ab 475€

Ausgezeichnet 4.8rating (876)

South Africa Childcare Volunteers

location
2 - 6 Wochen  ·  Alter 18 - 50+

rating  Ausgezeichnet 4.8  · 
  von Volunteer World verifiziert
  Ausgezeichnete Antwortrate

Schließe deine Reservierung so bald wie möglich ab. Dieses Projekt füllt sich schnell und ist bereits an bestimmten Daten ausgebucht.


Highlights

  • 70% of volunteers are 18-22 years old
  • Work with children from disadvantaged backgrounds in South Africa
  • Plan fun activities and make a positive impact within the projects in Cape Town
  • Experience Cape Town from centrally located accommodation
  • Use weekends to head on safari, climb Table Mountain or go wine-tasting

Besonders geeignet für

Alter 18+
Alleinreisend
Gruppen

Über das Programm

Plan My Gap Year supports a range of day-care centres that provide essential childcare facilities to impoverished families of nearby communities.

As a childcare volunteer in South Africa, you will provide additional support to childcare projects within the Cape Town community. PMGY’s South Africa volunteer programs will see you help young children in Cape Town. Volunteer with children in South Africa to make a vital contribution to ...

Über das Programm

As a childcare volunteer in South Africa, you will provide additional support to childcare projects within the Cape Town community. PMGY’s South Africa volunteer programs will see you help young children in Cape Town. Volunteer with children in South Africa to make a vital contribution to brightening up the lives of young children.

BACKGROUND TO THE CHILDCARE PROGRAM

It is estimated that 80% of young children in South Africa’s townships do not have access to early childhood development education. As a result, many lack the support required to develop to their full potential. Since the end of Apartheid in 1994, poor government funding and flawed policies have hit the most vulnerable South Africans hardest. For instance, many of the problems for South Africa’s poorest have been exacerbated.

Today about 57% of South Africa’s population lives in poverty. In low-income township areas, living conditions are challenging, with high crime and unemployment rates, health problems and high population densities. A lack of childcare facilities leaves many children unattended and unprotected.

Affordable and accessible childcare services can be very difficult to source across Cape Town and surrounding communities. Above all, it is families from low-income backgrounds that struggle the most. Whilst this has not gone unrecognised, many centres established to accommodate for such families are inadequate. To clarify, such centres are understaffed and operate with a limited stock of resources. This makes the roles of our PMGY volunteers invaluable to the quality of care that can be offered to these children.

The daycare centres we support are either independent local initiatives or government-subsidised community support programs. Some are home-based crèches run by local women and others are more structured organisations. They all have a common goal. That is, to help children develop to their full emotional, social and physical potential.

Plan My Gap Year supports a range of crèches, daycare centres and kindergartens. All are based centrally in the city of Cape Town. These facilities provide essential childcare to impoverished families of nearby communities. The majority of these children come from the Townships and other underdeveloped backgrounds. In short, locations where social and health problems are rife whether it be gang violence, drugs, malnutrition and HIV/Aids.

Most parents or relatives of these children from vulnerable communities work in the city. Consequently, they can bring the children with them in the morning to drop them off at the daycare centres. Other children arrive each day by bus. The teachers and assistants communicate with the children using a mixture of Afrikaans, English and Xhosa. Some of the centres provide meals for the children so volunteers can assist with feeding times.

Volunteer opportunities in South Africa provided by PMGY will provide you with a platform to make a positive impact. When working at our childcare volunteer abroad projects in South Africa, it is important to maintain energy, enthusiasm and creativity. For the reason that many of these children will be seeking the care and attention that you as a childcare volunteer in South Africa can bring. To volunteer with children in South Africa, you will need to donate your time and skills effectively. This is to ensure you can maximise your impact on the local people.

CHILDCARE VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT EXAMPLES

The Kiddies College - A cross between a crèche and a Kindergarten, the Kiddies College was established in 1997. The project supports children from 2-6 years old. Volunteers aid local staff with the daily schedule and help supervise the children. Kiddies College was formally a preschool closed down by the local council. However, the passion of one of its former staff members led to its re-emergence. As a result, local employment benefits and many spacious rooms and a nice garden area are utilised.

