Cape Town: Teaching and Youth Development

Introduction

With its apartheid past behind it, South Africa of today is a rainbow nation which boasts beautiful natural scenery – wildlife and beaches, lively and culturally diverse cities and some of the world’s most exciting attractions. A city like Cape Town exemplifies a lot of the famous South African cultural diversity. It offer a unique combination of history, breathtaking mountains and sandy beaches, amazing culture and vibrant urban life.

Even though much progress has been made to move forward, South Africa still struggles with the highest economic inequality in the world, high unemployment, poverty, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and TB infection rates. Access to basic amenities such as water, electricity and toilets is a daily struggle for a large number of people. This complex socio-economic situation reflects heavily on the lives of vulnerable children and women and much is needed to make a significant change. In South Africa, all children have to go to school, however, a large percentage struggle to go or to do well due to the effects of unemployment, HIV/AIDS, poverty and substance abuse. Education is one of the key needs of children, one that will lead them to a brighter future.

The Education projects aims to help children in primary school in various ways including encouraging them to read and offering one-on-one support to children who are performing below the pass rate. You will also be assisting in the afterschool project which supports educational activities including reading and homework, teaching life skills and activities to improve self-confidence. In the morning you will work at the school and in the afternoon, you will assist at the afterschool program or youth centre. Depending on your experience and interests as well as the needs of the school, you will work with qualified teachers and youth development staff to assist students who struggle academically and experience challenges. You will assist the students who are falling behind in their schoolwork in one-on-one sessions with them. You will help students with their homework and reading as well as support extracurricular activities such as drama, music, art and sports classes. You will assist in the programs geared to building self-confidence and resistance to peer pressure and gang related activity.

Daily Life

You will be met at Cape Town International Airport and transferred to Dune Lodge, your accommodation during the project. The trip takes around 45-60 minutes from the airport to Hout Bay. The remainder of your first day is for relaxation and settling in. On your second and third days you will participate in various tours including a red bus tour around the Cape Town where you will stop off in the city centre and see where various tourist sites are located.  You’ll also be booked onto Hangberg community lead by a local leader who lives in the community and is involved in many youth interventions encouraging positive development and a boat trip around Hout Bay and to Seal Island. The Coordinator who also runs Dune Lodge will give you an informative presentation briefing you on everything you need to know about the country and the culture, what to expect and how to contribute effectively during your volunteer experience. You may be taken to your morning project location during your first days to introduce you to the location and your supervisor there.

On your fourth day you will begin your volunteer projects. and in the afternoon your coordinator will give you an orientation to your afternoon project at  one of the youth centres we work with. Your day starts with breakfast on the deck overlooking the beach and Hout Bay Harbour. At 7:30 you will travel to your placement and get ready to begin your day. Your work day starts at 8:00 when you will join your chosen project assisting with teaching activities including math, English, science etc. and supporting the teacher with setting and marking homework and tests. At 12:30 you can enjoy the lunch you packed in the morning or go back to the accommodation for lunch. You will resume your work at 14:00 with assisting at youth clubs with homework, reading and activities which develop self-confidence. You will return back to your accommodation at around 16:00 – 17:00 where you or spend time with the other volunteers, perhaps a quick trip to the beach?  In the evening you can cook and eat alongside fellow volunteers, followed by more time to relax.

On Day 5 you will go both to your morning and afternoon projects.

On the weekends you are free to relax and explore the scenery and the activities on offer. You can choose among many options including Cape Peninsular Tour, a guided table mountain hiking tour, abseiling off Table Mountain, sand boarding, tandem paragliding off Table Mountain, shark cage diving, a tour of Robben Island, township and Cape Town city tours, wine tasting and more.
If you have signed up for a four week project then Day 29 will be your time to return home. You will leave the backpacker lodge in Hout Bay and transfer to Cape Town International Airport with the assistance of our team.

If you have more days for participating in your project, you will continue as already described and enjoy more time to experience the beautiful Cape Town.

Travel & Accom.

The award-winning lodge Dune Lodge  opposite the sandy beaches of Hout Bay will be your home during your stay. It is located in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometers south of the Central Business District of Cape Town, a short bus ride away. Bordered by Table Mountain and a white sand beach, the lodge has a stunning view over Hout Bay beach and is within walking distance from local shops, markets, restaurants and amenities. Hout Bay is one of the Western Cape’s busiest fishing harbours with an established fish industry and wonderful fish restaurants. Our staff will help you organize trips and excursions to local sights.

The shared dorms where you will sleep have communal bathrooms, and bed linen and pillows are provided. There are also communal living spaces, kitchen and terrace are waiting for the volunteers to enjoy together. There are three meals a day provided and they can be eaten together on the communal decking area in the summer or in the dining room during the winter.

You will prepare your own meals in the communal kitchen from groceries which are provided and delivered, you can have some input into what groceries will be bought each week.

Requirements

• Minimum age 18
• Minimum 4 weeks commitment
• Be able to communicate in English
• Be open-minded, patient, adaptable, and willing to embrace the challenges of the project
• Have a positive attitude towards living in a rural setting and working in a team
• Good mental and physical health – an appropriate level of fitness
• Necessary flights & visas
• Full travel & medical insurance – full assistance will be provided in arranging everything should you choose our Placement Support Package

Costs

OTHER DURATIONS AVAILABLE  – PLEASE ENQUIRE.

* Currency conversions are approximate.
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee.
*** Places are confirmed with a 3 week deposit

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes food, accommodation, airport pickup, orientation, in-country support and project activities.

What’s not included:

Flights, insurance, visas (if applicable) and vaccinations. Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators.

We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.