Top 3 Outstanding Volunteer Program - Global Youth Travel Awards 2015

Volunteer Africa 32 degrees South (VA32) are proud to announce being awarded third place in the Outstanding Volunteer Program category at the 2015 Global Youth Travel Awards, announced in Cape Town last week. We entered the category in collaboration with project partner International Student Volunteers (ISV) whom we have built a solid working relationship with since 2009, when their volunteer groups were first hosted in Chintsa.

“The past two weeks have opened up my eyes to new people and new cultures. I gained friends and knowledge about South Africa and the beautiful communities. This experience with ISV and VA32 is on that cannot be topped” – Emily Carmack

Volunteers Build New Loo's in Rural Schools

A completed toilet black
in one of our partner
Wild Coast Pre-schools

It goes without saying that schools need loo's! Yet in many rural pre-schools in the under-developed Eastern Cape of South Africa there is a lack of sanitary facilities. VA32, with the assistance of volunteers from International Student Volunteers, have begun to tackle this issue in partner preschools in the wider Chintsa area.

Volunteer groups have been working with VA32 project leader Milton at Mzwini and Somila Day Care Centres at the Southern end of the Wild Coast of South Africa.

The toilets are built on the long drop design which is a particularly popular solution in rural areas where there is little access to running water.

Playtime at Somila Daycare Centre, South Africa

It's high season here in Chintsa! The 16th May marked the arrival of our first group of "impact" volunteers. By "impact" we mean - short term with an immediate and measurable outcome. Our impact groups stay for two weeks and are challenged with either completing an entire small project within that time frame (for example building a jungle gym) or being a part of a longer term project (for example building a classroom which could take a whole season).

This season there will be nine groups of volunteers taking part in various Community Development projects in the wider Chintsa area.

The first and second groups were based at Somila Daycare Centre. This project works in partnership with Caring for Orphans in Rural Areas (CORA), a South African organisation which works together with rural communities in improving daycare facilities by creating or uplifting centres, establishing feeding schemes, playgrounds and vegetable gardens, assisting in training and mentoring the management of centres amongst other support, in the wider Wild Coast area.

57 Volunteers, 40 Project Days: Project Complete

57 Volunteers, 40 Project Days,

40 Hours of Building, Digging, Cement Mixing, Gardening & Painting

Mandela Park Creche - 

Classroom Extension & Garden Development Project

Volunteering with VA32 in South Africa - Mandela Park Crèche

To put my first week as a volunteer in South Africa in a few paragraphs is near impossible. I’ve learnt more, been challenged more and met more interesting people than I have in my twenty one years of living.  My initial expectation of the trip was that I would feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction from helping those who needed it.  However I was soon to realize I also was in need of help. A different kind of help.  The kind that opens your eyes and mind, and allows you to feel things you have never felt before.

Pre-Vet Students Volunteer in South Africa

Pre-vet volunteers assisting in an impala relocation

December saw the arrival of two groups of Pre-Vet volunteers through International Student Volunteers (ISV) who have shown huge support to VA32 projects throughout 2013. These groups were the first to take part in the new Pre-Vet Group Program designed for groups of students, schools and special interest groups looking to volunteer on a worthwhile program.

Based in an Eastern Cape Game Reserve, the Pre-Vet volunteer teams spent 2 weeks working with the local wildlife including rhino, nyala, impala, giraffe and countless bird and small mammal species as well as taking part in lectures and hands on conservation management tasks. They also had hands on experience with agricultural livestock and vulnerable domestic animals in local farms and townships.

Volunteers Continue Building Classroom in Rural South Africa

The Winter season is pretty much over here in Chintsa (and the heat has already hit!). We've enjoyed a huge amount of support from International Student Volunteers (ISV) on our Community Development projects where enthusiastic and committed hands have made huge progress on the building project at Silatsha School in the Eastern Cape, as well as other community based projects. 

To read the original two blog posts about the building project in Silatsha click on the following links: "Volunteers Build New Classroom in Rural School" and "Volunteers Continue Rural Building Project".

