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Cape Town Community Development Experience

Contribute to Vital Community Development Initiatives in South Africa

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Program information

Travel to South Africa and join a construction project in iconic Cape Town’s surrounding township areas, working to improve infrastructure and the general learning environment for local children. Immerse yourself in a South African township community while supporting our long term projects and experience a unique opportunity to work with local families.

Overview
Itinerary
What's Included
Parent Info
Support & Safety
Your Impact
Our Ethics
Program ethics
Speak to alumni

Program overview

Immerse yourself in the South African community while supporting our long-term projects and experience a unique opportunity to work with local families.

Volunteers will work at educational facilities assisting with much-needed construction projects. These centres typically take care of children from low-income families, providing them with support Students will work on a construction project with one of our partners, such as one of the township educare centres, for some hands-on practical work improving the infrastructure and learning environment. The exact work will depend on the needs of our partners at the time but typically may involve some basic maintenance and renovation work or painting and brightening up the space with murals or other artwork.

GVI works in an informal community in the small sea suburb of Gordon’s Bay. Having been involved in the area since 2008 we have established relationships with Ikhayalethemba Village Care Centre, Nceduluntu Educare Centre, Nceduluntu Grade R and ACJ Primary School.

This trip takes you to the breathtaking city of Cape Town. The city is dominated by the magnificent Table Mountain and Lions Head, standing guard over the CBD (central business district), Camps Bay and the waterfront suburbs of Greenpoint and Seapoint. Renowned for its natural wonders, it will never fail to amaze.

 

Choose your bespoke itinerary

Select one of three expedition types where the activities are customised to meet your group’s specific goals.
Impact expeditions
Advanced activities
Communication skills
Emotional intelligence
Conservation initiatives
Community projects
Most Popular
Challenger expeditions
Comprehensive activities
Leadership skills
Teamwork
Self-awareness
Resilience
Explorer expeditions
Exciting activities
Self-confidence
Cultural sensitivity
Positive mental health
Teamwork

Program details

Itinerary

The following itinerary is an example of the activities and project work that participants might get involved in on this program. More specific details of the program are finalised several months before each start date.

Day 1

Arrive at Cape Town International Airport, and meet the GVI leader who will be with you for the duration of your expedition. You’ll start with an introduction to the city, and an orientation discussion about what to expect during your expedition. Get to know your news friends during a welcome feast, before settling into your accommodation for the first night in sunny South Africa.

Day 2

Start your day with health and safety training. This includes an introduction to our core values, ethical principles, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We aslo train you on child protection protocols and introduce you to the community partners and schools you'll be working alongside. Spend the day at the District 6 Museum, a monument to a lost neighbourhood and community in the heart of Cape Town that was destroyed by the apartheid regime. Learn about the history of South African apartheid and the courage and resilience of the people who overcame it and restored democracy – and hope – to the country.

Day 3

Work alongside local community members on development projects led by our partners and designed around community needs and requests. Our work evolves as community goals change, but could include construction work, working with local schools, or community economic empowerment initiatives.

Day 4

Continue with essential project work alongside community members and partners on local initiatives. Depending on project goals, you will build on the previous day’s work or start a new project. Molweni! Learn valuable language skills and key phrases in Xhosa, one of South Africa's 11 indigenous languages, widely spoken throughout Cape Town. You'll learn all the basic greetings as well as important Xhosa words and phrases to help you chat to locals as you move around the city.

Day 5

Continue with essential project work alongside community members and partners on local initiatives. Depending on project goals, you will build on the previous day’s work or start a new project. Spend the day immersed in one of Cape Town's many unique and vibrant cultures when you tour the colourful Bo Kaap neighbourhood. You'll learn how to cook a traditional meal, using local ingredients and recipes influenced by a wide array of indigenous, Malay, and colonial Dutch cuisines.

Day 6

Continue to work alongside community members and partners on local initiatives. Depending on project goals, you will continue work from the previous day or move onto a new project.

Day 7

Using the skills, lessons, and teamwork you applied the day before, continue finding sustainable solutions for local community needs and initiatives.

