Childcare Volunteering
Location: Cape Town
Start dates: 1st and 15th of every month
Project closed from 16th December to 2nd January
Duration: 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 12 weeks
Cost: From £875
How will I make a difference?
As the crèches and day care centres are often short-staffed, volunteers are able to provide the important one-to-one attention that the children would otherwise not receive. Volunteers also offer an extra pair of hands to the organisation’s staff by assisting with feeding, clothing and playing with the children.
The help provided by volunteers is incredibly meaningful to the community and really makes a difference. Caring for children who are at-risk or have limited resources can have a lasting impact on a child’s development. In the wine lands region many children are orphaned or abandoned because of HIV/AIDS, alcoholism or other social issues. Children from under-served populations use the centres which enable their parents to work, so by helping at this project volunteers are also able to help the wider community significantly.
Most of the children at the crèches and day care centres speak Afrikaans or Xhosa as a first language but they need to speak English for school, so by interacting with English-speaking volunteers they are provided with a model and have lots of opportunity to practise their English skills. As the area is a popular tourist destination, having a good level of English also improves the children’s future employment opportunities.
Child care volunteering in South Africa: What will I be doing?
Volunteers normally work 4 days per week Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 2pm. At 8.30am volunteers are picked up from the volunteer house and transported to the main hall. Usually a meeting will then be held involving staff and volunteers where the day’s activities will be decided and coordinated. Some volunteers will then be transported to local crèches or day care centres and others will stay at the crèche located at the main hall. Please note that on some days volunteers will head straight to their placement rather than going to the meeting hall first. Volunteers assist local caregivers to provide care for the farm children through with a variety of activities including:
More about the project
The Pearl Project is a non-profit, community based organisation which was established in 2000. The project is located on a working wine farm but despite its beautiful surroundings, the region has been plagued by high levels of unemployment. Ironically there is a history of abuse where farm labourers were not paid with cash wages but instead were paid in wine. This led to alcohol abuse being a major problem and has resulted in poverty, foetal alcohol syndrome and neglect, which have given rise to the desperate needs of the children in the region.
The project seeks to meet the needs of the community through a holistic approach. The goal is to empower the community with a specific emphasis on providing child care and developing the role that women can play to achieve this. The project accomplishes this through teaching and equipping the children and women who come to the centre with academic training and practical skills.
The crèches and centres provide an environment where the children are safe, supported, well cared for, given nutritious meals and learning opportunities as well as providing positive role models for the children. The numbers of children at each crèche or centre varies between approximately 10 and 35.
Location and free timeThe project is located in beautiful town of Somerset West which is nestled between the Cape winelands and is on one of the Western Cape’s longest stretches of beach. It is just 40 minutes from Cape Town.
You can use your long weekends to explore the Western Cape including the beautiful city of Cape Town and take advantage of the sights and activities it has to offer such as Table Mountain, Robben Island, wine tasting and whale watching.
Volunteer accommodationThe volunteer apartments are located in Strand which is approximately 15km from the project. The apartments are fully furnished and have all modern conveniences. You will be expected to share a room.
What’s included and where your money goes?
All volunteers are required to have a criminal records check, which we will arrange with you.
Prices
2 weeks £875
Extra fortnights £225
Start dates: 1st and 15th of every month
Project closed from 16th December to 2nd January
Duration: 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 12 weeks
Cost: From £875
How will I make a difference?
As the crèches and day care centres are often short-staffed, volunteers are able to provide the important one-to-one attention that the children would otherwise not receive. Volunteers also offer an extra pair of hands to the organisation’s staff by assisting with feeding, clothing and playing with the children.
The help provided by volunteers is incredibly meaningful to the community and really makes a difference. Caring for children who are at-risk or have limited resources can have a lasting impact on a child’s development. In the wine lands region many children are orphaned or abandoned because of HIV/AIDS, alcoholism or other social issues. Children from under-served populations use the centres which enable their parents to work, so by helping at this project volunteers are also able to help the wider community significantly.
Most of the children at the crèches and day care centres speak Afrikaans or Xhosa as a first language but they need to speak English for school, so by interacting with English-speaking volunteers they are provided with a model and have lots of opportunity to practise their English skills. As the area is a popular tourist destination, having a good level of English also improves the children’s future employment opportunities.
Child care volunteering in South Africa: What will I be doing?
Volunteers normally work 4 days per week Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 2pm. At 8.30am volunteers are picked up from the volunteer house and transported to the main hall. Usually a meeting will then be held involving staff and volunteers where the day’s activities will be decided and coordinated. Some volunteers will then be transported to local crèches or day care centres and others will stay at the crèche located at the main hall. Please note that on some days volunteers will head straight to their placement rather than going to the meeting hall first. Volunteers assist local caregivers to provide care for the farm children through with a variety of activities including:
- Reading to the children
- Supervising and interacting during play time
- Playing games
- Helping with music and art activities
- Providing one-to-one attention to specific children
- Helping with feeding and clearing up during lunchtime
- Supervising nap time
- Helping with sports coaching
- Assisting with adult education for the women in the community (when necessary)
More about the project
The Pearl Project is a non-profit, community based organisation which was established in 2000. The project is located on a working wine farm but despite its beautiful surroundings, the region has been plagued by high levels of unemployment. Ironically there is a history of abuse where farm labourers were not paid with cash wages but instead were paid in wine. This led to alcohol abuse being a major problem and has resulted in poverty, foetal alcohol syndrome and neglect, which have given rise to the desperate needs of the children in the region.
The project seeks to meet the needs of the community through a holistic approach. The goal is to empower the community with a specific emphasis on providing child care and developing the role that women can play to achieve this. The project accomplishes this through teaching and equipping the children and women who come to the centre with academic training and practical skills.
The crèches and centres provide an environment where the children are safe, supported, well cared for, given nutritious meals and learning opportunities as well as providing positive role models for the children. The numbers of children at each crèche or centre varies between approximately 10 and 35.
Location and free timeThe project is located in beautiful town of Somerset West which is nestled between the Cape winelands and is on one of the Western Cape’s longest stretches of beach. It is just 40 minutes from Cape Town.
You can use your long weekends to explore the Western Cape including the beautiful city of Cape Town and take advantage of the sights and activities it has to offer such as Table Mountain, Robben Island, wine tasting and whale watching.
Volunteer accommodationThe volunteer apartments are located in Strand which is approximately 15km from the project. The apartments are fully furnished and have all modern conveniences. You will be expected to share a room.
What’s included and where your money goes?
- A comprehensive information booklet
- Support from your dedicated volunteer manager within the PoD UK team
- Travel advice and assistance
- Return transfers from Cape Town airport
- Induction and training
- Tour of Cape Town
- Accommodation (a shared room)
- Breakfast
- Daily travel to the project
- Support from the volunteer coordinator
All volunteers are required to have a criminal records check, which we will arrange with you.
Prices
2 weeks £875
Extra fortnights £225