Volunteer in Africa 2010

  South Africa

• Other Cities in South Africa: 
Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: varies

Description:
South Africa Community Center
Support children and their families with physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and mental needs in Limpopo Province, South Africa. This home is located ~450km North East of Johannesburg or 90km from the Kruger National Park. This home offers a holistic approach in serving underprivileged and orphaned children. There are two locations offering support to local schools and hosts community programs that provide a safe and educational haven for the children and their parents. Volunteers may assist with teaching/tutoring, organizing recreational and/or social activities, distributing food, clothes, and other necessities to the villages, gardening/maintaining the grounds, or helping with construction and cleaning projects. As most volunteer programs are centered around the local schools, please contact your Programs Coordinator for more information on available dates.

A volunteer apartment is available for participants to share. It contains a fully furnished kitchen, living room, bedrooms and a bathroom. On average, there are six volunteers that share the apartment together, which is more than enough space to live comfortably. Food is provided at the volunteer apartment with breakfasts and lunches typically self prepared, and then a cooked dinner is prepared and brought to the apartment by the local staff.

South Africa Kapama Game Reserve
This program's aim is to equip volunteers with the aptitude and to actively participate in conserving the wildlife of Southern Africa. It is based in Kapama Game Reserve, home to cheetahs, wild dogs, Black-Footed cats, lions, African wild cats, Ground Horn Bills, Sable antelope, and more. You will be part of a hands-on team which mediates the well-being of the animals at the center. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to visit numerous places of interest and attractions in the area, including the renowned Kruger National Park. Included in the program is a unique and memorable experience of an elephant-back safari!

Volunteers are accommodated in thatched huts (2pax each) at a campsite within the boundaries of Kapama Private Game Reserve. Separate facilities are available for females and males. Three meals per day are prepared in the camp, which often develops in to a valuable team building experience. There is a kitchen with fridges in the camp, as well as barbecue facilities. Sundays are days off and are spent at leisure, with plenty of fun and adventurous activities (ie: hot air ballooning, river rafting, biking, horse riding, etc) available in the area.

Volunteers also have the opportunity to work in South Africas largest primate rehabilitation centre! Also based in the Limpopo Province, the rehabilitation center offers hands-on opportunities with many types of primates, such as bushbabies, vervet monkeys (their speciality), orangutans, chimpanzees, and many other species of wildlife and birds that come their way! The center also hosts many community service programs and leads environmental education and outreach classes, so you may have the opportunity to work with the surrounding community and those traveling the world to be educated on the effects of humans on wildlife!

Accommodations and meals are provided on-site, and you will have several exciting opportunities to engage in elephant safari rides, day trips to the nearby world-famous Kruger National Park, microflights (paragliding with a motor), and to see the one of the oldest trees on Earth!

Highlights:
Volunteering in Africa Offers:
* An unforgettable experience helping and improving at-need communities
* An opportunity to broaden your perspective and worldview
* An opportunity to participate in and learn African cultural activities (e.g.: language, cooking, crafts, music, dancing)
* Memorable travel experiences with the chance to see exotic sites you have always dreamed about
* The ability to make lifelong friends from around the globe
* A valuable work experience that strengthens your resume, exhibiting your diligence, independence, and intercultural experiences
* A great way to develop and support your self-confidence and interpersonal skills
Cultural Embrace Offers:
* Guaranteed Volunteer Placement Prior to Departure
Cultural Embrace pre-arranges your volunteer project before you leave home to ensure an easy and hassle-free transition to your new life abroad.   
* Accommodation Assistance
Basic accommodation is provided in lodges, thatched log cabins, bamboo huts, camp sites, apartments, or homestays, depending on the volunteer project. All meals are provided, except on the first night of arrival (depending on location.)
* Visa Assistance
Cultural Embrace will assist you with information to obtain a visa, but we have neither the control nor the ability to guarantee government issuance and/or visa availability.
* Arrival Assistance and Pick-Up
We will arrange an airport pick-up and transfer for you, depending on the project.   
* Travel Insurance: Comprehensive Travelers Insurance and Medical Coverage
Our policy provides comprehensive medical coverage at your volunteer location. Cultural Embrace highly recommends additional travel insurance.
* Cultural Embrace Kit
Useful tips, advice, and information to prepare you for the amazing adventure of living and working abroad.
* Full-time Representation
Cultural Embrace provides English-speaking representation in the United States and your host country prior to, during, and after your placement.

Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years of age, or with parental consent. Enjoy providing a service and working with others. Capable to live and work in basic and sparse conditions. Foreign language helpful but not required.

Cost in US$: From USD 1,155 for 1 week. Contact Cultural Embrace for customized pricing.

Experience Required: no

Participants Travel to South Africa Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume
• Transcript
• Written Application

Cultural Embrace's Mission Statement: Our mission is to encourage people to recognize and appreciate cultural diversity. We believe that visiting a place firsthand allows one to truly experience the authenticity of a culture and develop his/her own impressions. Our goals are to provide quality service and opportunities for people to explore their world and enlighten their eyes, mind and heart. Traveling is a reciprocated flow of communication and interaction between people...the more you seek, the more you learn. "Discover the Similarities - Share the Differences"