CAPE TOWN – CHILDRENS ORPHANAGE
CAPE TOWN – SOUTH AFRICA

This Cape Town orphanage is a very special home, which provides an interim place of safety and care for babies (birth to 24 months) for a short period of time until they can be placed in a suitable home. The children come from diverse backgrounds, some abandoned in dustbins, others abused, neglected, raped or infected with HIV. Volunteers are so important to this project and will play an integral part in caring for these children. This is an especially rewarding project where volunteers are able to see the positive difference their contribution makes to the lives of some very special babies and young children.

	Location:	CAPE TOWN – SOUTH AFRICA	Dates:	Regular start dates throughout the year
	Fees:	£1,295 - 6 weeks £1,455 - 7 weeks £1,595 - 8 weeks £1,745 - 9 weeks £1,895 - 10 weeks £2,045 - 11 weeks £2,195 - 12 weeks	Payment:	£180 deposit at time of booking – balance of project fee due 8 weeks before departure
	Reference:	AV018

General Information

This Cape Town orphanage provides the babies with a loving and caring environment. The dedicated team works closely with Social Services to evaluate each child so that a plan of action can be put in place to meet their specific needs.  This includes medical, developmental and emotional assessments prior to placing the children with suitable families, in the hope of securing a promising future for them.

Volunteers will be involved with the daily care given to the children, working to a well-structured routine, which allows them to use their initiative to meet the specific needs of each child.  Day shift volunteers will be responsible for preparing lunch, snacks, dinners and formula feeds; cleaning and sterilising the bottles used during the day; feeding of babies and toddlers; giving of medication and recording it according to the doctor's instructions; recording and evaluating babies' and toddlers' achievement of milestones and the general behaviour of each baby or toddler in order to create a profile of the child for future placements; changing nappies, bathing (according to strict hygiene rules) and keeping the babies and toddlers clean and tidy; stimulating the babies and toddlers according to the set out programme; keeping work areas hygienically clean and tidy.

Night shift volunteers are responsible for preparing breakfast bottles; cleaning bottles used during the shift; bottle feeding babies that need to be fed; giving any medication and recording it according to the doctor's instructions; generally being available to meet the needs of any baby or toddler; dressing babies and toddlers before day shift arrives.

The orphanage works closely with the local township communities, profiling foster families and providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to care for a child. When a child is placed with an adoptive or foster family, the orphanage provides the family with everything they need for the child - this includes a cot, bedding, clothes, a pushchair, feeding bottles, sterilising equipment and many more useful items that many families from the poverty- stricken townships are otherwise unable to afford.  Follow up visits and ongoing support for the families are also important aspects of the orphanage's community involvement.

This is an especially rewarding project for emotionally mature volunteers, who will be able to see the positive difference their contribution makes to the lives of some very special babies and young children.

There is now scope for volunteers with a social work background to join the project for an extended period of 6 months or longer.  Such volunteers would not form part of the normal volunteer group but would instead be assigned to one of the orphanage’s social workers.  Please contact us for the price of this placement.

Please note this project currently only accepts female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 35years old.

Volunteer Schedule

All placements commence on a Monday.  Volunteers will be met at the airport and escorted to the accommodation in Table View where they will meet the other volunteers on their team.  On the first Tuesday of the placement volunteers will be collected in the morning for the Cultural Tour.  If it is not possible to arrange this tour on the first Tuesday, it is aimed to schedule it as soon as possible as the tour will help to put the project into context with the township communities from where the children come.

The first working day will normally be on Wednesday, which will serve as the training day.  The volunteer schedule from there on could include a mixture of morning/afternoon/full day and night shifts.  Schedules will be available on the house notice board so everyone will know in advance which days and nights they will be working.  On average volunteers will be busy for 4 – 5 days each week.

The included Winelands and Peninsula Tours will be scheduled for volunteer days off, and again dates will be shown on the notice board at the house.
Volunteer shifts are very flexible and can change at short notice depending on the requirements at the time.  The following current shift patterns are shown below as a guide:

Morning shift	07.00 – 12.00
Afternoon shift	12.00 – 18.00
Day shift	07.00 – 18.00
Night shift	18.00 – 07.00

     
With the planned establishment of permanent satellite homes for abandoned children, volunteers may also find themselves staying at these homes for up to three days at a time to help care for the children there. The orphanage is currently based in a large, well equipped home, with a well-structured programme that caters to the needs of each child.  Although the home is situated in an affluent neighbourhood, it serves the needs of children from the desperately poor townships in the local area, and is ideally suited to provide these children with a nurturing and loving environment.

With the help of international volunteers, the orphanage will be able to reach even more children in need and this may necessitate short notice changes to the working routine and location. Volunteers are asked to remain flexible and although routines and locations may vary the project co-ordinators will ensure that volunteers have plenty of time for rest and relaxation.

