Want to do something
really worthwhile? Teach English to disadvantaged children at the
southern tip of
the African continent!
The schools you will
be involved with cater for many children from the poorer township
community. Your help and
support are appreciated by everyone, but mostly by the children!
Travellers' teaching programme has been running in this region for many
years and the impact our volunteers has had is amazing. Many of them
return again and again. The result is a community that has benefited
tremendously over the past few years.
Our teaching
programmes in the beautiful Western Cape’s Garden Route are situated in
Knysna,
George and
Plettenberg Bay.
The teaching placements in all three towns along the Garden Route are relatively
close
to each other.
You don't need any qualifications to do this project
and you
can choose to work with primary or secondary schools. All ages from 17
upwards to 70+ can take part and all nationalities are welcomed with
open arms. You don't need to speak the local language either.
"I'm
absolutely loving South Africa. Knysna is much bigger and much more lively than
I ever imagined, and the schools are much more friendly and receptive than I
dreamed possible. I couldn't have asked for more support or a more beautiful
place to live in."
Gill Taylor, teaching in Knysna
ABOUT THE LOCATION: The famous Garden Route
stretches along the warm Indian Ocean and hosts the most beautiful array
of natural splendors, from exotic white beaches to ancient indigenous
forests, home to monkeys, buck and leopard and the elusive forest
elephants. The Garden Route is famous for all sorts of activities from
adrenalin sports such as bungee jumping, skydiving and shark cage diving to more
relaxed pursuits such as hiking, quad biking in the forest or visiting one of
the many animal sanctuaries in the area. Your local Travellers liaison will be
happy to assist you in finding interesting things to do and places to see so
make the most of it!
Knysna
is approximately 500km from
the beautiful capital city of Cape Town (see photo at bottom of page) and voted
South Africa’s favourite town 4 years in a row! Its mountainous backdrop,
impressively sized estuary and indigenous forests really give the town a natural
feel to it. Although it still has that ‘small-town’ feel, Knysna is growing
rapidly, and has all the amenities you could ask for such as banks, hotels,
internet café’s, cinemas and shopping malls.
Plettenberg Bay
(better known simply as Plett)is a bit smaller than Knysna, but equally
stunning. It's pure white beaches stretch as far as the eye can see and there
is a lot to do, from whale and dolphin watching, to hiking trails and awesome
nightlife. Plett is situated about 25-30 mins away from Knysna to the north.
The schools in George are located about 6 kms on the
outskirts of the town,
in one of the poorer areas. George is much larger than both Knysna and Plettenberg Bay
put together and has more of a city feel to it. The town lies comfortably
nestled at the foot of the picturesque Outeniqua Mountain Range.
.
Elizabeth Tratt, Travellers UK co-ordinator for South Africa, surrounded by
excited children
The schools
that we assist in the Garden Route are mainly for the poorer African and
Coloured children in the local community and townships. Standards are
generally very high at all of the schools, but in most cases materials and
resources may be scarce. Even with the lack of facilities, etc., the enthusiasm
of the students and staff at the schools more than make up for this.
The children have a fantastic energy about them
and you will be immediately welcomed in by hoards of children running up to
greet the new teacher. It is often difficult to stop them smiling!
You will
normally begin your placement by assisting the teachers but, depending on your
ability, you may progress on to being given complete control of a particular
class or group. You will
receive a lot of help and support from the teachers and staff at the schools,
but you must be prepared to use your own initiative and ask when you need
something.
The average
class size ranges from 15 to a manageable 40, which is still quite
manageable compared to some other schools in the country.
The best way to describe this project is to let one of our previous volunteers
tell you about it in her own words. Felicity du Pulford taught at
Sunridge Primary, and this is how she describes a typical day on her project
(but please note that this is only one school and that work in other schools may
vary):
We didn't anticipate how much there would be to do in Knysna, so our only worry
is fitting it all in. Last week, after meeting all the other guys, we went out
on Friday which was lovely. Pauline gave us a tour drive around Knysna, so we
got to see the beautiful views of the lagoon and town.
