Three of us volunteers painted a township nursery. We worked on it for three mornings, but it was a lot of work, so it isn’t finished. The nursery is a house made of corrugated iron. My volunteering work is in a colorful crèche, which I think makes children happy – so we wanted the nursery to be colourful as well.
In the previous blog, I spoke about the after-school project. This week there was no after-school project due to the learners writing exams. Usually, volunteers from Izizwe coach the children in sports in the morning at the John Masiza primary school, and we have an after-school project with children at the Walmer Primary School. The children don’t train at a sports club, because that is too expensive – but sport is important for their physical and social development.
My name is Maud and I’m a 22 year-old woman from the Netherlands. I would like to share my experience at Ilitha Day Care in Port Elizabeth.
I have been in Port Elizabeth now for two months, at a volunteer programme in Walmer Township. I came to South Africa to help other people in the world, and especially children. Every morning, I wave my hand at the classroom door, to be greeted by all the children shouting “Teacher, teacher!” Then I show my face, and I see all the smiles on the faces of the children. They all run to me and give me a high five. That makes me very happy!
If you’re a prospective traveller to exotic foreign shores, you’ll have a few (or a lot!) of questions and concerns. Perhaps you’re also the type of person who wants to leave your mark on society in a small but measureable way. How can you do that? Where to go, where to stay when you get there, what to see, what to take with you?
You might be a veteran volunteer, or a noob just beginning to explore your volunteering options – either way, have you ever stopped to ponder the modern history of volunteering? Even if history has never been your “thing”, it’s interesting to discover the roots of something we might take for granted.
“Picture yourself on a boat on a river...”
As a young child, when you first jumped off a boat into unknown waters - you might have been nervous of sharks or jellyfish, afraid of how deep or cold the water was, or whether you were able to swim back to the boat, or whether other people would notice and help you if you struggled, or even if you’d ever get back to shore again.
One of the biggest issues affecting societies across the globe is poverty, and its many causes and effects. Most volunteers naturally want to travel to developing areas of the world, as these areas are perceived, rightly, to be more in need of assistance when it comes to tackling issues like lack of education and basic skills, and resources in general.
Some of South Africa’s tourist attractions are worldwide icons: Robben Island, Table Mountain, Kruger National Park, or the Cradle of Mankind, for example. These places are rich in scenic, cultural and historical interest; and shouldn’t be missed by visitors to the country. But there are also places that are not quite as well-known, but have plenty to fascinate travellers looking for something different.
Travelling of any kind requires an adjustment period once you touch down. If you’re a volunteer, you’re probably going to immerse yourself in a community very far away from your own. You’ll be living in conditions and performing tasks out of your comfort zone. Volunteers can undergo a range of emotions while settling into their chosen project and accommodation.
You’re probably familiar with the concept of teaching overseas, as an opportunity to live and work in a foreign community – it’s been a popular option for educated and adventurous folk since we were first able to travel abroad with relative ease. People used to associate teaching in a foreign country with paid work, through TEFL programmes or initiatives like the UN Peace Corps.
