Volunteer in South Africa

  South Africa

Johannesburg,  Pretoria

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

Description: Volunteer either Teaching Project or Volunteer work in South Africa

* Volunteering on a Teaching Project:

You can volunteer as an English teacher in South Africa during your gap year, career break, or during an extended vacation. You can gain this work experience without any previous teaching experience, and we do not require you to have a TEFL qualification. Our volunteer teaching projects in South Africa not only benefit the people in the schools where we work, but also the wider communities.

Our volunteers teach conversational English in schools to a range of children of different ages and abilities. While you'll have the basics of a blackboard and chalk, classrooms often lack other resources. Your most important resource is yourself, so try to draw on all your experiences and interests to really bring the lessons alive. Bringing items from home such as photos, stamps, and magazines can be great for building lessons around, and our Teaching booklet will also give you plenty of ideas.

Some schools in the townships have classes with up to 70 students taught by just a single teacher. By helping a local teacher or even taking a class on your own, you will be greatly relieving the workload; while providing the students with an added dimension to their education. Each volunteer is expected to teach for at least four hours per day.

* Volunteer work:

You can work with primary or secondary school children so let us know your preference. You can teach English to children of any age, and are also likely to be asked to help local teachers brush up on their own language skills.

Volunteers will contribute their valuable time as teaching assistants and tutors in primary and secondary schools, and as childcare workers in day care centre in Venda, South Africa. They will have the opportunity to be directly involved in the motivation and development of young people's lives and ultimately helping to bridge gaps and influence change in the 'New South Africa'.

If you want to teach in a more holistic, informal environment you could also choose to work as a mentor with more vulnerable 'at risk' groups of youths. This placement would see you teaching functional literacy and numbers, English, basic computer skills, and general life skills to children between the ages of 8 and 16 - many of whom are living on the streets. Please let us know when you apply if this interests you.

Highlights: South Africa has everything you need...

    * Sun * sparkling clear, warm oceans * some of the world's most beautiful golden beaches which stretch for miles
    * Excellent surfing, boating, river rafting, and fishing
    * Mountain climbing, biking, and hiking
    * The Garden Route - world famous * sheer paradise
    * Outstanding Game Reserves with wild animals in their natural habitat
    * Symmetric vineyards stretching almost to infinity
    * Ostrich racing * A butterfly farm * World renowned Cango Caves

South Africa has a highly varied population; 41% of Cape Town residents speak Afrikaans at home, 29% speak Xhosa, 28% speak English - with smaller percentages speaking any one of eight national, tribal languages. Due to this cultural diversity, English is emerging as the language of communication in many public walks of life; so having a native English speaker is particularly helpful.

Qualifications: There are no specific qualifications for teaching projects in South Africa - except fluency in English and love for working with children.

Cost in US$: Contact us for more info.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: All ages

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to South Africa Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Maasai International Challenge Africa (MICA)'s Mission Statement: MICATZ promotes local organizations by making donations and sending volunteers to different destination around Africa, Asia and Latin America states. Our volunteers are active community workers. They support the programs and activities of partner organizations by undertaking a variety of jobs and responsibilities such as working in orphanages, teaching English in Primary schools and in Secondary Schools, Teaching life skills, working as community health workers or assisting administratively.