Day 8

Travel by ferry to historic Robben Island and visit the notorious old prison where Nelson Mandela was held captive. You'll be guided by an ex-prisoner, will visit Mandela's cell, and learn more about the history of oppression and rise of democracy in South Africa. Spend the day relaxing on one of Cape Town's famously big, white-sand beaches. Spend your time relaxing in the summer sun, swimming and getting active in the water, or playing beach games with your friends.

Day 9

Spend the day hiking up famous Table Mountain. You'll learn about the plants and animal species completely unique to this part of the world, while enjoying vista views of the city, the sea, and the sunset.

Day 10

The Cape Peninsula is one of the most majestic and unique natural parks in the world. You'll spend the day with some amazing wildlife (including the penguin sanctuary at Boulder's Beach), take in the amazing ocean views and historical lighthouse of Cape Point, and visit charming coastal villages like Hout Bay and Simon's Town. Did we mention the penguins?

Day 11

Go on a guided hike of Lion's Head, known as "the mountain in the heart of the city", and a very popular local hiking trail. Once you've reached the peak, you'll definitely want to get your cameras out – this is one of the most beautiful views in the world. Meet with local women's groups who are using traditional art and jewellery making techniques to build local, women-owned businesses. Spend time hearing their stories, learning about their heritage, and the economic importance of keeping traditional arts and craft practices alive.

Day 12

All the wonder and beauty of the Cape's biodiversity can be found in these wild gardens, where you can hike, picnic on the lawns, walk among the treetops on the canopy bridge, learn about the evolution of plant life in the area, and get lost wandering through the many nooks and crannies dedicated to specific indigenous herbs, spices, and medicinal plants.

Day 13

Visit Franschhoek ("French corner" in Dutch), one of the oldest towns in SA and the heart of the South African winelands. Explore the town, learn about the history of French settlers in South Africa and how French culture still influences the Cape region. The town is nestled among glorious mountains and beautiful farmlands, so hiking, eating delicious food, and shopping are encouraged. Enjoy your last night together with a special dinner where you reflect as a group on your journey, celebrate your achievements and discuss how you can continue making an impact.

Day 14

All adventures come to an end! Use this as a chance to reflect on your experiences, the issues you engaged with, and how you've grown. After final goodbyes, your GVI leader will accompany you to the airport for your flight home.

What’s included?

What's included
General
Groups
A rest and relaxation activity/excursion
24/7 backup and support
A dedicated trip co-ordinator
Access to local medical facilities
Comprehensive health and safety procedures (Emergency Action Plans and Risk Assessments)
First aid equipment
All meals
Group leader and teacher
Highly experienced and well qualified GVI field staff
In-country transport is arranged
Pre-departure information
Up-to-date safety and country information
What's excluded
Not included
Groups
Pre-departure withdrawal insurance
Travel insurance - unless otherwise stipulated
Medical insurance - unless otherwise stipulated (medical aid details will need to be provided)
Flights - unless otherwise stipulated
Personal kit
Visas
Vaccinations
Additional spending money

Parent Info

‘If only every student could do this. It changes your life in all the right ways,’ says Chris Heritage, parent of Luke Heritage, one of our teen volunteers who has participated on two GVI programs, one in Costa Rica and another in South Africa.

We are a parent-run organisation that is incredibly serious about health and safety, and increasing the impact, as well as the long-term career benefits of our programs. Our programs help young people develop the skills to select a career path that is personally fulfilling, and live a life aligned to the well-being of our planet and the global community.

GVI is a proud member of the Gap Year Association.

Ken and Linda Jeffrey, whose son Sam volunteered with GVI in Thailand, talk about how the experience affected Sam. He also went on to volunteer with GVI again in South Africa. ‘I know it sounds like a cliche but in a sense, he did go away as a boy and he came back as a young man. Both of us could recommend GVI without any hesitation to any other parent thinking about exploring an opportunity for their children to explore the world and to see different parts of it.’

Parent Info Pack

Download the Parent Pack and learn more about:

Our staff: All our projects are run by staff, selected, vetted, trained, and managed by our central office.
Health and safety: Our safety practices include a child and vulnerable adult protection policy and high participant ratios.
Staying in touch: See what’s happening on base, by following a hub’s dedicated Facebook page.
Free parent consultations: We would love to talk to you about exciting opportunities available for your child.