This final group of ISV volunteers worked really hard and were able to really make an impact on the building work. Check out what they got up to:

Volunteers Continue Rural Building Project

Our latest group of International Student Volunteers (ISV) spent time in Chintsa with VA32 from 20th July - 2nd August. This group were here to work on our current Community Development Initiatives which involves the continuation of the classroom building project (first mentioned in the original post "Volunteers Build New Classroom in Rural School") at Silatsha School on the Wild Coast.

The group worked with project leaders Denver and Milton who had the help of ISV co-ordinator Katie, and achieved huge success in pushing the building work forward at a seriously speedy rate!

Volunteers Build New Classroom in Rural School

The latest group of International Student Volunteers (ISV) volunteers joined VA32 in Chintsa from 24th June - 5th July and were the fourth group of volunteers taking part in several community development initiatives this winter season. This group saw the start of a major project based in local township school Silatsha which will be undertaken and completed over the next 12 months.

Silatsha school is situated around 50kms from Chintsa and receive support from VA32 volunteers as often as possible, through building and maintenance of the school facilities, sports initiatives and computer literacy classes when possible.

Silatsha currently has five small classrooms in which to teach 8 classes of children from Grade R - 7. In 2010-11 VA32 worked with ISV volunteers to build their fifth classroom and 2013 marks the start of a sixth classroom.

Volunteers Work on Pioneering Sports Development Program in Chintsa, South Africa

This winter season VA32 is pioneering a Sports Development Program for local schools in the wider Chintsa area. Four groups of ISV volunteer groups will be hosted during the next three months and will facilitate this program along with VA32 project manager Denver. 

There is a huge need for programs like this in South Africa where there is no physical education (PE) included in the core curriculum. Extra curricular activities are provided by many private schools (or by sports clubs and training outside of school) and in many cases make up for this lack of sports development, but in the rural schools of the Eastern Cape there is a distinct lack of opportunities for rural learners to take part in these kinds of activities. This could be for many reasons; the families cannot afford to pay for the classes or buy the equipment, the kids cannot get to the clubs and classes as they have no transport and there are little to no clubs hosted locally for kids.

Volunteers Complete Classrooms at African Angels School

The past 4 weeks have seen two groups of ISV Impact Volunteers working with VA32 on a Community Development Initiative to help develop the facilities at the new African Angels Independent School - and this week the projects are almost complete!

(Read our previous blog Group Volunteers Aim to Make A Huge Impact on Chintsa to see the launching of the projects and what work was completed by our first group).

Community Development Project- Completion at African Angels School 

New Computer Lab - ready for computers to be installed

The new computer lab for the school has been set-up and is ready to be installed with computers (which will happen within the next month!).

The door was varnished and a new mural painted on the wall

Group Volunteers Aim to Make a Huge Impact on Chintsa

It's Winter again and here at VA32 we're loving having our first ISV Volunteer group here. This is the first of ten groups in total. Six groups will work on our well established initiatives based in community development; completing and maintaining upliftment projects in local rural schools and public spaces. The remaining four groups will pioneer our first group Sports Development initiatives  which aim to provide sporting workshops and skills training for the young learners of the wider Chintsa area. We can't wait!  And we're aiming high...

The Big Chintsa Sports Day 2013

In celebration of the handing over of the Chintsa Sports Centre from the Friends of Chintsa, to the Chintsa community.

It's been a looooooong time in preparation, with blood, sweat and tears, planning and re-planning, even the building and moving of an entire volleyball court...but the day arrived on Saturday 2nd February 2013, when the Chintsa Sports Centre was officially handed over from NPO Friends of Chintsa, to the community of Chintsa.

15 Top Tips on Volunteering in Chintsa, South Africa

Volunteer co-ordinator Katie asked last seasons ISV Group Volunteers to put together a list of top tips for this seasons volunteers...we've picked out the 15 best tips to share with you!