Meals are provided for the children at the project. In addition, activities such as visits to the library, swimming and karate lessons, or speech and drama classes also take place. Volunteers can support such activities if placed in this specific volunteer project. PMGY volunteers ease the workload of the understaffed team by providing the children with extra care and attention.

Mini Einsteins Crèche - Home to around 160 learners, Mini Einsteins crèche can be a hectic environment! Most of the children are aged from 3 months to 6 years old. However, some of the children can reach up to 12 years old. The crèche aims to provide a safe, secure, supportive and stimulating environment for all children to discover their full potential naturally.

There is a strong philosophy at the crèche that children’s development is based on playing and growing. Volunteers are encouraged to support and embrace such a philosophy. Subsequently, international volunteers help with homework and games. In addition, volunteers will also get involved in creative arts activities or even support the two designated baby rooms.

Many of the children at the crèche come from broken homes and deprived backgrounds. As a result, the children highly appreciate the extra care and attention that PMGY volunteers contribute. In the same vein, contributions made by childcare volunteers in South Africa are also highly appreciated by the staff and the local community.

Gingerbread House Educare - Located in one of the oldest suburbs of Cape Town, Gingerbread House Educare can be found in the Mowbray district. A serious shortage of affordable childcare facilities in the area led to its initial opening in 1993. Since then, the centre has grown year-on-year. Moreover, the centre now provides care for more than 110 children in the morning. In addition to this, 30 primary school children join the centre in the afternoons!

The facility aims to provide its learners with a well-balanced education. Emphasis is placed on building up the children’s overall character and self-confidence. As a volunteer in South Africa at the Gingerbread House, you will assist in every facet of the projects daily routine. This involves helping the local teacher run lessons and dance/creative arts, food preparation and feeding. General playtime is everyone’s favourite time of day!

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Return Airport Transfer - Your return airport transfer is not included in your Program Fee. Our local team can help arrange onward transfers to the airport or an alternative destination from the volunteer accommodation. Making specific arrangements once in South Africa provides more flexibility as plans can often change and participants may be on similar flight plans. Alternatively, a more common and cheaper method is to use a ridesharing app. Participants can often be travelling across their final few days and therefore are not necessarily heading back to the airport directly from our accommodation. The costs depend on your method of transport and your final destination. This can often be split across multiple participants if you are travelling with someone else on the program. It is strongly advised not to travel by public transport or tuk-tuk back to the airport. Whilst this may be cheaper, it is far less convenient and comes with additional safety risks.

Township Projects - Please note, that most projects we support are centrally based in the city within Cape Town. Projects in the township area represent a much more challenging experience both logistically and structurally.

Consequently, we do not promote or endorse projects in these locations. Should volunteers wish to experience projects in the townships this may be arranged on an ad hoc basis. This is dictated by the discretion of the local team. Volunteers are best to discuss such options with the team upon arrival in South Africa.

Resources - On the childcare project in South Africa, resources can be very limited. Volunteers are recommended to bring materials to the project each day to maximise their productivity and day-to-day involvement. It is therefore important for volunteers to prepare well in advance to get the most out of their childcare volunteering experience in South Africa.

Wildlife Reserve Volunteer Extension - PMGY participants joining us in Cape Town have the opportunity to extend their trip by joining our wildlife reserve project located near Port Elizabeth. You can join for a period of 1 week+ to maximise your experience in South Africa and get involved in this unique opportunity. Participants will need to fly from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth on the Monday following the completion of their first program and the one-way domestic flight is included within the extension price.

Placement Settings - PMGY does not provide volunteer opportunities in orphanages in any of our locations. Research and studies have shown that visiting and volunteering in orphanages has the potential to generate an industry that separates children from their families. In turn, putting children at increased risk of neglect and abuse. Therefore, we do not support these institutions with our volunteer network.