Support & Safety

We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.

Safety

View support and safety protocols

Support

View risk mitigation

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How GVI remains prepared for natural disasters

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How GVI manages participants expectations

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Your Impact

All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.

Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the UN SDGs. Then once you arrive on base, you’ll learn about the specific goals we have in this particular location, our various objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these.

Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to be an active global citizen after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

Our Cape Town-based community development programs involve researching, planning, and delivering classes, as well as practical skills workshops in the local community alongside our local partners.

We also work closely with our primary partner and their network of organisations on capacity building. In doing so, we contribute to these organisations’ long-term viability, which means the sustainable provision of their support and services to the community.

Education Project

In South Africa, primary school education poses a real challenge to young students who do not come from English speaking households or have had minimal exposure to the English language within their community. Many schools teach  exclusively in English (or Afrikaans) resulting in some learners falling behind in their schooling from an early age. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 60% of South African students currently enrolled in grade 1 will not complete grade 12. Our education project aims to improve the students’ chance of completing secondary school and decrease the likelihood of them falling behind or dropping out of school. 

We assist in mentoring and tutoring local learners of all ages across a range of subjects, including life skills, general skills development, literacy, numeracy and computer literacy. We provide support to at-risk students in local communities through direct in-classroom learning, working with teachers and students, and indirect lessons at our partner organisation’s facilities within the communities. Another element of our lessons is basic health and well-being, which sometimes includes physical education and sports. Our project also aims to provide our partner organisations with additional knowledge and skills which they can use to address the educational issues faced by the youth in the communities in which we work.

Public Health Project

TB and HIV/AIDS continue to be major public health issues in South Africa, particularly in low-income and under-resourced communities. Lack of contraception and reproductive healthcare are also prevalent issues. As a result, teen pregnancies are common, and the infant mortality rate in South Africa is among the highest in the world (bottom 25% of countries). While there are available public health services, many community members face barriers to accessing them, such as lack of accurate knowledge on these issues and how to prevent or manage them, lack of information around what services and resources are available, how to apply for or access assistance and support programs, and lack of funds to cover transport to and from medical facilities.  

Our project is focused on raising awareness and assisting with educating adolescents from age 12 upwards on sexual and reproductive health issues, the risks of STIs and how to protect yourself from contracting them, teen pregnancy, and local health issues such as TB and HIV/AIDS. We aim to equip young community members with an “asset map” so that they are aware of all local resources and how they can access them, regardless of their situation or circumstances.

Gender Equality Project

Gender-based violence has been called South Africa’s “second pandemic”. It is estimated that more than 53% of South African women have experienced gender-based violence. This is a complex issue with many contributing factors. While our gender equality programs do not specifically focus on gender-based violence, our partner organisation has established facilities exclusively for young women, where they can learn, grow and develop in a safe environment. 

We work with our partner whose aim is to empower local women through knowledge and confidence building, and giving them access to support services and skills that can assist with removing themselves from unhealthy circumstances. For women on a path towards graduation or looking for employment we provide support by assisting with computer literacy and skills development, maths tutoring, job searches, resumé writing for school graduates, and workshops on gender roles and stereotypes. 

Gender equality and public health are often intertwined as public health services may have discriminatory practices or lack of resources that disproportionately affect women – resulting in an overlap between this project and our public health project. We focus on raising awareness on pertinent topics that affect women, including reproductive health issues, STIs and contraception. We equip women with the same type of “asset map” we create for our public health project – giving them access to the support that they need and the confidence to feel comfortable enough to do so.

Project objectives

 

GVI Cape Town long-term objectives:

1. Improve English language skills of the youth within the community – with the goal of reducing the failure and drop-out rate in primary schools.

2. Raise awareness and educate the youth on public health issues, and improve access to support and resources.

3. Promote gender equality in the community through education and training.

4. Empower local women through knowledge learning and skills training and assist them on their path to graduation or employment. Raise awareness about prevalent health issues and ensure they have access to the relevant support services and resources.

5. Increase in-country capacity by providing our partners with skills development training that will assist them in achieving their objectives.

