Work with children and animals, South Africa 2010

South Africa- 1st-14th August 2010

Applications now open

Use YOUR skills to support children from a special needs school in a small town in South Africa.  This is a boarding school for children who have physical and/or behavioural difficulties.  Many of these children have unfortunately suffered severe traumas in their lives such as abuse and witnessing the murders of family members. You will supporting and working with children with high emotional needs, who are dealing with common family issues such as death, illness,abuse and bereavement on a regular basis.  Using primates and wildlife conservation as a therapeutic aid this project is aiming to help many children explore feelings, communication, family situations and traumatic experiences in their lives

Our aim is to support the children emotionally, getting involved in working hands on with the children in various communication activities which are primate and animal based.

Volunteers will work as a team, getting involved in planning and creating the activities and then making them work with the children.  Certain activities would involve art, drama and music as well as writing, dancing, tree planting, puppet making, costume making, dressing up as animals through play  and visiting wildlife and primate sanctuaries.  Children will not work hands on with primates but will be given the chance to visit primate sanctuaries and take part in observing chimpanzees, learning about their behaviour, their feelings and their traumatic experiences in life. They will however have the chance to visit and have hands on contact with other wildlife at sanctuaries already used to help children learn and care for animals.

All of our projects are aimed at giving the children a therapeutic and supportive experience, along with an educational one, learning about wildlife and primates in Africa.

Volunteers will be able to spend time and stay over night at a chimpanzee sanctuary where they will be able to learn from the keepers about the behaviour, feelings and life traumas of the chimpanzees.  You will be able to take part in the observation and support at the sanctuary, meeting the staff and the chimpanzees that they care for.

Due to conservation issues and health and safety, volunteers and children are unable to have hands on contact with primates.  This is also to make sure the chimpanzees are safe.  It is very easy for them to catch a cold, a cough and many other illnesses such as flu, which for them can be life threatening. However ,observing chimpanzees and working with their keepers, is a personally rewarding experience for anyone.

By relating human behaviour, feelings and traumas to that of primates (our closest relatives) we aim to allow children to disover their feelings and communication through these activities.

Volunteers will also take part in supporting the teachers and carers of the children, helping them to carry this support on in between our volunteers visits.

Another of our main aims is to support primate conservation, by running educational activities, but in this therapeutic way. By learning and observing chimpanzees, this will be an amazing and rewarding experience to then transfer this knowledge into the activities you will be running with the children.

During the trip you will have a chance to be part of the local culture by getting involved with the magic of African dancing and cultural evenings dancing around the camp fire.  You will also get time to visit national safari parks and the beautiful scenery near by such as the many waterfalls surrounding the area.

Your skills and interests will always be matched to what you enjoy or are interested in so we are able to help and support the children and organisations as best we can.

Training

The training that we provide students in Africa focuses on the following;

• Play therapy with children
• working with children with disabilities
• Working with children who have suffered abuse
• Primate behaviour and conservation
• Music therapy
• Activity planning
• Activity coordinating
• Project coordinating
  

Some of the students interested in this project are looking at taking the 2 weeks to gain experience on the above, working hands on with the children we support and gaining experience in observing wildlife, primarily primates at African sanctuaries and focusing one of their assignments on these subjects.  Many of them are seeing this experience as a real benefit to future careers.

Children’s Hospices

Yebo are, at present, looking at working with children’s hospices in South Africa. Working with the I.C.P.C.N (International children’s palliative care network) we aim to support children and their families with life limiting illnesses. During our project from 13th-27th March 2010, we will be looking at visiting hospices in the local area, as well as supporting the special needs school.

Download our information pack for volunteers now that details the following;

• Life as a volunteer

• Yebo Activities

• Supporting children in Africa

• African culture

• African primates/wildlife work

• Traveling in Africa/ information

click here to download

1st-14th August 2010 prices

£695

All prices include the following;

• accommodation on site
• Food (3 meals a day)
• Car transport to projects during the day (but not to and from airport)
• Volunteer training on the above subjects
• Project materials
• CRB checks
• Entrance to sanctuaries (but not safaris)
• Food and transport for children in the project
• Donations to the sanctuaries and children’s homes
• Extra materials such as necessary stationary and books needed to support volunteers

The 2 week project costs £695 whic includes all of the above.  Please note that prices DO NOT include flights

Here are a few extra things we would like you to know

• Our coordinators do not take a wage from your money and are also volunteers.

• We are a non-for profit organisation which means all monies raised goes into the running of the support projects.

• As much as we would like to support students with funding for their trips, we are unable to at this present time, due to the focus of our support.  No excess funds are left over from any of these trips.

To apply now fill in our application form above or for more information please email our  team  at;

info@yeboyes.org