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Trip | Volunteer in South Africa
Volunteer work in a children´s hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
Quick Facts
about this position
Working hours
none
Minimum age
from 18 years
Education
no specific
Language skills
Good english knowledge
About this position
Overview: Volunteering in a children´s hospital in South Africa
In this project you will be assisting in a children´s hospital in Cape Town by playing and interacting with the children, from newborns up to 12 year olds. This hospital is specialized in kidney and liver transplantations, burns, neurosurgery, cancer treatment, Intensive care, HIV/AIDS research, tuberculosis, as well as the treatment of children with breathing difficulties. The hospital is determined to provide its patients with the best possible treatment regardless of the income from the parents, the ethnic group, gender, religion or their origin. The ethical values and principles of the hospital, such as integrity, respect, honesty, dignity, care and social responsibility should be mirrored by the volunteer.What to expect
Description: Volunteering in a children`s hospital in South Africa
Your task as a volunteer will be to play and interact with the children. Playing with the hospitalized children will give them normality and benefit their recovery. Moreover the children will feel joyful, are distracted from the daily hospital routines and even their parents will be more at ease. By playing the children´s social, intellectual, intercultural, cognitive and motor skills will be nurtured. Reading out loud will not just benefit the literacy of the children but also of their parents. The majority of the patients speak Afrikaans and IsiXhosa, but with a warm smile and empathy the language differences will not be a problem. Many even speak English as their second language. Depending on the illness of the children the right games and toys will be suggested with help of the volunteer manager and nursing staff. All volunteers will receive an orientation through the local project coordinator. During this orientation, sanitary regulations, the routines of the hospital and the coordination of the different units will be explained. During your working hours you will always have a contact person in the hospital. Your day will start at 9 am with choosing the right toy which you will bring with you to the children. From 11 to 11.20 am you will have a coffee break with all the other volunteers to get to know each other and to exchange experiences. Then you will spend time with the children and if you have any questions you can always ask your contact person in the hospital. At 12 pm you can return the toys. The disinfection of the toys is of great importance. The children are taking naps from 2 until 3.30 pm, but afterwards you have the opportunity to play with the children as well. You can choose if you prefer to work in the mornings or in the afternoons. Many volunteers decide to “only” join in the mornings to play and spend time with the children and many local volunteers join regularly on particular weekdays. The coordinators of this program are really flexible regarding working hours. Additional application requirements:- Copy of passport
- Two written references
Itinerary of your stay abroad
Volunteer abroad program
Start date of project
The volunteer projects run throughout the year. Therefore, we are open for your individual suggestion, which we are going to propose to our partner organisation.
Time of arrival
We recommend to arrange an arrival a few days prios to the start of the volunteer project. You can move in to your guest family up to 3 days before the official project start at no additional costs. You then have enough time to recover from the long flight, get to know your host family and make your first trips.
Arrival at the Airport
Arriving in a new country is always exciting. We want your arrival to be as relaxed as possible. One of the staff members of our partner organization will pick you up at the airport and bring you to your host family or your shared flat. He/she will be waiting for you at the airport with a sign with your name on it. If you cannot find a flight at the desired date, don’t worry. You can choose another one a few days earlier or later.
Orientation program
Within the first days of your arrival one of the team members of our partner organisation will pick you up and show you around. You will get to know the country and its people and you will be informed about Do’s and Dont’s. The program will be held with more volunteers at the same time. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know like-minded globetrotters. Your local contact person will provide you with further useful hints for a good starting point into a new lifestyle.
The project starts
On the first day of your project, you are usually accompanied by a member of our local partner who will answer all of your questions. The further project days your local contact person will always be available for you via phone if you have any concerns or issues to share with somebody.
Free time & weekend
The weekend is totally yours! You may ask your local contact person from our partner organisation about upcoming events, sights, shopping tips or other must see’s. On some days there will be field trips organized by our partner organization. We recommend you to join them as it is always fun to experience a new country with others.
Departure
You shall contact your local contact person a few days prior to your departure to inform about options for your airport drop-off. It will not be included in the services of the volunteer projects, but our expert will help you organize it.
Ready to get started?
Volunteer work in a children´s hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
Flexible dates
flexible
from 18 years
Good english knowledge
from
1660 EUR
Questions? We will help you!
Contact usYour accommodation
Accommodation Volunteering in South Africa
Volunteers have the chance to live in a host family or an international living community. Please ask for an exact program fee, as living in a shared community is usually subject to an additional weekly fee. Host family: Staying with a host family is a very special opportunity to experience the daily life in South Africa. You will live with a host family in a middle class neighbourhood in Cape Town. You have a private, furnished room available, you will be supplied with 3 meals a day (on weekdays there is a lunch box) and most families also wash your clothes with free delivery. Bed linen & towels are provided. Our families are spread all over Cape Town. We personally visit all of our families before we include them in our program. We cannot always guarantee to find a family within walking distance. (you might need to take the bus, train) International living community: These are mostly houses with 4-8 rooms, which are rented by local and international students, interns, volunteers, young professionals or other young people. You can find contacts and friends very quickly. Often numerous roommates are new in Cape Town and you can visit the city together. All rooms are furnished. Bed linen are provided, towels have to be brought to the house. Wireless Internet is also usually present (in some homes with extra charge). All shared apartments are equipped for self-catering, there are fully equipped kitchens with refrigerator, stove, etc. Here you can cook alone or together. Food prices in South Africa can be compared with Germany. We work with selected providers of student accommodation in Cape Town. Please request the exact fees for an accommodation in a shared living community, because this is always associated with a higher fee. The prices listed always apply for accommodation in a host family.Our Service
Service volunteer in Cape Town – what's in and what's not in
What's included:- Placement in the volunteer project
- Assisting visa application
- Information about cheap flights, travel insurances and other important travel documents
- Airport pick up from Cape Town Airport
- Return transfer to Cape Town Airport
- Accommodation in a host family, if available for this project
- Organization of a rental car or scooter if demanded
- Orientation on site through a staff member
- Tips and information about freetime activities
- Contact person during your stay abroad
- 24-hour emergency number
- Regular meetings with all volunteers or interns
- Certificate
- Accommodation in a backpacker/shared flat (an additional fee of 70 USD on top of the placement fee and 25 USD per week apply; the prices are subject to change)
- Visa
- Flights
- Insurance
Our local team
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Our local team
Your coordinator in Cape Town
"My name is Jana Williams, I am originally from Germany, but living in South Africa for 8 1/2 years. Nearly 6 years of those I stayed in the mother city of Cape Town. I am now managing all internship and volunteer placements for Studentsgoabroad Cape Town. During my studies of Social Work I did internships abroad myself. I have been to London, India and even in Cape Town which was 12 years ago. While still living in Germany I started placing interns in Southern African countries and always enjoyed this activity. This activity is interesting, exciting, versatile and most of all positive, as a stay abroad always enlarges the personal horizon.