Can you make learning fun?
South Africa has put the past behind it and built a new future based around equality and opportunity for all. However there are still divisions in the society, most dramatically in literacy levels between rich and poor which exclude many from the new South Africa. The ‘Help to Read’ child literacy initiative aims to get children to fall in love with books and improve the reading skills of 5 to 12 year olds. The project teaches children the basic skills that will enable them to receive a full and rewarding education. This is a great chance to make learning fun and share your love of books with young children living in the Cape Town area. We also include our TEFL certification for everyone who chooses the project.
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:Various locations, about 45 minutes from Cape Town
- Arrival Airport:Cape Town (airport code CPT)
- Activities:Working one on one with children, reading to them, encouraging them to read back and boosting confidence in speaking and reading English
- Working Hours:Flexible; Monday to Fridays 9am to 1pm. Afternoons can be spent preparing or relaxing, all other time is free
- Getting to the project:Around 10-15 minutes taxi ride (budget approximately US$15 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 and Online TEFL course
- 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?
The primary role of the project is to help local South African children to read in order to help them enjoy a brighter future. Many South African children have parents who can't read or write English and who, therefore, can't read to them. Yet, without this, kids tend to fall behind their peers, losing confidence and self esteem. With the loss of confidence comes the loss of pleasure; kids who don't feel confident about their reading simply don't like reading, or books. This is where a volunteer like you steps in by helping the children to read.
Why does the project need volunteers?
Literacy is a serious issue in South Africa. One in four adults is illiterate, and many children in schools are unable to read and write in English. Imagine how hard life must be for people who can't read English: they're frustrated every day by street signs, restaurant menus, and posters, they'll miss out on the entire world of computers, and they're not as employable as people who can read and write English. Volunteers don't replace good teaching; they add to it, playing the role of a literate adult in the child's life with time and attention just for them.
Your role as a volunteer
Your role will involve reading to the children, helping them to read stories and your influence as a literate and caring adult will help them to develop a love of books and see education as both accessible and achievable. You will be able to help on a one to one basis thereby giving the children more self confidence!
Those of us that love to read enjoy these privileges which most of us have taken for granted:
- Parents who read bedtime stories
- Books in English lying around the house
- At the very least, an adult in the family able to read and write English
Accommodation included
You'll be staying in a shared volunteer house in the nearby suburb of Fish Hoek. You will transfer daily to your project by taxi, which you will need to budget for.
Project resources and advice
Resources at the project are adequate, but volunteers will need to be creative or bring certain things from home. Any books, stationery or teacher training books would be much appreciated!
Food
The project is self-catering, so you will be responsible for buying and cooking your own food, using the onsite self-catering facilities.
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.
Things that you'll need to organize yourself
- Flights
- In-country transport (except airport pickup on arrival date)
- Insurance
- Visa costs
- Any extra equipment during the project e.g. stationery, craft items, sports gear, etc
- Your food and meals (approx US$50 per week)
Aims
Help2read is a child literacy charity that has been operating for 15 months, in CapeTown's southern metropolitan education district. Our ongoing objective is to encourage and recruit volunteers, who we then train and place in primary schools, to help children learn to read.
Our vision is to produce a positive effect on the literacy levels within Cape Town’s central metropolitan education district this year, to spread our service throughout the Western Cape by 2010 and, in due course, across South Africa.
Achievements
To date, this project has enabled over 150 children learn to read. Teachers have experienced stunning turnarounds with those children in terms of their vastly improved grades across the full range of school subjects. The bigger picture is one of immense proportions in regards to the low levels of literacy throughout South Africa.
Project Log
How has meeting i-to-i volunteers from around the world changed your own life?
Date: 2008-11-24
Learnt further about other countries and cultures.
What new ideas have i-to-i volunteers brought to the project?
Date: 2008-11-24
Many of the volunteers still keep contact with help2read as well as donating resources such a s books and games. Volunteers who are qualified teachers have shared ideas to do in the reading sessions and different techniques which they use in their classrooms across the world. Thus ultimately benefitting the learners we assist.
What is your favourite thing about having i-to-i volunteers visit your placement?
Date: 2008-11-24
One of the benefits is that the schools also love having the extra assistance. The volunteers often become part of the school staff for the time they are there and partake in other projects and outings.
Are you happy when i-to-i volunteers come to your project and if so why?
Date: 2008-11-24
Yes - more volunteers means more learners being helped! I think the cultural exchange between the learner and volunteer is beneficial for both the learner and volunteer. The intensive assistance they provide the learners is hugely beneficial.
What achievements have been made from having i-to-i volunteers?
Date: 2008-11-24
Significant improvements in children's reading. One specific learner could barely read and after the 4 weeks was reading an easy children's book.
How have i-to-i volunteers made a difference to your project?
Date: 2008-11-24
Yes definitely. Despite being here for a relatively short period they see the learners at school approximately the same number of times a local volunteer would see them over a school term. Learners become very attached to the children in that short time. They are usually very excited to see the volunteers.
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!
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 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 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 for directions.
If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:
Surfpackers
5 Kingfisher Avenue
Kommetjie
7976
+27 (0) 82 306 8877
Your orientation will take place at 17.00 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 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 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.
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.
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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