Volunteer in South Africa summer 2011, we welcome your skills!
Work with children and animals, South Africa 2011
This project has now finished. To show interest for 2012 please email info@yeboyes.org
South Africa 2011
Applications now closed
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. For many, this gives them a chance to express themselves in a differnet and individual way. Due to coping with their different disabilities, this programe is working towards giving these children some positivity in their lives, as well as building their confidence, self esteem and an ability to understand different emotions
This project is a big challenge. If you are ready for it, then join our team in 2011,
Disabilities and their challenges
These children have a wide spectrum of disabilities, many undiagnosed, many struggling physically, and others have severe behaviour and learning difficulties. These children can be very challenging to work with, we need your skills, and your dedication to learn new skills, by working with us. This project is so important to these children and the people who work and care for them everyday. YOU are needed. Join us, make a difference, leave your skills there when you leave and discover a whole new world of working with children with disabilities.
Applying these aims to these children is also a massive challenge in itself, working with them to understand the concept, depending on their individual needs and disability.
Experiences with wildlife
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 take the children to a local wildlife sanctuary called Daktari animal orphanage, based near a town called Gravelotte. Daktari offer sanctuary to unwanted or injured wildlife. Some animals also have disabilities, and others are able to allow the children to have hands on contact with them. This is a great experience for the children, many of them having never seen wildlife like his before. Daktari animal orphanage are very supportive of the project and the children we bring to the sanctuary.
We also have the opportunity to use the swimming pool at Daktari, which is a great experience for the children and the volunteers.
Volunteers will be able to visit 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.
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.
Activities
Creative Activities are brought together by the volunteers, working as a team to compliment each individual they are working with at the special needs school. Activities are used such as art, drama and music, and other creative moments, inspired by both volunteers and children. Volunteers will be developing new and existing activities as the project goes along, continually evaluating and observing the impact they are having in the work they are doing. The volunteers are an intrinsic part of the project development of the activities, and the observations that go with them.
Culture and safari
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.
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Training days
The training that we provide volunteers beforehand;
- 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
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 may 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 Please note that some information in the current volunteer guide has not been updated so may vary or change, such as accommodation guides and detailed information about projects, this is currently being updated. Please email us if you would like an updated project guide sent to you. info@yeboyes.org
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 at UK training days
- 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
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.
Please note that prices DO NOT include flights
To apply now fill in our application form above or for more information please email our team at;
info@yeboyes.org