South Africa - Teach Children and Surf in Cape Town

Location

This project takes place in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa, the oldest city in the country.  From the iconic Table Mountain to the magnificent Cape beaches, this city has it all.  With a comfortable Mediterranean climate, Cape Town is great place to volunteer all year round.

About the Project

This project is an adventure club for 12-14 year old children focused primarily on extramural surfing and swimming lessons (no  previous surf experience required!).  As the children are from disadvantaged areas of Cape Town like Dunoon and Site 5, the facilities and equipment for outdoor activities and sports are not readily available to them.  The adventure club provides these children with a valuable opportunity to take part in a range of outdoor activities from surfing and swimming to hiking and even sandboarding.  A three day orientation in Cape Town is provided before the start of the project.

Volunteer Work and Contribution

There are anywhere from 5 to 20 children participating in the club every week, so this is a great way to gain experience working with children and leading group activities, while also contributing to a social and humanitarian cause.  Volunteers are able to take free surf lessons during the school day and then help teach and lead groups of children after school. There are also opportunities to assist in community development or to help teach computer skills in schools during the day. Contributions of surf equipment, from wax to wetsuits, are welcome.

The work schedule is usually from 08:30 to 4:30 pm - around 5 hours a day. Weekends are off. 

Activities include:

• Teaching kids to swim
• Teaching kids to surf
• Helping on hikes
• Running fun days and sports programs
• Teaching computer skills
• Educating children in life lessons such as HIV, drugs, etc.
• Helping in schools
• Volunteers will work with the children 3 ‐ 5 days a week. The volunteers' mornings can be spent learning to surf, helping in a school or relaxing on the beach
• Afternoons are spent teaching kids to surf or one of the above activities. Some Saturdays are also a full day of activities with the children. On their days off, volunteers will have a chance to learn how to surf with an instructor and will have the use of surfboards.
   

Living Arrangements

Accommodations: volunteers at this project are able to stay either in the volunteers' house, which has shared rooms that sleep 2-4 people and have a communal lounge and kitchen, or at a 4-star backpacker's hostel that sleeps 4-10 people dormitory style. Upgrades to private rooms are available in both the hostel and the volunteer house. 

Room upgarde to a single room is availabe for an additional fee.

Food: three meals per day are provided along with all day coffee/tea and snacks. Breakfast will be a buffet of cereals, fruit, yogurt, toast & spreads. Lunch is a buffet of breads, fruit, cold meats & spreads for sandwiches, a hot meal will be served every night for dinner. These range from traditional BBQs, stews, casseroles, fresh vegetables, etc. Portions are generous and a refrigerator is available for personal food/drinks/etc. Consideration for special dietary needs is given if advised before the project start.

Internet: free wi-fi at the main house.

Laundry: free use of laundry machine.

Arrival and Orientation in Cape Town

A three-day orientation in Cape Town takes place before the project start. Volunteers arrive and are picked up at the airport on Friday and transferred to their accommodations where they are given a map and free time for exploring the area before a traditional South African BBQ dinner, called a Braai. On Saturday, there will be a breakfast and guided tour, a great opportunity to learn not only the city, but the history of the country. On Saturday evenings, volunteers can join along with other volunteers or staff for dinner and drinks at the many restaurants and bars along the beachfront, and also plan for Sunday, which is a free day for sightseeing and more. There are also free weekly social activities on the weekends such as a sunset hike at Lion's Head, hop-on/hop-off bus passes, township tours, drumming workshops, and more.

Note: the orientation is required and is not a part of the 2 weeks designated for volunteer work. Therefore the minimum stay is 17 days for the 2 week option, 24 days for 3 weeks, and so on. All prices include orientation.

Travel Highlights

During your volunteer placement, volunteers can visit these places and more on their free time:

• Visit Cape Point, situated within the southern section of Table Mountain National Park, which is globally recognized for its extraordinarily rich and unique fauna and flora - with rugged cliffs, steep slopes and sandy flats! See the baboons and perhaps an ostrich or buck if lucky!
• Venture to Boulders Beach, home to a growing colony of the vulnerable African Penguin. Wooden walkways allow visitors to view the penguins in their natural habitat. This is also a safe and enjoyable spot for swimming and snorkeling.
• Hike to the summit of Table Mountain, where volunteers will find the best views of Cape Town. The Cableway goes to the summit in under 10 minutes and the cable car's rotating floor ensures that all passengers get a 360 degree aerial view of the city.

Weekends are excellent opportunities to participate in tourist activities and to explore the surrounding area, so volunteers tend to be out-and-about during this time.

Minimum requirements

• CV/Resumé
• Police background check
• Basic level of competency in English
• Copy of return flight itinerary
• Ability to swim
• Minimum 17 day stay
• Immunizations (consult doctor)
• Motivation to work with children
• Travel and medical insurance