Surf & Sports Volunteer in South Africa

The Western Cape, where this surf and sports youth development volunteer program is based, is a very culturally diverse area of South Africa. There is a large integration of the underprivileged with the wealthy. The main cultures that you will be working with are Xhosa or Afrikaans South Africans. Most of these children can speak English, yet their home language may be Afrikaans or Xhosa. The homes they live in are often built from scrap metal and second-hand wood, usually they do not have running water in their homes. Forty percent of the families in these areas lack a male head of household and the children often have no one to monitor their educational progress or after-school activities. The children we work with live in the nearby township or settlement in Cape Town, known as Du Noon and Wolwerivier.

Due to lack of funding there is very little physical education provided to the children in the pre-schools and primary schools, this can create physical and mental developmental issues. Children living in impoverished communities have a huge need for youth development projects which serve to teach them valuable life skills such as teamwork, structure, and discipline which uplifts their self-esteem through the realization of talent. Mornings are spent developing fine and gross motor skills through activities with children in the Educare centres. In the afternoons we host various sports programs with the children. These include; soccer, boxing, netball, rugby, swimming, surfing and skating. This is a very important part of the program as alcohol and drug abuse is common in the townships where they live, and at this age they are especially susceptible to recruitment by local gangs.

Volunteer in South Africa Gallery

What is involved

There are 2 options to choose from when joining this project:

Option 1
Participating in the existing sports programs as they are (skate, soccer, dance, boxing, swim, surf and other ball sports)
Option 2
Run a sports clinic to teach the children a sport that they do not currently know of or participate in. This could mean running a short clinic for the duration of your time to expose the children to different sports from around the world. If the children show interest and we have the capabilities to continue with the project once you have left, we will do so. In this option if there are any special equipment needs you will be required to either bring said equipment with you or fund-raise for the equipment to be purchased once here. For example, we had a volunteer bring over boxing equipment and run a clinic to teach the children non-contact boxing fitness. It was a huge success and now we are currently still running the project with the children.
Please keep in mind that location for all sports varies according to needs and logistics. Soccer, for example, mostly
happens in the township at the community center but sometimes we take the children to Table View to do sports with them
there.
Volunteer Tasks could include:
1. Teaching kids sports
2. Helping with classroom activities in preschool
3. Running gross motor development lessons and activities for preschool children
4. Being a positive role model through behaviour on the project

Some basic building projects such as fixing soccer posts or building new sport facilities
Volunteers will work 5 days a week with the children. Some days volunteers will work a full 8 hours and other days 4 to 5
hours, depending on the needs of the project. The volunteers’ mornings are spent assisting in one of the schools and the
afternoons are spent with the kids teaching them sport – this could be (but not limited to) soccer, netball, rugby or athletics, surfing, swimming, and skating.

Some details

Any Saturday arrival.

Project dates & Holiday Club
This project runs all year round except over the season break when we are closed from the 23rd December to the 2nd
January. During this time volunteers may still use the accommodation and will be provided food.

Holiday club
During the school holidays, our projects run differently and according to our holiday club schedule. The activities are
dependant upon the weather, length of holiday and number of attendees.
The aim of the holiday club program is for the kids to have fun and to keep them off the streets. The activities during this
time are less structured and more focused on the enjoyment of the children.
Please note: If a holiday club activity requires the payment of an entrance fee, volunteers will have to pay for themselves.
The programme fee is used to cover the entrance for the children only, however, we do try to plan as many free events as
possible.
School Holiday dates may differ year to year but generally run as follows:
First Term: 25 March - 5 April
Second Term: 24 June - 19 July
Third Term: 30 September - 11 October
Fourth Term: 14 December - 23 December
2024 Terms
First Term: 20 March - 3 April
Second Term: 14 June - 09 July
Third Term: 20 September - 01 October
Fourth Term: 11 December - 23 December

Potential Start dates

2024	2025
Jan 20,27	Jan 4,11, 18, 25
Feb 3,10,17,24	Feb 1, 8, 15, 22
Mar 2,9, 16, 23, 30	Mar 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Apr 6,13, 20, 27	Apr 5, 12, 19, 26
May 4,11,18, 25	May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Jun 1, 8, 15, 22, 29	Jun 7, 14, 21, 28
Jul 6,13, 20, 27	Jul 5, 12, 19, 26
Aug 3,10, 17, 24	Aug 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Sep 21, 28	Sep 6, 13, 20, 27
Oct 5,12,19,26	Oct 4, 11, 18, 25
Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, 30	Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Dec 7, 14	Dec 6, 13, 20

PROGRAM LOCATION

This program is based in Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town has endless beauty to explore and activities to suit every personality from lying on perfect white sandy beaches, sto action filled days hiking, paragliding, zip lining, visiting the cutest penguins in the world, world heritage sites and lots more.

As a destination, this South African city provides the perfect backdrop for a global volunteer experience. On days off, you’ll wander the cobblestone streets of the city’s brightly styled Bo-Kaap neighborhood or hike rewarding trails in Table Mountain National Park. Nearby, the coastal landscape of Cape Peninsula offers the perfect day trip.

