Volunteering in South Africa for many international visitors means going to Cape Town or somewhere in the bush if they join a wildlife or conservation project. We know there is a lot more to South Africa than Cape Town and throughout the last 10 years Khaya always has a small presence in Cape Town by providing 1 or 2 projects.
I am a very lucky girl because I work at the Khaya office and we are constantly in need of new content for our social media channels, I get to visit the projects every now and then. I get to see what our volunteers actually do and how much they contribute to some people’s lives. I get to see how grateful everyone is to have volunteers helping them and how happy the kids get from playing with them.
My first two weeks in South Africa, flew by really fast. I spent a lot of time with my new friends and they dragged me along everywhere they went. It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but it actually turned out to be a really good thing. I got some good impressions of life in South Africa and the volunteer house. Most volunteers have been here for a while and know all the nice local bars and places to go to have a good time.
Hi, I’m Lien, a 20-year-old student from Belgium. I am currently doing my final internship in Port Elizabeth with Khaya Volunteer Projects. I’ve been here for a while now and I thought it was about time to tell you about my experience.
Does volunteering with Khaya appeal to you, but you need some direction on how to get started? No worries, we know it can be difficult sometimes, but here’s a guide to help you become one of us. Just read it through, and in no time, you’ll be in beautiful Africa!
When you decide to go volunteering, most people decide to do it overseas in a far-off destination. Of course, this is amazing; you get to visit a new country and learn all about a new culture, but there is a challenge to it as well, because you, of course, also have to get to that far off country and that means a long-haul flight.
So, you finally booked your volunteer project and can’t wait to see what the other side of the world is all about. Before you have a culture shock when you arrive here, you need to understand that South Africa and Europe have quite a few cultural differences. The fact is, if you go unprepared, your first few days might be a bit challenging.
Rubbish and pollution are major problems in South African township communities. Wherever you go you will see trash laying around on the street.
The public waste collection is not working properly and all attempts from the government to solve the rubbish problem have not been successful.
All the many different types of African people have a rich cultural heritage that has survived colonialism, conflict and many other issues.
Great, so you’ve decided you want to be a part of something bigger and make a difference in the world. Do you know what it takes to be a volunteer abroad though?
