Volunteer Cape Town

Working with the educare centers
Working in settlements with disadvantaged families
Creating your own educational programs to teach children
Supporting and training adults
Learning about running a non-profit organization
Gaining experience in working with children and groups
Flexible projects and hours
Learning about South African culture and way of life
Making new friends for life

Day 1: Welcome to South Africa (Saturday)
You are collected from the airport and taken to your accommodation. You will be shown around and given an understanding of the area. You have the day at your own leisure so you can explore the beach, shops, bars and restaurants. In the evening you are served a welcoming meal at the hostel.

Day 2: Cape Town City Walking Tour (Sunday)
Start the day with a self served breakfast. Your friendly project leader will teach you about the bus system before you head out to Cape Town City Center.

Cape Town City Walking Tour:
Do a walking tour visiting historical sites like the Castle of Good Hope and the Grand Parade. Learn about life under apartheid in South Africa at the Parliament Buildings and the District Six Museum. Shop for African arts and crafts in Greenmarket Square and St George’s Mall.

After the listed activity, you can take a bus or walk to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Sit back and sip a delicious coffee, enjoy some fresh fish and watch the ships in the busy working harbor or walk around and visit the shops, markets and listen to the musicians on the sidewalks.

Alternatively, you can take the cable car up Table Mountain and enjoy breath-taking views of the city, or visit the famous Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held in prison during the apartheid era. (Own Expense)

In the evening head back on the local bus to Table View where you can join the staff, guests and the locals at one of the restaurants or bars along the beachfront in Table View - all within rolling distance from the hostel where you will be staying the night.

Volunteers work 5 days a week from Monday to Friday. Mondays are office based for both new and old volunteers. New volunteers receive their teacher training and additional information on our projects and the areas they will be working at. Old volunteers assist with planning for the week, equipment maintenance, re-organising storage spaces for equipment, donation sorting etc. Some days volunteers will work a full 8 hours and other days 4 to 5 hours depending on the needs of the project. This project is flexible and volunteers may need to use their initiative and run part of the project on their own. Volunteers can work in the office with fundraising or administrative tasks as well as in the settlements with the day-to-day activities and running of the educare centres. Volunteers can also help arrange annual events like Youth Day activities, a Christmas party and cooking competitions.

Previous projects include:
- Clearing ground, erecting pre-school classrooms, fencing and laying down grass for a pre-school
- Building a brick school for disabled children
- Planting and maintaining several vegetable gardens for families
- Planting and maintaining a vegetable garden for the pre-school
- Building a camp for goats who were kept in overcrowded, inhumane conditions

You may be required to do some of these tasks in your free time:
- Administration - lesson plan preparation, developmental activies, research, etc. (This is mostly done after project hours in preparation for upcoming days.)
- Helping with washing up after meals, cleaning classrooms, washing bedding and toys
- Maintaning a safe and hygienic environment for the children at all times
- Fundraising

This project runs all year round, however, during school holidays we run the project according to our holiday program. During the holidays it's a time for the kids to have fun so the programs are less structured and may change depending on the number of children that arrive on the day. Working hours are generally from 08:00 to 14:00.

In addition there are a lot of public holidays spread throughout the year. Please note that during the holidays, it's a time for the kids to have fun, so the programs are less structured and may change depending on the number of children that arrive on the day.

Due to Christmas and New Year’s celebrations between December 23th - Jan 1st, all projects in Cape Town are closed, however, volunteers may still use the accommodation and food and join us for Christmas lunch on the 25th.

The first week in January starting on January 4th 2025, all volunteers at the social/community programs in Cape Town will join the holiday club. The regular volunteer projects start running again on Monday January 13th 2025.

The last day of volunteering at one of the social/community projects in Cape Town is Friday, December 20th, 2024. Volunteers can stay at the volunteer accommodation during Christmas and celebrate, but there will be no volunteering until January 4th, 2025.

Public Holidays 2024
16, 25-26 December

Public Holidays 2025
01 January
21 March
18, 21 & 27-28 April
01 May
16 June
09 August
24 September
16, 25-26 December

With every new arrival we have a safety and orientation briefing where we discuss issues such as general safety in South Africa for example, what to do in the settlements, where not to go, what to do in case of an emergency, sea currents, HIV AIDS and crime. There is a volunteer co-ordinator with our volunteers at all times while on project to ensure the safety of the children and volunteer. We offer all our volunteers 24/7 support and assistance.

Airport pick-up
2-day orientation in Cape Town
Accommodation
Three meals a day (Monday to Friday) - Dinners not included on weekends
Transport to and from your project
24-hour support and supervision
Weekly social events
Donation to the project
Certificate of appreciation

Minimum age of 18
CV/Resume
Police Clearance Certificate
Basic level of competency in English
Acceptance subject to availability

Volunteers need to be flexible and keep an open mind concerning their placements as situations can arise beyond our control which could require you to be placed at a different project than the one you have initially chosen. We will of course always do our utmost to fulfill your initial wishes but do remember that where you are going is quite different from where you are coming and as such one should be prepared for things not always going according to plan.

Volunteering and intercultural travel share a common trait: the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. This program is designed for proactive individuals and groups that are prepared to adapt to the local environment and its current needs. Naturally, the scheduling and activities of our program are subject to change. Alterations in activities are mainly due to changes in local conditions, which we believe is part of what makes overseas programs the interesting adventure and incredible learning experience that they are.

Our projects range from 1 week up to approx. 30 weeks. Projects have a specified minimum stay, then it’s up to you how long you can commit. In our experience the longer you stay the more you will gain, as your understanding of the project broadens and you take on more responsibilities. Every volunteer will be given a certificate of appreciation at the end of their stay as a symbol of volunteering stay.