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The Volunteer Programme
This project is a combination of 3 community volunteer projects, all of which are extremely interesting and rewarding. Your time will be divided between these programmes and so you will have the opportunity to experience a variety of projects during your time in Africa. If you do find that there is one programme in particular you are enjoying and wish to focus more time on, this can be arranged for you with your coordinators.
Your trainers for all of the programmes are highly qualified and experienced and we are sure that you will receive a high standard of training and have a life changing experience. Your three programmes are as follows:
1) START Project, Development of Early Motor Skills
This project was created by paediatricians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nursing sisters, speech therapists, social workers and parents. The focus of the project is on holistic remedies and includes all areas of therapy. The project is specifically designed for participants who want to help children in the rural community with early motor skills development.
The project will begin with a 3-day theoretical training course at a training venue overlooking the Kruger National Park. During this time you will receive training on how to evaluate the level of development of a child aged between 0 – 3 years. There will be a focus on the opportunities for development that enable early intervention and also time will be spent looking at the family as a whole. After completing the Early Intervention Training Course you will receive a certificate and Action Kit.
After your training you will move on to doing practical work for the rest of the month. This will involve visiting the local primary school and visiting families in their homes in the rural surroundings of the Kruger National Park. This part of the programme will be used to recognise activities that can be used to stimulate the children and will allow you to teach the skills needed to achieve their developmental milestones.
An equally important task is passing on the necessary information and skills to the children’s parents, and to establish a positive working partnership with the family. You will also help with providing information about disability to the community and work towards the acceptance and integration of disabled children into the community. This has a positive effect on the community, as they will begin to understand and accept the disabled or developmentally delayed child.
There may also be the opportunity for you to work with children who are at their typical learning and developmental stage to provide further mental stimulation whilst working towards sharing information with nursery school teachers and assistants.
The modules that you will cover throughout your programme will include:
- Basic Concepts of Child Development
- Introduction to START KITS
- Disability and the Classification of Cerebral Palsy & The START Child
- The Importance of Play, and Play as a Therapy Tool
- Teaching Methods
- Feeding Therapy
- Home Programmes
- Practical Sessions (Normal Development with nursery school children, Practical with disability)
2) Rural Community School Feeding and Sports Education Project
After your theoretical training you will have the chance to put your training into action and the rest of the month will be spent at the rural community schools surrounding the Kruger National Park.
The main aim of your programme is to assist in introducing sport and feeding programmes into rural community schools and to encourage pupil participation in school sports. The programme concentrates on team sports such as cricket, netball, football and rugby so it is a great advantage if you are fit and have an interest in these sports. This will be a great challenge as the rural schools have limited resources and your help will be truly appreciated.
The modules that you will cover during your programme will include:
- An Introduction to the programme
- Feeding young kids and the need for a balanced meal
- Local customs and cultures
- Advanced Level 1 First Aid
- Physical training techniques
- Local sports rules and regulations
3) Roots and Shoots Project
The Roots and Shoots project is an environmental education initiative aimed primarily at young South Africans to whom their own country’s natural heritage has largely been inaccessible. To help raise awareness and stimulate interest about the environment and other important related issues, various programmes and courses have been set up for the children. The programmes really emphasise to the children how important lateral thinking and self-evaluation can be and help them to realise that everyone can make a difference.
The intention of the programme is to find an effective route to sustainable environmental practices by helping to inspire children with the belief that they can make a difference. The next step in the process is helping the children to recognise their individual strengths and encouraging and motivating them to take action in order to make a positive difference to the environment.
The aim is to educate school children from the age of 4 years old up to adults and to create sensitive and relevant environmental education within schools and communities. In order for this to be achieved, the project focuses on Environmental Education rather than Environmental Studies. The reason for this is that Environmental Studies tend to focus on classroom lessons on subjects such as biology, geography and science. Environmental Education is far more holistic, relevant and hands on, focusing on the many aspects of the relationships between people and the environment.
You as a volunteer will be involved in training local teachers and facilitators about how to effectively teach Environmental education, thus helping to ensure sustainability of Environmental education into the future.
Project Age Limit
Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participants health.
Programme support
Throughout your stay on the programme you will have the full support and guidance of the training department. You will be provided with competent assistance and help with any questions or advice you may need during your stay as well as assistance with booking optional excursions. In addition you will have access to a 24 hour emergency contact number so you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.
Programme Orientation
On arrival at the programme you will receive an orientation covering the following topics:
- An orientation of the programme location
- Introduction to the team
- A briefing on the programme and what will be happening over the next month
- Health and safety
- Camp rules
Accommodation and Meals
During the course your accommodation will be in rustic wilderness camp in the Kruger National Park away from the normal camps. The accommodation is fully equipped to make it comfortable for volunteers and the facilities include a cold-water swimming pool, Jacuzzis, Boma area, restaurant and bar. The Boma area is a fenced open-air area, which serves as an entertainment area with an open-air restaurant.
The tents can accommodate 2 people at a time and have single beds with duvets, linen and cupboards. There are separate bathroom facilities with hot and cold running water and flush toilets. You room will be serviced on a daily basis and you can pay a small charge for a laundry service. Please note that the camp has no electricity.
You will be provided with three meals a day, which will generally consist of:
- Breakfast: A selection of fruit, cereals, toast, spreads, coffee and tea
- Lunch: Light meals ranging from cold meat and salads to burgers and sandwiches
- Dinner: A variety of cooked meals ranging from curries, BBQ’s, traditional Potjies and cooked dinners.
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