Townships 📝

Volunteering in Townships - Community Experience

40 minutes drive away from Cape Town, you can volunteer in Townships in South Africa.
They need volunteers to help the teachers in kindergarten, prepare the food and play with the kids and some small projects.

• What is a Township?
In the context of South Africa, a township refers to a residential area that, historically, was designated for black South Africans during the apartheid era. Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that existed in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s.
Townships were areas set aside for non-white communities, often located on the outskirts of cities and characterized by inadequate infrastructure, limited resources, and poor living conditions. Black South Africans were forced to live in these areas due to discriminatory laws that restricted their movement and residence.
Townships became centers of resistance and resilience during the struggle against apartheid. Over time, some townships have evolved and developed, and efforts have been made to improve living conditions and infrastructure. However, challenges such as poverty, unemployment and inadequate services still persist in many townships in South Africa. Today, the term "township" is also used to describe similar areas that may have different demographics and social dynamics post-apartheid.

What the volunteer has to do?

25 hours per week of the following:

✔ Children Care

✔ Support

✔ Kitchen Work

Requirements:

✔ Intermediate English

✔ Over 18 years old

✔ Accepts Solo & Couples

About the Program:

You can volunteer in one of the following projects - 

1. Township Nursey Project - You will spend your volunteer time in nurseries supported by a non-profit organization. There is a need for all kinds of support and assistance; you can be an assistant teacher in a group of children aged 4-6 years, or play and care for the children.
The organization recognized the need in deprived towns and communities for better-quality care for infants, young children and pre-schoolers. They provide childcare training to increase the skills of unemployed women or community workers to promote child development and stimulation.
In 2006, they helped three women open the first nursery and today they provide support to several nurseries.

• Registration is minimum for 4 weeks (preference is given to those who choose a longer period and it is preferable for the experience to be 6 weeks for it to be beneficial and sufficient).
• Maximum Stay: 3 months.
• Volunteer days: Monday-Friday, from 8:00-13:00.

2. HIV / AIDS Children's Home - Founded in 1936, initially established as a care center for unmarried mothers and their children, over the years, it has evolved into an organization providing shelter for children who have experienced abuse, displaced children, those affected by HIV / AIDS, orphans and critically ill children from birth to 6 years old.
They also offer community services for vulnerable children from birth to 12 years old. Their goal is to create self-sufficiency and competence for children and families living with HIV / AIDS, aiming to reduce cases of child abandonment and neglect due to AIDS.

This is achieved through:
✔ Temporary care for children with acute illnesses.
✔ Palliative care for children with terminal illnesses.
✔ Residential care for abandoned infants and children with chronic illnesses.
✔ A safe emergency placement for children (mostly under 2 years old) who have been abandoned, orphaned, or subjected to abuse.
✔ Implementation of antiretroviral therapy for children with HIV.
✔ Recruitment and assessment of families willing to care for children with special needs, those affected by HIV and children receiving antiretroviral treatment.

• Registration is minimum for 8 weeks (preference is given to those who choose a longer period and it is preferable for the experience to be 12 weeks for it to be beneficial and sufficient).
• Maximum stay: 3 months.
• Volunteer days: Monday-Friday (working in shifts), from 7:00-18:00.

3. Community Welfare for Children - In 2004, this project created a beacon of hope in the midst of poverty and violence. It was established with the aim of supporting underprivileged children by providing a broad and continuous improvement in their educational opportunities through the care of preschools and schools.
Through various projects, the goal is to ensure the growth of children in South Africa in a community free from poverty, mistreatment and violence. The hope is to empower them to overcome poverty and bias, achieve an independent and successful stage of development.

In this project, you can assist a mother at home with young children or be an assistant teacher in the nursery or primary school. In addition, you can engage in some sports training with elementary school children. There are many possibilities for volunteer positions in this community project.

• Registration is minimum for 8 weeks (preference is given to those who choose a longer period and it is preferable for the experience to be 12 weeks for it to be beneficial and sufficient).
• Maximum stay: 3 months.
• Volunteer days: Monday-Friday, from 7:00-15:30.

🏠 Accommodation:

The apartment is fully furnished on the beach, equipped with all modern amenities and is located in the coastal village of Strand, approximately 30km from Cape Town International Airport and 50km from the city center of Cape Town.

Strand beaches are known as some of the safest on the peninsula, boasting beautiful white sandy shores spanning 5km. It is a renowned destination for surfing, windsurfing, swimming, sunbathing and strolling.

The accommodation is a short drive from your project and in close proximity to everything you might need, including an indoor swimming pool and a gym. The train station is also nearby and numerous taxis are just a phone call away at reasonable rates.

• Shared rooms and bathrooms - males in a shared accommodation and females in another shared accommodation.

⛅ Weather in Strand:

• Summer Months: December - March
• Autumn Months: April - May
• Winter Months: June - August
• Spring Months: September - November

The weather in South Africa is European, as in the evening hours, you may need a jacket even in the summer months.

📆 Registration Dates:

•Registration for this program is available all year except December.

• Days off: 2 days per week.

💳 Registration Fees: (Does not include HomeAwe Fees)

• $600 for 4 weeks
• $150 for 1 week

Regarding registration fees, flight costs and living expenses in South Africa, this opportunity is invaluable. A regular tourist trip would undoubtedly cost more. Here, the experiences you will have with HomeAwe are unique. And the daily life is relatively affordable.

📋 Registration Process:

1. Sign Up through the program's link down below - your details and answers to the questions will be reviewed and based on that, your acceptance will be determined. (It is preferable not to hesitate in providing clear and explicit answers to the questions without any sense of shyness. The clearer, more spontaneous and heartfelt your answers are, the higher the likelihood of your acceptance).
If we do not contact you within 2 weeks, it means that you have not been accepted.
If you are accepted, we will communicate with you via email to arrange the payment of the registration fees to reserve your spot in the program.

2. After you Sign Up, you'll receive an email that has a link to pay the registration fees of $350 to HomeAwe.

3. Have a personal interview with HomeAwe for introduction and further explanation of details.
+ In certain cases, an introductory interview with the HomeAwe team or program organizers will be scheduled to provide more detailed information about volunteering, confirm your acceptance and set a volunteering schedule. After the interview, your acceptance will be official 100%. If, for some reason, you are not accepted after the interview, the registration fee will be refunded on the same day.
Once you are officially accepted 100%, with or without an interview, there is no refund for the registration fees, even in case of an emergency. The fees will be retained until your participation in another program later on.

4. The host will communicate with you directly via WhatsApp or email to arrange your arrival day and to come pick you up from the airport.

5. Complete registration fees at least one month before the start date of your program to save your spot!