Instead, we focus on offering alternative childcare volunteer opportunities whereby children come to and from the placement setting each day. In other words, our local teams collaborate with childcare projects which do not offer any form of residential care. These are safe, responsible, and vetted projects, where participants continue to provide valued assistance supporting local staff.

Weekends - Your project work in South Africa runs from Monday-Friday and weekends are free. You are welcome to relax and hang out at the volunteer accommodation but most participants will use this time to travel and explore the country. As a result, you can check out our South Africa Weekend Travel Guide for top tips on how to spend your weekend.



Tagesablauf

YOUR VOLUNTEER ROLE & TYPICAL CHILDCARE DAY

As a childcare volunteer in South Africa, you can expect to participate in a range of activities. Most noteworthy, you will be supporting the local staff with daily duties (whether this is cleaning activities and/or admin work). Furthermore, you will assist ...

Tagesablauf

YOUR VOLUNTEER ROLE & TYPICAL CHILDCARE DAY

As a childcare volunteer in South Africa, you can expect to participate in a range of activities. Most noteworthy, you will be supporting the local staff with daily duties (whether this is cleaning activities and/or admin work). Furthermore, you will assist with food preparation and feeding, supervising during free playtime and nap times.

When you volunteer with children in South Africa, you will also have the opportunity to carry out some teaching. Examples will include helping with basic maths, reading, and arts & crafts activities. Most importantly, you will become a positive role model for the children. Sadly, this is something that many of the children are lacking. Ultimately, as you complete volunteer work in South Africa, you will be providing invaluable assistance to the overstretched local staff.

The typical volunteering abroad hours are 8am-1pm Monday-Friday with a lunch break in between. The children usually have nap time in the early afternoon. If volunteers wish to, they can return after until the project closes. That is to say, if the project offers such flexibility. Weekends are your own free time.

Volunteers will need to make their own way to the childcare project each day. Moreover, this usually involves taking an Uber but sometimes projects can be within walking distance from the Volunteer House. On average, it takes around 30 minutes to get to the childcare project. Our local team will instruct you as to how to get to and from the project each day. Alternatively, you will be paired with a volunteer who has already been working at the placement you have been assigned to.


Freizeitaktivitäten

PMGY volunteer in South Africa participants are based in the Observatory – better known as ‘Obz’ by the locals! Home to South African’s oldest Astronomical Observatory, this is Cape Town’s most bohemian suburb; an arty district. During the day, this road is home to various boutique ...

Freizeitaktivitäten

PMGY volunteer in South Africa participants are based in the Observatory – better known as ‘Obz’ by the locals! Home to South African’s oldest Astronomical Observatory, this is Cape Town’s most bohemian suburb; an arty district. During the day, this road is home to various boutique shops, restaurants and cafes. However, at night, the street comes to life, with an awesome night life supplied by various bars and clubs, pubs and pool halls!

The opportunities in Cape Town during your time off are endless, you may well struggle to fit everything in! Whether you want to stay in the city or explore the Western Cape, there really is something for everyone.

Participants generally volunteer on a Monday-Friday basis and the weekends are free to relax or travel further afield. As our volunteers will testify, the wider travel opportunities are extremely important to the whole experience and it is something we certainly recommend. Our local team are able to arrange activities, transport and accommodation but please note this is usually an independent experience outside of the core program.


Voraussetzungen

Voraussetzungen

Mindestalter: 18 Jahre

Um an diesem Programm teilzunehmen, musst du zu Programmbeginn mindestens 18 Jahre alt sein. Es kann Ausnahmen geben, wenn du die Erlaubnis deines/r Erziehungsberechtigten vorlegen kannst oder wenn du von deinen Eltern begleitet wirst

Sprachkenntnisse

Du brauchst folgende Sprachkenntnisse: Englisch (Fortgeschritten)

Polizeiliches Führungszeugnis

erforderlich

Staatszugehörigkeit

Es gibt keine Beschränkungen. Helfende Hände aus aller Welt sind willkommen.

