Join a team of caring childcare workers in South Africa at a daily drop-off centre for youth at risk. This is fantastic project for educators, counsellors, social work, psychologists or those with similar interests. The main aim is to assist and support the childcare workers in their daily program with the youth that are all there voluntary. For those wishing to do this project as a social work student, you will gain practical experience of the challenges that youth at risk experience in a foreign country and culture.
The centre is set in one of the poorer areas of Knysna, the town in which the project is based, and the youth that attended the centre are fetched every morning and dropped off later. There is a daily program and the youth have programs from life skills, art therapy, sports, numeracy, literacy, reading, music to personal development and more. Please be aware that the centre has now moved locations and although in a extremely poor area, some of the photos are from the older location.
As many of the youth are school dropouts, the project runs in the school term with the long-term aim of facilitating the youth back into local schools if at all possible and preparing them to deal with the challenges that they face in the education system and in life.
Many of the youth have challenges at school due to learning disabilities which in the long run ends up with them dropping out of school. The childcare workers try and address those challenges so that help can be given. They also actively have parenting sessions too so that families are equipped to be a solid support structure.
We love any volunteers with a passion for youth upliftment and helping with socio-economic issues so any skills or just enthusiasm will be of a great benefit. Please let us know if you have any special interests or talents that we can utilize to enhance your time and to benefit the project
There are a few activities that you can take part in after-school. You can either help with the children at the local safe house with their homework, assist with grassroots soccer coaching, visit the local elephant park, shopping, have lunch at the Waterfront on the estuary edge, hike the Pledge nature reserve or just getting a well-deserved nap as the children can be exhausting as they have so much energy. Please note that after-school activities do not take place every afternoon.