Our Ethics

Below is a list of core ethics and best practices we believe are essential to the operation of high quality, ethical volunteer and sustainable development programs. We believe that all responsible volunteer and sustainable development operations should focus upon these principles. If you are considering volunteering, these are some of the key considerations you should question, to ensure that your time and money contributes towards positive change.

 

We want to constantly develop our own understanding of ethical best practice. In so doing, we aim to provide an exemplary industry standard for other education institutions, international development organisations, and social enterprises. Our Badge of Ethics stands for the drive to always do good, better. Find out more, click on the Badge below.

Our 10 ethical commitments

01

Locally Driven, Collaborative Projects

We aim to design all our projects in collaboration with local organizations and communities and ensure that they are locally driven.

02

Clear Objectives & Sustainable Outcomes

We aim to clearly define short-, mid-, and long-term objectives with sustainable outcomes for all our projects.

03

Impact Reporting

We aim to track, record, and publish the impact of each of our projects.

04

Working Against Dependency

We aim to build in-country capacity by assisting local organizations in becoming self-sustaining.

05

Responsible Exit Strategies

For each local organization we work with, we aim to have a plan in place for withdrawing support responsibly.

06

Clear Roles & Specialized Training

We aim to ensure that every participant is assigned a clear role and that they are fully trained and supported to carry out their work by specialized staff.

07

Respect for all

In all our actions we aim to respect the skills and efforts of all and seek to protect the rights, culture and dignity of everyone who engages with GVI.

08

Local Ownership

We work to ensure that credit for the results of any project, along with any data collected, research conducted, or Intellectual Property developed, remains the property of local organizations.

09

Transitioning from the Orphanage Model

We do not condone and aim to withdraw support of orphanages and residential care centers.

10

Child and Vulnerable adult policies

We will live by our Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult policies.

Continual Development

As an organization, GVI is committed to striving toward best practice, and to educating both our potential participants, our partners, and the world at large about them. Both the volunteering and sustainable development sectors are increasingly, and rightly, under scrutiny. Many recent local and global articles highlight poor practices and questionable ethics. GVI is widely recognized for striving to apply global best practice in the volunteering, education and sustainable development sectors throughout our operations by reputable organizations such as ChildSafe.

However, global best practice is always evolving and we dedicate both time and resources to engage with internationally respected experts and learn from the latest research to ensure our programs both fulfil their potential to create maximum positive impact, and minimise their potential to create unintentional negative impact. Along with and as part of the sustainable development and volunteering community, we are constantly learning and applying this learning to practice. We do not always get everything right, but we seek feedback from our community members, partners, participants and our staff, and react accordingly. We know are already doing a great job, and feedback we have received confirms this, but we aim to do even better and are continuously refining our operations to improve upon our already excellent reputation.

Program ethics

No entertainment-based activities

We don’t support the use of wild animals for entertainment purposes. This includes riding animals, having them perform tricks, feeding or bathing them or getting close to them to take photos

No orphaned animal sanctuaries

We don’t encourage, support or allow the rearing of “orphaned” wild baby animals kept at a “sanctuary”. The conservation value of these types of programs is negligent and would only ethically be used in extremely rare cases

Guidelines for touching or movement restriction

When wild animals are restricted for conservation purposes we follow the guidelines of Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA), approved by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Animal welfare guidelines

We ensure that the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare are followed. These include the freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from distress, discomfort, hunger, thirst, fear, pain, injury or disease.

Local community empowerment

We ensure that conservation efforts are also always locally led, that community needs are front-and centre of any conservation effort and that our participants, projects and partners work to increase local community engagement in local conservation efforts.

Learn more
No veterinary programs

We don’t offer any veterinary programs or animal rescue and rehabilitation programs. We don’t allow participants to do any work they would not be able to do in their home country.

Learn more
Aligned to local objectives

Each one of our initiatives is aligned to objectives set by a local organisation or professional. Our staff and participants work to support these local actors in achieving their specific goals.

Local employees remain employed

Our participants don’t replace the staff employed by local organisations. Rather, they support currently employed staff with achieving their objectives. Our goal is always to increase local capacity to address local problems.

Local employees remain focused

Participants require training and support to ensure that they carry out tasks correctly. Our staff provide this training and support so that local staff can focus on what is truly important to their organisation at the time.

Speak to alumni

If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.

We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.

Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.

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