Andere Fähigkeiten

You should also be physically fit, as volunteering overseas can be quite strenuous. If you have any medical/mental health conditions that may affect your participation overseas then these must be declared to us during your online application.

Arbeitszeiten

Deine Hilfe wird an folgenden Tagen benötigt: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag und Freitag von 09:00 - 14:00

Leistungen

Leistungen

Dienstleistungen von Plan My Gap Year

  • Accommodation 
  • Meals (Breakfast Monday-Friday)
  • Airport Pick Up
  • In-Country Orientation
  • 24 Hour Support

Abholung vom Flughafen Cape Town International Airport

You should arrive into Cape Town International Airport (airport code CPT) on the Sunday. The airport pickup is available 24 hours. 

You will be collected at the airport by a local transfer company called ‘Backpacker Bus’, which provides a pickup service to various hostels in Cape Town, including the Volunteer House. The driver will be holding a sign with the name ‘Stay Africa’ displayed on it. The bus will then drop you off at the Volunteer Hostel in Cape Town where you can relax and settle in. Depending on traffic the bus journey could be anywhere from 15-30 minutes.

Unterkunft

During your time on the South Africa volunteer programs, you will live in our Volunteer House. This is located in Observatory - better known as ‘Obz’ by the locals! Home to South African’s oldest Astronomical Observatory, this is Cape Town’s most bohemian suburb; an arty district. The main entertainment area is located only a 10 minute walk from the hostel, along lower Main Road. During the day, this road is home to various boutique shops, restaurants and cafes. However, at night, the street comes to life, with a vibrant nightlife.

The accommodation is basic but comfortable. Moreover, Wi-Fi is available free of charge. Each room has bunk beds with up to 8 people per room (on a single-sex basis). Bathrooms are shared, with showers and western-style toilets. During the winter period (June to August) it can get quite cold, so please bring warm clothes. International volunteers are provided with a bedsheet and blanket. However, you may also choose to bring a sleeping bag or buy an additional blanket from the local store for extra warmth.

The house has a communal area for volunteers to hang out after completing volunteer work in South Africa. Moreover, the Volunteer House comes with sofas, a flat-screen TV and DVD player. In addition, there will also be fridge space available for volunteers to store any chilled items. Each volunteer will be assigned their own lockable cupboard for the safekeeping of small valuable items. For example, this could be storing your passport and/or money. Therefore, volunteers are advised to bring with them a small lock to make use of these.

During our busiest months you may be placed at alternative accommodation. For instance, you could be placed in one of our secondary Volunteer Houses.

Verpflegung

During your volunteer trip to South Africa, volunteers will be provided with breakfast. You will need to purchase your own lunch and dinner during the volunteering week. In addition, you will need to budget for all meals at the weekend. Please note, that although the Volunteer House has a kitchen, this is quite small. As a result, cooking meals can be difficult and it can be more practical to eat out for lunch and at weekends.

Breakfast operates in a self-service format. Volunteers just help themselves and all cutlery and crockery are provided. If you fancy eating out there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and local amenities in the surrounding area. For breakfast we provide yoghurt, fruit, cheese, bread, jams, tea and coffee, peanut butter, eggs etc. Volunteers just help themselves – all cutlery and crockery etc is provided. 

If you fancy eating out there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and local amenities in the surrounding area. Long Street, Cape Town’s premier nightlife destination is only 10 minutes away by public transport.

Note: Our team will do their best to cater for any dietary requirements but there may be instances where you may need to purchase alternative ingredients at your own expense.


Internetzugriff

Gute Verbindung vor Ort

Was ist NICHT inklusive?

Was ist NICHT inklusive?