Relaxing Activities

Without doubt Cape Town is South Africa's most beautiful, romantic and popular city and recently came fifth in a survey to find the top 50 'must see' places in the world.  Few places can match its unique setting - in the natural bowl formed by Devil's Peak, Table Mountain, Lion's Head, Signal Hill and Table Bay. With its unique blend of microclimates, the Cape Peninsula has its own floral kingdom with an amazing variety of plants and wildlife. There are also some of the world's most beautiful beaches along its shores.   The following tours, which are included in the project fee,  will be planned to coincide with volunteers' time off.   Dates for each tour will be notified in advance. Each tour includes pick-up and drop-off from the volunteer house in Table View:

• A full-day peninsula tour including lunch, with visits to Hout Bay, Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Point, Simon's Town, Boulders Beach Penguin Colony and much more.  An incredible day rich with history and some of the world's most beautiful scenery.
• A half-day Cultural tour;  a fascinating introduction to South Africa's recent political history before and after apartheid, and including highlights of Khayelitsha, South Africa's second largest township after Soweto.
• A full-day tour to the Cape Winelands including the Paarl, Franschoek and Stellenbosch regions. Wine tastings and lunch are included.

A huge variety of attractions and events are available year round to fill any spare time.  Sports enthusiasts can choose from nearly every water- and land-based sport imaginable, or watch a game of cricket or rugby at Sahara Park Newlands International Stadium.  For volunteers looking for adventure, there is plenty to keep the adrenalin flowing with sky diving, paragliding and abseiling from Table Mountain some of the many activities available.

For a more relaxed pace, volunteers can explore the city and its many museums on foot or perhaps taste some great South African wine at a nearby estate (of which there are hundreds). The Artscape Theatre in Cape Town has a year round programme of ballet, shows and theatre, and the Bellville Velodrome is a regular stop for international singers and bands.

Whatever volunteers want to do, they can call on a member of the volunteer project staff and who will be very happy to assist them with bookings and useful advice on the best local service providers.

If there is time before or after the project, a wide variety of overland tours can be arranged to connect volunteers to the rest of South Africa, Kruger National Park, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and beyond.

Support

Support and advice is available from the Project Managers whilst on the project and from the UK Amanzi Travel Team.
Find out more about Amanzi Travel support

Orientation

A comprehensive information pack will be sent to all our volunteers upon booking their volunteer placement and further advice and information will be provided via telephone and email before departure. A full orientation will be provided on arrival at the project by the project coordinator including information on the current status of the projects and familiarisation with the local surroundings.

Accommodation and Meals

Volunteers will be accommodated in the Volunteer House in Table View. The house has the following facilities:

• Dormitory accommodation - with good quality mattresses, bedding and linen provided.
• Full kitchen facilities - oven, fridges, microwave, toaster, kettle and everything needed for preparing meals.
• A large comfortable lounge with satellite TV and DVD.
• A telephone for incoming calls.
• Shower and toilet facilities.
• A drop-off and collect laundry service operates every Tuesday (R26 per 5kg load). 
• Extra storage cupboards are available for luggage and personal items. 
• Premises will be cleaned Monday through to Friday every week.
• A private garden for entertainment/relaxation complete with a large pool, sunbeds, breakfast tables and a built in braai (bbq).
• The house is a Wi-Fi Hotspot and a computer is available for volunteers to access the internet.  A Hotspot account can be set up in advance – enabling volunteers to purchase internet credits at a cost of 45 cents per megabyte using a credit card (minimum R30 purchase).  This is less expensive and more convenient than using an internet cafe.
• The volunteer house is safe and secure with electrical fencing and a magnetic lock on the entrance gate. Volunteers will be issued with a coded magnetic key to allow them to come and go 24 hours a day.
• A full time volunteer co-ordinator (Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 5.00 pm) is available to assist with any enquiries or advice and also for emergencies during evenings, weekends and Public Holidays.
• Two private rooms are available (one en-suite) for couples – please enquire about additional costs for this option when booking the project.
• Self-service breakfasts are available at the volunteer house.  A good selection of cereals, yoghurts, milk, bread, margarine, tea, coffee and sugar is provided.  All other meals are self-catering.  Good shopping facilities are located close by for food and personal needs, along with a great range of restaurants, bars and cafes. The volunteer house also has a fully equipped kitchen and each volunteer will have a lockable cupboard for keeping groceries and other valuables safe!  

Getting There

Volunteers should fly directly into Cape Town where they will be met at the airport and transferred to the volunteer house.
(There may be a number of ways to reach the destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)
Let Amanzi Travel arrange your flights for you

Project Fees

What is included

• Airport transfers on arrival and departure and daily transfers to and from the placement
• All accommodation including self service breakfast
• Orientation and introduction to the project together with "on-the-job" educational activities and 24 hour support from volunteer co-coordinator and local staff
• A contribution to the project itself
• A half-day cultural tour, a fascinating introduction to South Africa's recent political history before and after apartheid, including highlights of Khayelitsha, South Africa's second largest township after Soweto
• A full-day tour to the Cape Winelands including the Paarl, Franschoek and Stellenbosch regions - wine tastings and lunch are included
• A full-day peninsula tour which includes lunch, visits to Hout Bay, Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Point, Simon's Town, Boulders Beach Penguin Colony and much more.  An incredible day rich with history and some of the world's most beautiful scenery

What is excluded

• Travel insurance (to include cover for repatriation)
• Return flights to nearest International Airport
• Personal items eg clothes, travel goods
• Use of internet (email) and telephone
• Shopping budget for lunch and dinner
• Visas and any trips undertaken other than in the planned programme
• Any wine, beer and spirits