Orphan and community care volunteering
Your role as an Orphan Care and Community Development Volunteer
The ongoing economic crisis in Swaziland, led primarily by poverty and HIV/AIDS, has left a considerable numbers of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) without the care and support that they so desperately need as the state system and families are failing to cope.
To cope with the ever rising number of OVC (some 23% of all children in Swaziland), UNICEF initiated the Neighbourhood Care Point (NCP) scheme. NCP’s are community centres run by local volunteers, who attempt to provide food, care and basic education to these vulnerable children. The age of children attending NCP’s varies from babies to sixteen year olds. The older children are often unable to attend formal schools as education is not yet free in Swaziland.
These centres have come under increasing strain with the rising number of OVC, and are in desperate need of volunteers and provisions. This is where you step in!
Cost £950 for four weeks. Should you wish to volunteer for longer, we are able to offer reductions in your fee according to time frame. Please contact us for more information.
Also, as we work in an ethical manner, should you be able to convince a friend to volunteer with you, we are able to reduce your fee by up to 15% (due to a reduction in administration costs, and rise in project donation). Please contact us for more information.
Included;
- CRB check (you will not be allowed to volunteer with children without one!)
- Airport Pick Up From Matsapha International Airport
- Orientation
- Accommodation
- Induction Pack
- Project Training including all certificates.
- Project Transport
- Project Support
- Full In Country Support and Guidance
- Project Donation
- Weekly (more upon request) shopping trips.
- Discounts on a range of travel and adventure activities.
- It is possible to organise meals at an extra cost, please enquire for prices.
Not Included;
- All flights
- Travel insurance
- Food and drinks – your accommodation has cooking facilities and we provide regular shopping trips. Meals can be provided at an extra cost, and must be booked in advance.
- Vaccinations – please consult your foreign office website for the relevant advice. Here is a link to the British foreign office page.
- Laundry – facilities are located nearby, and a laundry facility is offered at a small charge by the staff at your accommodation.
A typical day
During the morning you will volunteer in the role of caregiver and teaching assistant at one of over 900 NCP’s spread throughout Swaziland. Your daily duties will include teaching English (a language key to employability in Swaziland), playing games and sport with the children, helping to prepare meals, creating a safe environment, and offering care and support where it is needed. We offer you full training and support throughout the duration of your project, so no previous experience is required.
In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to participate in wider community development projects, such as helping to supply running water to rural homesteads, installing water filtration systems, planting vegetable gardens, distributing food and medical supplies, organising sports days, and consulting local chiefs on where they think the community needs help with further development.
What will I achieve by volunteering and supporting this work?
By volunteering in this role, not only will you help alleviate the strain on local caregiver’s, but you will also provide the support and attention so desperately craved by the OVC of Swaziland.
You will see your money put to good use as you help provide the food and educational materials so severely lacking in the majority of NCP’s in Swaziland. You will further see your money at work when you take part in the wider community development projects. You will provide sustainable sources of food by planting vegetable gardens, supply clean water by installing filtration systems, or provide food and medical supplies to the needy to name but a few.
We ensure that our volunteers are fully trained for all of our projects, so you will even walk away from us with internationally recognised qualifications, such as a St. John’s First Aid Certificate. You will also be trained with teaching, interaction and language skills enabling you to form strong life-long emotional bonds with both the children and the carer’s at your given NCP.
Finally, you will leave Swaziland satisfied that you have been able to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of the poverty stricken, something which many volunteers are unable to do having volunteered with unethical or irresponsible companies.
A bit more detail
As mentioned above, Swaziland is in the grip of a socio-economic crisis of vast proportions led, like in much of Southern Africa, by poverty and HIV/AIDS. The effects of this have been particularly devastating on the child population of Swaziland. We work in close conjunction with existing local care centre’s to support and further the ongoing work of Swaziland’s volunteer carer’s.
Swaziland is now home to an estimated 100 000 child orphans (23% of all children), with an extra 33 000 being considered vulnerable, and 33% of under 18’s not living with a parent. Approximately 60% of the population live below the poverty line, leaving close relatives being unable to care for the OVC.
Of the 200 000 cases of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland, only 17 000 have been identified amongst the children. By caring for, and educating these children at a young age, it is possible to greatly reduce the spread of this disease to the next generation, making it truly worthwhile work!
Our partner was founded to build on the successes of over three years of project co-ordination by our Director’s in Swaziland. We have a strong focus on ethical volunteering, and are in close contact with UNICEF to ensure that we align with their NCP Development Strategy.