Flugtickets

Der nächstgelegene Flughafen ist Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town. Wir helfen dir günstige Flüge nach Südafrika zu finden. FINDE GÜNSTIGE FLÜGE

Reiseversicherung

Ins Ausland zu gehen ist ein Abenteuer, auf das man sich stets gut vorbereiten sollte. Plötzliche Krankheit oder Verletzung, Stornierung oder Diebstahl - eine Reiseversicherung für Südafrika bietet die nötige Sicherheit. ANGEBOT EINHOLEN

Impfungen

Bevor du deine Freiwilligenarbeit in Südafrika antrittst, solltest du dich noch einmal von deinem Arzt beraten lassen und deine erforderlichen Impfungen für Südafrika überprüfen. IMPFSCHUTZ ÜBERPRÜFEN

Informationen zur Anreise

This program starts on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of every month

Verfügbarkeit
Jan Feb Mär Apr Mai Jun Jul Aug Sep Okt Nov Dez

Programmgebühren

2 Wochen (Mindestaufenthalt) 475€
3 Wochen 656€
4 Wochen 836€
6 Wochen (Maximaler Aufenthalt) 1.188€
Durchschnittliche Gebühren 218€/Woche

Programmgebühren

218€ / Woche 2 - 6 Wochen Alter 18 - 50+

Zahlungsarten

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

KEINE KREDITKARTENGEBÜHREN


Dauer

2 - 6 Wochen

Anzahlung

Mit der Anzahlung reservierst du deinen Platz beim Freiwilligenprogramm. Zahlungen werden von PayPal abgewickelt, unserem vertrauenswürdigen globalen Zahlungsanbieter. Falls du keinen PayPal Account hast, kannst du die Anzahlung auch mit einer Kreditkarte bezahlen.


Ausstehende Zahlung

Deine Restzahlung vereinbarst du mit Plan My Gap Year während des Bewerbungsprozesses. Normalerweise handelt es sich um eine Banküberweisung oder eine Barzahlung am Projektstandort.


Lerne deine Organisation kennen

Plan My Gap Year

Ausgezeichnet 4.8 rating (876 Bewertungen)

Agentur - gegründet 2011

von Volunteer World verifiziert

  Ausgezeichnete Antwortrate

Veranstaltet von

Josh

Gesprochene Sprachen: Englisch

Über die Organisation

Plan My Gap Year is an award-winning international volunteer placement organisation based in the UK.

Lerne deine Organisation kennen

Plan My Gap Year is an award-winning international volunteer placement organisation based in the UK. We provide safe, affordable, need-driven volunteer programmes from 1 to 24 weeks in 11 countries worldwide.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US…

Founded by volunteers for volunteers, Plan My Gap Year works with local communities in the developing world towards long-term sustainable goals. We know there is no better way to travel and make a positive impact on the world.

We work extremely hard to ensure that our opportunities are affordable for everyone who wants to make a difference. So fees are 100% transparent, something our volunteers really appreciate.

Plan My Gap Year structured programmes create the perfect platform for you to see the world, meet like-minded people and engage in meaningful volunteer work. We have teams in the UK and in our host destinations who will support you 24/7 throughout your time with us. Furthermore, every project on our network is regularly risk-assessed by our UK team to ensure our set up is safe and that our volunteers are making a positive impact.

There is also a great social element to our programmes. Plan My Gap Year puts you in touch with all your fellow volunteers via Facebook before you set off. Our projects receive volunteers from around the world throughout the year, so even if you’re travelling solo, you’re going to meet heaps of people along the way. Plus you’ll have plenty of opportunity to travel the country with your newfound travel buddies – it’s all part of the PMGY experience!

So if you’re thinking of doing something a bit different on your next trip abroad, then why not drop us a line and find out what extraordinary things you could be doing.

AFFORDABLE & TRANSPARENT FEES

Our aim is to make our programmes accessible to motivated travellers irrespective of their financial capacity. Plan My Gap Year focuses on providing the core requirements of a volunteer programme: safety, structure and sustainability.

We are 100% transparent with our fees. That way you know exactly how much of your money goes towards the local community.

Compared to the large majority of volunteer organisations out there, even most charities and not-for-profits, PMGY’s opportunities are significantly cheaper. Furthermore, as our reviews will testify, our support service and structured programmes are second to none.