Our headmaster at Sunridge, Mr Solomons, is so approachable and welcoming. It’s
difficult to describe just how welcome the children make us feel, the atmosphere
at the school is just so happy, the teachers so willing to help and we just seem
to have slotted into place.
We have been to both the soup kitchen and the orphanage. Lewis and I are keen to
go to both as much as possible, and love getting to know the kids. We're going
to be very muscly by the end of the month though - all of them want picking up
and swinging around all the time!
Knysna has absolutely everything we could want or need, and we are being well
looked after by Pauline. We're just starting to regret that we are only here for
a month!
Lots of eager-to-learn children just waiting for you!
EXTRA ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE IN KNYSNA
As an added
bonus to your project you will also have the opportunity
to provide help and support to the local community through the various
afternoon activates we have to offer. This is an excellent way to emmerse
yourself into the African culture, but most importantly to give a caring
hand to the local community. The activities could range from helping out at;
The local
orphanage - Make the afternoons fun and exciting for these lovely
children by playing games, helping them with home work and just being
there to give them the attention that they so crave.
The art centre for children - You could
make a great impact in their lives by helping them to express their
creative side and enjoying an afternoon full of art and crafts. This is
such an exciting opportunity for children, so why not be a part of it
too!
The soup
kitchen - Soup kitchens have been set up to provide a meal for
the poorer children in the community and often this will be the only
decent meal a child has during the day - any support given is greatly
appreciated by all.
After
school drama or sports - Take some time out after school to set up after
school sports or drama clubs, the children love it and it's a great way
to get to know them better in a relaxed and fun environment(If
you'd like to set up a drama or sports club, please let us know when you
apply so that we can arrange it with the school before you arrive.)
Other
community projects - In the past volunteers have helped to paint the
outside of a crèche that was in desperate need of a lift, the crèche is
now looking very cheerful with brightly coloured walls. A jungle gym was
donated to this orphanage and volunteers also helped to put it together
for the crèche too!
You could be
part of these excellent and worthwhile projects so why not volunteer in
Knysna!
Your
Travellers Project Co-ordinator on the Placement:
Once you apply
for this placement, all your arrangements will be taken care of by Elizabeth
Tratt (better known as Liz J),
Travellers UK-based Project Co-ordinator for teaching in South Africa. She'll liaise
with you to discuss your needs and will be able to answer all your questions.
Once you're in South Africa, you'll be well looked after by our South African
team, but Liz will remain in touch with you throughout your stay.
Read a very informative
Blog by
Travellers volunteer, Claire Archibald - it's about her placement and it's
fascinating!
SUNRIDGE SCHOOL
(mural painted by one of Travellers' volunteers)
SCHOOL TERMS IN SOUTH AFRICA:
Dates for the 2008 school terms (semesters) are given below.
1st Term 11 January to
20 March
2nd Term 14 April to
27 June
3rd Term 16 July to 21 September
4th Term 1 October to
30 November
Dates for the 2009 school terms (semesters) are given below.
1st Term 21 January to 3 April
2nd Term
15 April to 26 June
3rd Term
20 July to 23 September
4th Term
5 October to 11 December
Teaching is not available during
school holidays, so if you're planning to participate in a
placement, please take the above school term dates
into account when planning the timing of your project. On the other hand, if
a holiday falls during your proposed placement, you
could use this time to do any independent travelling
and sightseeing.
If you're a little unsure about the idea
of standing in front of a class and teaching, you can,
before you leave, enroll in a
1-day
intensive open teacher training course (optional) to help you teach if you
have no previous experience and would like to gain a little
teaching knowledge.
Nervous about going somewhere new?
Or about teaching?
Read Adrian Tate's description
of his arrival
in South Africa to teach Sports
SPECIALS AND
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION...
So far what is the best
thing about your placement?:
"I don't think I could actually define my "best experience" as one moment. What
with teaching at the school, rehearsals for my play, the dance classes, soup
kitchen, orphanage, hanging out at home with the other guys, going for a drink,
the worlds highest bungee jump, trips to the beach, and countless other
activities we really are spoilt for choice. I have been here for over 2 months
now and I can honestly say there has not been 1 day that I haven't enjoyed!!
