ST LUCIA ORPHANS AND AIDS EDUCATION PROJECT
St LUCIA, GREATER St LUCIA WETLAND PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

Take this fantastic opportunity to interact with and make a real difference to the lives of children orphaned by AIDS within this vibrant Zulu community. Volunteers will have the chance not only to become intimately involved in the day to day lives of these orphans but to make a lasting difference to the community with development and HIV/AIDS education work. Home for the duration of the project will be St Lucia, heart of the energetic Zulu community. St Lucia is set in one of the most diverse areas on the planet where five separate ecosystems make this a truly unique region; in 1999 the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park was honored to be declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.

	Location:	St LUCIA, GREATER St LUCIA WETLAND PARK, SOUTH AFRICA	Dates:	Any date throughout the year.
	Fees:	£895 - 2 weeks £1,195 - 3 weeks £1,295 - 4 weeks	Payment:	£180 deposit at time of booking – balance of project fee due 8 weeks before departure
	Reference:	AV019

General Information

The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park owes its amazing diversity to its position as a large tidal estuary. This creates an environment that varies, with changes in temperature and salinity, from season to season. Its coastal vantage also means it is a stopping off point for various migrations including that of the Humpback Whale. Five separate ecosystems meet in this protected area measuring over 3,200 km2 and covering 280 km of coastline. These ecosystems include: a marine ecosystem shaped by the warm Indian Ocean currents, with waters containing the southernmost coral reefs of Africa as well as the rare and ancient coelacanth fish; eastern shores dominated by coastal dune systems and subtropical forests running into wetland plains further inshore; western shores dominated by a dramatic shoreline with overlooking dry savannah woodlands; a lake system formed from the two estuary linked salt water lakes of St Lucia and Kosi Bay accompanied by the freshwater lakes of Sibhayi, Ngobezeleni, Bhangazi and Bhangazi South; swamp forests of the Mkhuze and Umfolozi Swamps with extensive reed and papyrus marshes.

The Wetland Park may be the third largest of the South African parks but it actually contains the most species due to its amazing diversity. As well as the coelacanth, the park is home to the largest population of hippopotami in South Africa, a large population of Nile Crocodiles, over 500 hundred different species of bird, elephants that were reintroduced in 2001 and two different species of sea turtle use the beaches of the region as hatching grounds.

Community Projects

ORPHAN DAY CARE

The St. Lucia area is heavily affected by HIV/AIDS. It is believed that in some communities the prevalence of HIV is up to 70% and as a result many children are orphaned. Most of these children live with their relatives, but they are often left by themselves during the day as their carers needs to work to support their families. To keep these children off the streets, and to make sure they are well looked after and educated, a local pastor started an orphan day care centre a few years ago. The centre is a heart-warming place, where up to 50 children, aged 1 to 5, get dropped off each morning. The orphans are looked after by a few dedicated local women, who do a fantastic job, but are overwhelmed by the number of children. Volunteers will help take care of the orphans, and give them the individual attention they desperately need. Activities will include giving the children simple English lessons and reading books to them as well as participating in activity sessions with them such as playing games, drawing sessions and sing-a-longs. Whilst at the project volunteers will also contribute by helping with the development of the basic facilities and cooking for the children.

HIV/AIDS EDUCATION

In St. Lucia's local community, many myths about HIV/AIDS still prevail. A large percentage of local South Africans believe that the virus is a result of witchcraft, and people infected with it are often rejected from their own communities and families. As a result, many people who are infected do not admit to having the virus. Not many people know how to prevent infection, and even fewer people know how to deal with the virus once they have it. Working together with a local organisation dedicated to fighting the existing myths surrounding HIV/AIDS (and run mostly by people afflicted by the virus), volunteers go out into the local communities to help educate people in the nature of the virus. During the project, visits will be made to both schools and community centres where, through a simple method approved by the United Nations, advice is offered on HIV/AIDS and its effects. The education programme also involves explaining the methods of transmission of the virus and how risk of transmission can be reduced. The final part of the education programme involves advising the population on how life can be prolonged after infection through medication and lifestyle changes.

BUILDING AND REFURBISHING CLASSROOMS

Primary schools in St. Lucia are often run down and lack classrooms, particularly in the more rural and remote areas. Volunteers will visit these schools and help fix roofs and windows, paint walls, and help build new classrooms. The children and teachers greatly appreciate your presence and support of the volunteers whose work is highly rewarding.