SAFETY & RISK MANAGEMENT

Your safety is our top priority. All of Plan My Gap Years' programmes have been personally inspected and vetted by the PMGY team – which is not an industry standard by any means. We carry out independent risk assessments on an annual basis and our local teams constantly review the safety precautions we implement. This includes regular staff and safety appraisals.

 Our local teams are made up of highly experienced volunteer coordinators. They have hosted international volunteers for many years and are prepared to react in the unlikely event of an emergency. Whatever the problem, big or small, our local teams are available around the clock.

As part of our commitment to your safety, we keep in constant communication with local embassies and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to ensure we can identify potentially dangerous situations and act upon them immediately. Our UK team are available 24/7 to assist volunteers and their families.

TRAINING & SUPPORT

We support our volunteers every step of the way. Before you go we will provide you with a detailed Volunteer Handbook, which will guide you through how to prepare for your trip. This Handbook contains literally everything you need to know – from what to pack, to how to obtain a visa, to local language guides.

Our experienced UK team are always available to provide assistance. Plan My Gap Year is always available to answer our questions and support you in anyway we can. 

On arrival, a member of our in-country team will collect you from the airport and help you settle in. Your orientation course will teach you everything you need to know about the country, how to stay safe and what to expect from your upcoming volunteer experience. 

Our local team are on-call 24/7. Whether you’ve lost your passport or just want some help in planning a weekend trip, our friendly in-country coordinators provide that safety net to ensure you are well looked after.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

Plan My Gap Years' responsibility is not limited to our travellers but also the projects we support. That is why all our volunteers must provide a Criminal Background Check before they travel.

It is essential that our projects are need-driven and sustainable. We work closely with our local partners to ensure that our volunteers are contributing to bring about long-term development.

PERSONAL TOUCH

We really know our programmes. Our UK team have stayed in the accommodation, volunteered at the projects and met the volunteers. We carefully assess each application we receive so that your personality and skills are suited to the project. Whatever your query, you can feel assured that you will be speaking to someone who can tell you exactly what to expect.

HAVING FUN

One of the best aspects of volunteering is meeting some amazing like-minded people. We place over 2,000 volunteers every year so wherever and whenever you go, you have the peace of mind in knowing you will be living and working alongside other PMGY volunteers. In many of our destinations, we run our own Volunteer House accommodation, which ensures all volunteers live together, and therefore guaranteeing a strong social element. In addition, our local team are always there to help you plan any independent travel or give you some tips for what to do at the weekend.

876 Bewertungen · rating4.8

We had the most amazing 2 weeks in South Africa, Cape Town in March. It was such an amazing place including the culture, people and sight seeings. There is so much to do and see there even when doing a volunteer project. Our project was a kindergarten just outside of Cape Town. All of the staff and ...
I spent just two short weeks in Cape Town this February. Two weeks was by far not enough but I had the best experience of my life! I was very worried before going as it was the first time I've ever travelled alone but pmgy offered great support both through regular emails and in the volunteer ...
Ulrika Erlandsson rating5

2017 at South Africa Childcare Volunteers

I spent 4 amazing weeks in South Africa doing the childcare program. In preparation for my trip the volunteer handbook was very useful and the PMGY team helped with any other questions and/or concerns. The accommodation was good, the hostel I stayed at had pretty much everything you need and I met ...
I chose to go to South Africa with PMGY and have not regretted it for one minute. I'm staying in Cape Town in the volunteer house at the moment with 30 other people from all over the world - even just living in the house is such an interesting experience, so much fun and so great meeting so many ...
I had an amazing time on the Childcare course in South Africa, Josh was a darling in emailing me getting me ready for the trip, and Niclas the live in hostel manager in Sea Point is always up to do things, show you around, and pointers in the best things there to do with your time. The only bad ...
I spent just two short weeks in Cape Town this April. Two weeks was by far not enough but I had the best experience of my life! I was very worried before going as it was the first time I've ever travelled alone but pmgy offered great support both through regular emails and in the volunteer handbook ...

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