HOME OF HOPE CHILDRENS ORPHANAGE | Volunteer Project

Home of Hope is a very special place providing safety and care for babies and young children until they can be placed in a suitable new home. This is an especially rewarding project where volunteers are able to see the positive difference their caring contribution makes to the lives of some very special babies and young children. The children come from varying backgrounds, some abandoned in dustbins, others abused, neglected, raped or infected with HIV. Volunteers are so important to this project and will play a real part in caring for these children.

General Information

This Cape Town orphanage provides the babies with a loving and caring environment. The dedicated team works closely with the local social services to evaluate each child so that a plan of action can be put in place to meet each child's needs. Medical, developmental and emotional assessments are undertaken and children are then placed in suitable families - hopefully making a better and more promising future for them.

Volunteers look after the children on a daily basis within a well-structured routine but at the same time allowing them to use their initiative to provide the very best for each child in their care. Day shift volunteers are responsible for preparing lunch, snacks, dinners and formula feeds; cleaning and sterilising the bottles used during the day; feeding of babies and toddlers; giving and recording medicines in line with the doctor's instructions; making notes of the babies' and toddlers' achievement of milestones and the general behaviour of each baby or toddler in order to build up a profile of the child to assist 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.

Volunteers may also spend some mornings helping out at a local township creche assisting with play activities for 1 - 6 year olds, or supporting the older children who have not been fostered or adopted with their after school homework, visits to the library and internet research. Volunteers who have a photo-ID style driving licence should take it with them as there are opportunities to help with food distribution, community and hospital visits etc.

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 medicines and recording them in line with the doctor's instructions; and generally being available to look after 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 giving them all the help they need in preparing to look after a baby or child. When a child is placed with an adoptive or foster family, the orphanage provides the family with everything they need for the child including 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 Amanzi Travel if you are interested in such a placement.

Please note this project currently only accepts female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 40 years old who can commit to a minimum stay of 6 weeks.

Volunteer Schedule

All placements commence on a Monday. Volunteers will be met at the airport and taken to the accommodation in Table View where they will meet the other volunteers on their team. On the first Tuesday of the placement volunteers may be able to take advantage of an optional Cultural Tour which will help to put the project into context within 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.

There will be an opportunity to join optional Winelands and Peninsula Tours which 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:

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 an interesting 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.

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. Amanzi Travel will be happy to arrange such tours for you.

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 project and familiarisation with the local surroundings.

Accommodation and Meals

Volunteers will be accommodated in the excellent Volunteer House in Table View. The house - which is safe and secure - has the following facilities:

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)
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