Weekend activities

These are not included in the project fee but can be paid for at the project:

• Game drives in the beautiful Hluhluwe and Umfolozi National Parks
• Visits to the beach, and snorkling at Cape Vidal
• Whale, dolphin and sea turtle viewing
• Deep sea fishing
• Sunset cruises on the St. Lucia Estuary
• Weekend trips to Kruger National Park or Mozambique

A day in the life of a volunteer

6.30am	Breakfast and project preparation
7.00am	Transfer to Orphan Day Care Centre
7.30am	Start work at the orphan day care centre, perhaps reading simple books with the children or teaching them English, or playing games and singing songs with them.
12.00pm	Lunch break when volunteers are picked up from the orphan day care centre, and taken to the volunteer house, where lunch is waiting.
1.30pm	Start of the afternoon projects which may include visits to schools or community centres to teach people about HIV/AIDS, or to join the local Home Based Day Care project.
4.30pm	End of the working day when volunteers will be picked up from the project and taken home where they will catch up on the day's activities and discuss the priorities for the following day.
6.30pm	Dinner at the volunteer house – perhaps followed by a few drinks in one of the local bars.

Volunteers should be prepared for the daily programme to change at short notice to meet the needs of the project. Activities may vary depending upon the experience of the volunteers on the project.

“I have felt honored and humbled to be apart (if only for a short while) of the community here. Their happiness and love for life (despite their hardship) is infectious. You realize what it really takes to be happy. I think the programme has fulfilled and exceeded all my expectations. The mix, diversity and
the good organisation has helped make my short stay fantastic. It has been a rich and full experience and I have learnt lots – about me, my outlook and about South Africa.”
Rebecca Middleton, UK

“I think the aims and objectives of the program are absolutely wonderful, a life-changing experience with so many feel-good factors that I will take with me for a very long time, thank you so much to everyone involved for making my time here truly unforgettable!”
Amy Herring, UK

Support

Support and advice is available from your 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 volunteers upon booking their placement and further advice and information will be provided via telephone and email before departure. A full 3 day orientation programme will be provided on arrival at the project from the project coordinator which entails:

• An introduction to St. Lucia and its area
• An intensive introduction into the syllabus used for HIV/AIDS education
• An introduction to all the projects – including their locations.
• A basic language course – to learn some basic words and sentences in Zulu, the local language in St. Lucia, so that volunteers can communicate with people in their own language. In addition volunteers will learn some of the local cultural nuances.
• A visit to a rural area to get a good idea of how local people live

Accommodation and Meals

Volunteers will be accommodated at the large and comfortable project house. Situated in the middle of St. Lucia, it is a fully furnished house with a large lounge, satellite television, a barbecue area, a garden, a swimming pool, and a jacuzzi. The house is staffed with cooks and laundry/cleaning ladies. All bedding is provided although a sleeping bag can sometimes be useful in the colder months (June – September). Bedrooms will be shared with up to four people. The project coordinator is resident in the house and is always available to answer any questions.

Three meals a day are provided. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals/porridge, toast, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be cooked by one of our chefs at the volunteer house.

Getting There

The nearest airport to St. Lucia is Richards Bay Airport, which is about a fourty five minutes drive from St. Lucia. You will be met at the airport by one of our project staff and transferred to the project. There are daily flights from Johannesburg Airport to Richards Bay through www.flysax.com

(There may be a number of ways to reach your destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)
Let Amanzi Travel arrange your flights for you

Project Fees

What is included

• A contribution to the project itself including funding for activities with the orphans and building materials.
• Transfer from Richards Bay Airport and St Lucia as outlined above and daily project transfers.
• 3 day orientation programme. "On-the-job" educational activities and support from volunteer co-coordinator and local staff.
• Unlimited tea, coffee and water and Laundry and domestic services.
• All accommodation including 3 meals a day.

What is excluded

• Travel insurance to cover your placement (to include cover for repatriation)
• Return flights to Nearest International Airport and visas.
• Personal items eg clothes, travel goods
• Use of internet and telephone, soft drinks, wines and spirits.
• Visas and any trips undertaken other than in the planned programme
• Accommodation in Durban if needed prior to pick up.