BUSINESS SKILLS WORK EXPERIENCE INTERNSHIP WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

This project is suited to a business-minded and experienced person who can assist and train the Craft Centre administration workers to develop the business with the objective of providing them with a sustainable income.  The transference of your skills will help them to achieve this.

This diverse community development project is located in rural KwaZulu Natal in the heart of a Zulu community. The area of Rorke's Drift has stunning scenery and plenty to offer for those interested in hiking and outdoor activities.  This project is very worthwhile and will offer you a wealth of experience and a lifetime of memories. 

On this page:

• About your work
• About the Art Centre
• Who can do this project?
• Optional Additional Activities you can do while on this Project
• Accommodation
• About Rorke's Drift, Location and History
• Travel & Visas

PROJECT OVERVIEW

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into Africa and the many diverse cultures in South Africa

• The enormous satisfaction of helping a disadvantaged community and knowing that you made a difference to them.

• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.

• An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market

• And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!

ABOUT YOUR WORK:
This project is rewarding, fascinating and challenging. You would help the Centre to run as a business and empower and train local people. You could be involved in a number of roles, including:

• Administration work,
• Scheduling,                                     
• Financial Management,
• Training the staff to run the organisation,
• Telephonic Skills
• Customer relations and customer care
• Proposal Writing (will be limited),
• PR and fundraising (will be limited),
• Organising of the studios: weaving, ceramic and textile printing studio ie stock taking, costing, pricing, material orders, customer orders, controlling the production line

Your role will be to work in the day-to-day running of the Arts & Crafts Centre assisting with the administration of the organisation as well as training the staff and helping them to learn how to run a business. The objective of this placement is to empower the staff and the business through your training thus enabling them to run the Centre as a sustainable and locally manned organisation.

Along with staff training you may have the opportunity to get involved with some PR and fundraising, but this will be limited as the main emphasis of your project is to get the administration side of the Centre up and running efficiently.

You will work under the guidance of Christiane, a German based volunteer at the Centre. She has been running it for the past 2 years and is very grateful for any assistance from our volunteers.

ABOUT THE ARTS AND CRAFT CENTRE
The Arts and Craft centre which is based right next to and on the battlefield, and was founded in 1963 by  Swedish artists Ulla and Peder Gowenius, who were employed by the church of Swedish Mission for the advancement of African art and craft.

Funds were was received from the Church of Sweden Mission and an exhibition in Stockholm in late 1963 enabled further funds to be generated for extensions to the existing buildings. Substantial profits generated by the weaving section paid for the running of the school, including the fine arts department, the pottery and textile printing workshops. Initially the arts and craft centre was a large success with over 200 gifted and talented artists being employed.

The Fine Arts School was included in the activities and during its 20 years of existence students from all over Southern Africa have attended, many of whom have won national and international acclaim.

Rorke's Drift has been home to world famous artists like John Muafangejo and Azaria Mbatha. Today they have such recognised artists and crafters like the weavers Philda Majozi, Emma Dammann, in the ceramic studio Gordon Mbatha, Joel Sibisi and Elisabeth Mbatha.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND WHO THIS PROJECT WOULD SUIT
This project would ideally suit:

• Someone with an experience of working within business
• Someone with an experience of working within business
• Someone who does not mind being in a remote area
• Someone who wishes to get totally involved in the project
• Someone who is willing to be immersed in a totally different work and lifestyle culture
• Some one who is interested in arts and crafts
• Someone who is interested in history

Project Requirements:

• This project duration is for a minimum of 2 months, but ideally 3 months or longer
• You should have a business background including some knowledge of at least one of the following: Accounting/bookkeeping, Telephone and customer relations, basic office skills, fundraising and possible knowledge of PR

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WHILE ON THIS PROJECT:

• 5-DAY OR 7-DAY SAFARI from Cape Town up the renowned Garden Route: taking in Dolphin and Whale Spotting, visits to many tourist attractions, such as a visit to a brewery(!), the Bloukrantz Bungy Jump (reportedly the highest in the world), and a guided tour of the Cango Caves.
• 1 WEEK WHALES, SHARKS AND DOLPHINS Project: This is an extraordinary and exciting project in a beautiful location, surrounded by white beaches and blue ocean. And two hours from the world's third favourite city - Cape Town. What more could anyone want?
• SURFING COURSES: In the buzz city of Durban.
• PARAGLIDING COURSE: Soar over the impressively beautiful Drakensburg Mountain. You'll get a licence at the end of the course which qualifies you to do solo paragliding around the world.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS

Rorke's Drift is located in central Zululand making it a very cultural and interesting site. The battle of Rorke's Drift took place on the 22nd and 23rd of January 1879 just after the humiliating defeat by the Zulu's at the battle of Isandlwana where over 1,300 British and African soldiers serving Britain were killed.

On the 22nd of January news reached Rorke’s Drift that the Zulus had defe ated the British at Isandlwana and were on their way to Rorke's Drift to attack and defeat the remaining British. The British, rather than running, decided to stay and fight and they started to fortify their position with what ever they could, including biscuit boxes and mealie bags. 

At 4:00pm news broke that the Zulus were only minutes away. After hearing this, the natives who were serving the British fled. The British force had now been reduced to 140 men and because their depleted numbers, had to shorten the perimeter. The battle started when 600 Zulus attacked the south wall which joined the hospital and the storehouse. The British fired and drove them back, as this happened a large Zulu force swept onto the hospital and northwest wall and started to fight the British hand to hand. The wall was too high for the Zulus so they crouched below it and grabbed the British rifles or climbed over their dead counterparts to get into the camp.  Zulu fire, both from those under the wall and around Oscarberg, began to find its mark.  

It became clear to Chard that the front wall, under almost constant Zulu attack, could not be held, and at 6 o'clock Chard pulled his men back into the yard, abandoning the front two rooms of the hospital in the process. The evacuation of the hospital completed the shortening of the perimeter.

As night fell, the Zulu attacks grew stronger as the snipers on Oscarberg - now devoid of targets - joined the attack. The cattle kraal came under renewed assault and was evacuated by ten o'clock, leaving the remaining men in a small bastion around the storehouse. Throughout the night, the Zulus kept up a constant assault against the British positions; Zulu attacks only began to slacken after midnight, and finally ended by two o'clock, instead being replaced by a constant harassing fire from the Zulu firearms and assegais - a fire that in turn only ended at four o'clock. Chard's force had lost fifteen dead, eight more - including Dalton - seriously wounded, and virtually every man had some kind of minor wound. They were all exhausted, having fought for the better part of ten hours, and were running low on ammunition as well.

As dawn broke, the British could see that the Zulus had left; all that remained were the vast piles of dead - over 370 bodies were counted. Patrols were dispatched to scout the battlefield, recover rifles, and look for survivors. At roughly 7am, an impi of Zulus suddenly appeared and the weary redcoats manned their positions once again. But no attack materialised. The Zulus were utterly spent, having been on the move for six days prior to the battle and having not eaten properly for two. In their ranks were hundreds of wounded and they were several days march from any supplies. Soon after their appearance, the Zulus left the way they had come.

Around 8am, another force appeared, and the British abandoned their makeshift breakfast of rum, tea and biscuits to man their positions once again. This was no Zulu force, however; Lord Chelmsford and his column had arrived. The battle was over.

Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the British defenders, the most ever received in a single action by one regiment, seven to soldiers of the 24th. Dalton was not originally named among the VC recipients, eventually receiving his medal in January 1880, after an outcry when a number of accounts credited him, rather than Chard or Bromhead, for initiating the defence.