy socks especially if you’re prone to feeling the cold.
The house is based at the top of a hill within Fish Hoek. This is a a quiet, residential suburb to the South of Cape Town looking over False Bay. There are shops in Fish Hoek where you can buy all essentials, except alcohol (Fish Hoek is a dry area). It is about a 45 minute journey by car or an hour by train from Cape Town city centre.
The trains are a great way to get into the centre cheaply, particularly at the weekend. They stop running at 7pm so if you do want to go out into the centre at night you’ll need to budget around US$35 / 250 Rand each way for a taxi.
Your project is based in Masiphimelele (or Masi) which is only a short distance from Fish Hoek. Masi is based in the middle of the Cape Penisula between Fish Hoek on the east coast and Kommetjie on the west. It is approximately 5 kilometres in distance and 15 minutes on a public minibus from your accommodation. The ride should only cost around US$2 / 10 Rand return.
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.
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.
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.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA)
Bus company Baz Bus
Domestic airline 1Time
Bus company Greyhound
Bus company Intercape
Domestic airline Kulula
Nationwide Airlines
South African Airways
Bus company Translux
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
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