1. When someone tries to buy you for 30 cows, always try for 60.
2. Buy from the street vendors while it's sunny and you have the chance. You never know the next time they'll be out.
3. Don't be afraid to try Bantu's food - it's amazing and there's always seconds!
4. Don't miss out on going to Mama Tofu's for an in-depth talk on sex education.
5. Wake up for the sunrise.
6. Screw "Hakuna Matata" - it's all about "Molo Yolo"!
7. The locals around here are super cool so get to know them and their stories.
8. Practice your Xhosa throughout the workday, it's surprisingly easier than you initially think!
9.  Try every chocolate bar but guard your chocolate and stay away from the cherry chappies. Cadburys Top Deck is the best!
10. Take advantage of Miller's strength and Denver's beauty.
11. Take care of your cameras! Beware of sand and small children!
12. Beware of the monkeys!
13. Always thank Kwezi for the food, get to know her and help her out.
14. No matter what enjoy every minute of your time in Chintsa, it really will fly by!
15. Man up and work hard!

To see photos of the ISV Groups' experience in Chintsa (and maybe shed some light on a few of these tips!) check out our Flickr collection!

To all of our past volunteers - do you have any tips to add to the list? Please comment and share them below! 

Thanks to all of the ISV volunteers who contributed to this awesome (extremely entertaining) list of tips for our future volunteers and of course a massive thanks to Katie Ryan - our volunteer co-ordinator who goes above and beyond! :)

April

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round-up Group 6 (Final Group)

It's been a long time coming but check out the images of our final group of impact volunteers of the Winter Season 2012! This group helped with a really vital project long over due in Chintsa. Chintsa had no "official" crèche or crèche building although loving local lady Bantu takes in small children and cares for them while their parents and carers were at work. Our final group of volunteers helped to make Bantu's dream come true and built her a safe place to care for a play with the youngest children of Chintsa.

Check out our slideshow of pictures below:

The Other Half; Reflections on an Extraordinary Volunteer Experience in South Africa

When Andrew arrived in Chintsa in 2011 to volunteer with a group of ten other International Student Volunteers (ISV) I'm not sure he was quite prepared for the extraordinary experience that he was about to embark upon. Since his time with VA32 in South Africa, Andrew has put energy into reflecting on what he learnt about himself in relation to the Chintsa community and his home community and we are lucky enough to have been included in those reflections and thoughts.

Andrews blog "An Extraordinary ISV Experience in South Africa" has been published on the ISV website:

An Extraordinary ISV Experience in South Africa 

"Four barren walls sit roofless above a decrepit foundation. In a small village on the Wild Coast of South Africa, this hollow structure echoes of failed government policy and the lingering effects of apartheid. Its initial intentions stood for a noble cause: to bring an additional classroom to an over-populated school. Yet, its realization was halted due to dried up government funds. Instead, it sat vacant for years, occasionally harboring valueless items from local villagers in need of storage..."

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round up Group 5! (Plus Chintsa's very own SCARED)

The last two ISV teams may have left Chintsa a few weeks ago but neither they nor the hard work that they put in here in Chintsa have been forgotten! This awesome team totally brightened up Chintsa with their musical ways and fun "Scare" tactics (Milton & Denver will never be the same again!) as well as putting in some much needed hard work uplifting the Bulugha School Creche. Check out our slideshow below of their time in Chintsa...

If you cannot view this slideshow properly click here to visit the set on Flickr.

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round up Group 4!

Group 4 of our fabulous Winter Season of impact volunteers left Chintsa around 2 weeks ago - their work on the Chintsa Sports Field was awesome! The fencing of the volleyball & netball courts is completed and they even added a genius entrance to stop goats getting into the court! Check out their work in the slideshow below...

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round up Group 3!

Group 3 of the Winter seasons impact volunteer groups left South Africa a few weeks ago having worked like troopers on improving the Chintsa Sports Field facilities. From fencing to digging trenches and building seating area's this awesome group of volunteers did us proud. Check out their work in the slideshow below!

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round up Group 2!

Group 2 of our Winter season ISV left Chintsa at the end of last week. Check out our slideshow of the volunteers at work! They successfully transported the volleyball field from the lower level of the Sports Centre field to the upper level, where it will sit next to the new netball field.