Community and Teaching Supporter

About the Program

Walmer Township is one of the few places in Port Elizabeth where a specific area where the black community lives exists between neighbourhoods populated mainly by the more wealthy white community. This project focuses on bringing the nations of this community together, as well as building it.

Unlike many other townships, Walmer is in a relatively calm and easily accessible area. Poverty, child neglect, alcohol abuse and a high unemployment rate are some of the many difficult challenges you will be facing here, but at the same moment you will experience it is not all sad. The community is very welcoming and loves having volunteers showing an interest in their way of life.

One of the founders Prof Mtyaleka has been running several projects here since 2006 and with the support of our local coordinators you will be guaranteed to be looked after in the township and getting the support to be safe and enjoy your time. 

As a volunteer, you will need to understand the following:

• You need to be enthusiastic and independent.
• You need to show respect towards the community and their cultural believes. You might not agree with certain things you see happening, but don’t forget that you are a guest and you can’t change everything in a period of just a few weeks.
• You will need to show flexibility towards responsibilities, tasks and activities.

Typical Tasks

There is a variety of possibilities, suitable to be combined or to be adapted in order to fit your specific interests and to offer you a challenging and diverse experience. These are some of the options:

• Izizwe afterschool programme: Our local staff, as well as the volunteers draw up a daily programme of homework assistance, dance, theatre and sports for kids to enjoy themselves. During the holidays, this is a full-time programme with over 250 children attending daily.
• Primary school: Help out at the primary school by assisting with sports lessons, computer classes and assisting the teachers. The age group is 6 – 12 years old.
• Dance group: Every day, 20 – 30 children do their homework here. When they are done, they are taught traditional dances and it is great fun!
• Preschools and creches: You can help out at a crèche or preschool where you will care for 20 – 30 children by giving them group supervision and individual care. You can organise educational activities, play games, go on walks, sing and dance. The age group is 4 – 6 years old.
• Sports coaching: We have established both basketball as soccer teams for the youth (12-16 years) and coach them 3 times a week after school. If you like to get involved to continue this porgram the children would be thrilled.

Volunteer working hours are flexible, but will generally be from 8.30am - 3pm during the week including the following tasks.

• Helping out at the creches
• Helping at the day care centers
• Preparing food at the soup kitchen
• Teaching dance groups
• Sports Coaching

The Eastern Cape and the surroundings of Port Elizabeth show a large variety of natural beauty and make PE a great central place to visit the variety of South Africa. To the East you will find the Wild coast (former Transkei and Ciskei) which is mostly rural and undeveloped, but closer you will find Addo Elephant Part and great coastal villages such as Port Alfred. To the North you will find the great Karoo; a semi desert area with wide open spaces, large nature areas and long open roads with historical places such as Graaff Reinet, the Baviaanskloof Wilderness and much more. To the East towards Cape Town, you will be amazed by the Tsitsikamma National Park, holiday villages such as Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and natures Valley or the surf mecca of Jeffrey’s Bay. This gives you plenty to see and visit while you are here.

In Port Elizabeth there are a lot of things to as well. Go sandboarding at the sunday river, to Sardinia Bay for a wonderful day at the beach or visit one of the monuments from Nelson Mandela.