Luke Brennan
Be inspired by one volunteers story of her
time in South Africa and the subsequent links she developed when she was back
home. Sarah Cowan's heart
warming story
ACCOMMODATION AND LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA:
Volunteer house in Knysna Monkeys in the garden of one of
the volunteer houses in Knysna
Thanks to a Travellers and our volunteers, these orphans had their first
trip to the circus
Knysna: You will
more than likely live in one of our
homely
volunteer houses with other Travellers
volunteers. One of the houses is situated in town and closer to the estuary
(which is handy for short walks into town), and the other higher up above the
town with beautiful views of Knysna Lagoon. Both houses are very comfortable
with great facilities.
You may either have
your own room or will share a room with one or more other volunteers. This
depends on how many people are on placement at the time of yours. You will be
provided with a food budget and will need to prepare and cook your own meals.
Plettenberg Bay (Plett):
We make use of a brilliant hostel
overlooking stunning white beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see. The
hostel is beautifully set in a modern house with full facilities and is situated
very close to the quaint town centre.
You will share a room with other
Travellers volunteers and you will share the communal areas such as bathrooms,
showers, kitchen, etc. with Travellers volunteers and other backpackers. Downstairs there is a large lounge
and a TV room. The hostel also has a lovely bar, with a pool table and an
outdoor deck, ideal for braais (barbeques) and relaxation. You be provided with a food
allowance and you will need to prepare your own food.
George:
Here you have the opportunity to
live with a local family and truly immerse yourself in the local culture. Many
volunteers prefer this option because it enables them to 'become one of the
family'. Most of our volunteers remain good friends with their families long
after they've returned home.
When accommodation is limited,
we occasionally place volunteers in a local Guest House
which is very comfortable and convenient for access into town.
** Please note that occasionally the houses that we use may change owing to
availability, so the facilities you can expect may change accordingly.
There are several
good, inexpensive steak houses and lots of good Chinese, Italian and other
ethnic restaurants all over South Africa. Seafood, of course, is often fresh and
plentiful.
With the current
favourable exchange rate of about 14 Rands (R14) to the pound, your spending
money goes quite a long way! (Prices and exchange rates are current at time
writing, but please check rates regularly because they do fluctuate.)
To give you an idea
of costs, a local beer will set you back around 70p and coca cola, roughly 30p
(at time of writing), so you really can afford to spoil yourself with a good
night from time to time.
On Arrival, your Introduction to the Country:
When you arrive you
will be welcomed by a member of our South African staff who will take you to
your accommodation and introduce you to everyone. During your first
few days you'll be given an induction so that you can learn about the country
and its culture, as well as other useful information, like how to use the
transport system, banks, safety issues, tipping, and lots more.
"The area is beautiful and travelling is easy. The house we stay in is
lovely and the Travellers workers are such kind, loving people which really
makes it feel like a home away from home. What with all the other volunteers and
the Travellers staff, it really does feel like our own little family ... well,
our own very big family, I suppose!!!!" Luke
Brennan
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
Read how our volunteers
have made a difference to the children in the schools
TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled for you by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read
more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.) Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
We can also arrange your flight
dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling
around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!
Where possible, all flights we
arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers
choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket, of course.
If you choose to book your own
flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the
airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.
You will fly into the Airport in Johannesburg where,
time permitting, you will be
welcomed by Jan, our Travellers representative. She will ensure that your
transfer to a
flight taking you to George, near Cape Town, is smooth and hassle-free.
In George you will be met by our Manager, Bill
Fussel, or a member of his staff. Bill was born in England and
emigrated to South Africa many years ago, so he'll probably interrogate
you on English prices, latest UK weather - and Chelsea Football team!
VISAS:. In countries where
visas or immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary
forms and information and make the process very easy for you.
PRICES:
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in South Africa, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
unless otherwise stated,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
