Volunteer at a surf and adventure club for children from disadvantaged areas in Cape Town. Teach underprivileged kids life-saving skills, such as swimming, whilst having fun surfing and skating in Cape Town while discovering the beauty of South Africa!
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum two-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Saturday: Arrive at Cape Town International Airport (CPT). You will be picked up by the local team and taken to your accommodation in Cape Town. After everyone has arrived, there will be a welcome dinner for all the volunteers, and free time for sightseeing.
Day 1, Sunday: Continuation of your orientation, which includes tours of the city.
Day 2, Monday: Weekly volunteer meeting day – comprises training for new volunteers, administrative tasks, preparation for the program for the rest of the week.
Days 3-5, Tuesday-Friday: Spend your mornings assisting at schools or relaxing on the beach (depending on the needs of the program). During your afternoons, you will spend time surfing, skating or swimming with the kids. Once a week you will also receive a surf lesson.
Day 6, Saturday: Enjoy a group tour of Cape Point! En route to Hout Bay you’ll stop for a tourist must-have – a picture of the “12 Apostles.” Your next stop will be Cape Point Nature Reserve – home to an abundance of flora and fauna as well as baboons and ostriches, to name a few animals found roaming the streets. There are two lighthouses and the most southwestern point of the African continent to be seen here, and you will spend some time in the reserve. Simons Town is your lunch stop and also home to the South African Navy and a colony of penguins. Boulders Beach was set up for the penguins to roam free and is your last stop for the day before returning to the accommodation.
Day 7, Sunday: Enjoy your days off exploring Cape Town or take a relaxing day trip on an organized tour.
Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow the schedule of volunteering Monday-Friday and having weekends free. Departures are on a Saturday.
Check out what our past volunteers had to say!
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, personal expenses, meals on the weekends.
Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and is referred to as ‘The Mother City’ by locals. It has a cultural heritage spanning over 300 years and breathtaking scenery, from the iconic Table Mountain to the glorious Cape beaches. It is a modern city with cosmopolitan areas boasting nightclubs and trendy restaurants, as well as rustic and unique suburbs with quirky markets and cafés. With a comfortable Mediterranean climate, Cape Town is a great place to volunteer all year round.
Arrival and Orientation in Cape Town (Included):
Prior to your volunteering, you will take part in an orientation in Cape Town. Orientation is on Saturday and Sunday and includes a traditional South African barbecue dinner, called a Braai and a guided tour of the area.
This project aims to teach underprivileged children valuable life lessons and skills, such as leadership and teamwork, through sports and adventure activities, specifically surfing and swimming (no previous surf experience required!). The project hosts an adventure club for 12-14-year-old children who come from disadvantaged areas of Cape Town, where facilities and equipment for outdoor activities are not readily available for them. The incentive of learning to surf is appealing to the local children, most of whom do not yet know how to swim, which is a large issue in this ocean-side area. Children must take swimming lessons before they begin their surf lessons.
Some of your tasks may include:
A typical day: Your mornings will begin around 8:30 AM and are spent either learning to surf, helping in a school, or relaxing on the beach. In the afternoon, once the children are done with school, you’ll teach the kids how to surf, swim, or any other activity. Volunteers will work five days a week with the children. Some days volunteers will work a full eight hours and other days four to five hours, depending on the needs of the project. Volunteers will also learn how to surf with an instructor. Volunteers will receive a minimum of one surf lesson a week. Extra surf lessons can be booked for an additional fee.
Please note: Surfing is a weather dependent sport and this activity can be cancelled on short notice.
Holidays:
The holidays are a time for the kids to have fun, so the programs are less structured and may change depending on the amount of children that arrive on the day. Children 16-years old and younger are given the opportunity to experience extra activities outside of their townships. Every day is different and you will work from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, helping with outdoor activities, such as beach days, surfing, swimming, hikes up the mountain, visits to the museum, and more. During Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, projects are very limited. However, volunteers may still use the accommodation and food.
Program Accomplishments: Since this program was created, over 300 children have learned to swim and 80 have learned how to surf! Some kids from the adventure club have even become sponsored by major surf brands and compete in national and international surfing contests!
Families:
Families traveling as a group of 4 or more can upgrade accommodation at no extra charge in a family room.
Families traveling in a group less than 4 upgrade fees will apply for a family room (subject to availability).
Larger families, being a group of 6 or more, can be placed in a private house and be accommodated at no extra charge (subject to availability).
Families traveling in a group less than 6 who have private house preference, upgrade fees will apply (subject to availability).
Please note this project’s minimum requirements:
Cape Point Tour (Included):
On your second Saturday of your volunteer program, you will take a group tour of Cape Point. En-route to Hout Bay you’ll stop for a tourist must-have – a picture of the “12 Apostles.” Your next stop will be Cape Point Nature Reserve – home to an abundance of flora and fauna as well as baboons and ostriches, to name a few animals found roaming the streets. There are two lighthouses and the most southwestern point of the African continent to be seen here, and you will spend some time in the reserve. Simons Town is your lunch stop and also home to the South African Navy and a colony of penguins. Boulders Beach was set up for the penguins to roam free and is your last stop for the day before returning to the accommodation.
Travel Extras (Not Included):
Make the most out of your time in Cape Town by signing up for any of these activities for your weekend or days off. You may sign up following registration. Please note there is an additional fee for these activities.
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