Though these are all highlights of any Cape Town adventure, it’s the experiences you’ll have as a volunteer that are bound to be the most impactful.

Volunteers will be staying in one of our volunteer houses with bedrooms sleeping 2 – 5 people. All houses are facilitatedwith electricity, WIFI, hot water, a kitchen, communal bathrooms (with shower & toilets), beds with linen and a pillow (notowels). Male and female volunteers will share rooms unless otherwise requested. Upgrades to private single or doublerooms are available at an extra cost.Volunteers are responsible for keeping their own room and volunteer house tidy. Bathrooms are cleaned every day bycleaning staff, and linen is changed once a week. The volunteer houses are walking distance from shops, restaurants,entertainment, bus stops, and the beach.

Sign me up!

What your first three days looks like

Day One: Arrival day

You are collected from the airport and taken to your accommodation. You will be shown around and given a map of the area. You have the day at your own leisure so you can explore the beach, shops, bars and restaurants. In the evening you are served a welcome meal with staff and other volunteers.

Day Two - Area Orientation

South Africa Volunteers on table mountain

Start the day with breakfast at the accommodation. Your friendly staff member will teach you about the bus system before you head out to Cape Town City Center. Do a walking tour visiting historical sites like the Castle of Good Hope and the Grand Parade. Alternatively you can take the cable car up Table Mountain and enjoy breath-taking views of the city. In the evening head back on the local bus to Table View where you can join the staff, guests and the locals at one of the restaurants or bars along the beachfront in Table View – all within rolling distance from the hostel where you will be staying the night

Day Three- Start Project Work

New volunteers will receive their training and additional information on our projects and the areas where you will be working. Our team will take you to the projects as well.

Weekend activities

Surfing

Take surfing lessons at the sandy white beaches of Blouberg or Muizenburg (weather permitting of course!)

Cape Town Walking Tour

Take a guided walk through the city to learn the history from the days of Dutch settlement though the Apartheid years.

Wine Country

Meander through stunning landscapes and wine farms of Stellenbosch. Stop at wine estates for tastings.

Cape Point

Follow the scenic coastal roads of the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point where the two oceans meet.

Testimonial Videos

Family Volunteering

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Michael & Darla Stoddart family from Canada on the India Family Volunteer Program, November 2019.

With children aged 10 and 7 we curated a program for the family where they participated on our kindergarten teaching program for 2 weeks with lots of staff support and also got ample time to explore India with their children.
Medical Volunteering

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Meet our medical students from the University of Newcastle, Australia, May 2019.

This group of students signed up to join the medical electives placement in Nepal for 4 weeks where we gave them a rotation in various departments of the hospital. Their medical placement allowed them to earn credits on their medical degree and learn from patient cases they would not normally see back home and
Women’s Empowerment

India

Isis Barei & Caitlin Neil from the UK join our Women’s Empowerment program in June 2019

These two friends came to India to participate on our empowerment program with women where they taught English and life skills to a group of women in Fort Kochi, Kerala. Living and working like locals gave them a chance to really learn about life in India, explore the area and give back to the community.
Engineering Internship

Nepal

Camilla Børsand and Baptiste Menaspa from Norway joined the Engineering Placement in January 2018.
Living in a remote part of Nepal and assisting with structural design work with local engineers and the community was an experience of a lifetime for these two students. Not only could they add this experience to their resume but they also got to learn from the challenges of working with limited resources.
Dog Care Program

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Jack Tysowski from Canada joined us in August 2018 assisting at a dog shelter in Galle, Sri Lanka.

As a gap year student Jack would go everyday for about 4 hours to help the shelter that was devoted to the well-being of stray dogs in southern Sri Lanka. If your passionate about dogs and love to care for them this is the program for you!
Nursing Placement

Sri Lanka

Meet our group of final year French Nursing students who got to work in well known public hospitals in Southern Sri Lanka. They got to work in several departments of the hospital where they could practice basic procedures under the supervision of expert medical and nursing teams. On the side they also got to explore Sri Lanka and truly immerse themselves into island life.
Surf & Sports Volunteer

South Africa

This volunteer program in South Africa is a great way for volunteers to gain experience working with children and groups. Learning new outdoor activities such as swimming, boxing, spike ball surfing and skateboarding
Teaching & Family Volunteering

South Africa

The main objective of our family volunteering program in South Africa is the facilitation of poverty prevention programmes and upliftment in communities. This program is perfect for parents who want to get involved with a host of different activities with their children involving community development.
Teaching in Maldives

Maldives

Watch our over 50s volunteer Brenda reflecting on how life changing her experience has been as a volunteer teacher in Maldives.
Volunteer in Maldives

Maldives

Here is a little glimpse of Maldives and what your life will be during your free time as a volunteer in the Maldives!
Volunteer in India

India

If you are wondering what volunteering is about then watch this video about India and volunteering in this beautiful destination.
Medical Electives

India

Join our 4 week medical elective programs in India where you can gain insight into medical systems and network with professionals in field.

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NUMBER OF WEEKS	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
in USD $	n/a	1,350	1,590	1,990	2,290	2,590	2,890	3,290