Report from a primary school in Cape Town

The project / Volunteering in a primary school:

On my first day in the project, the director of the elementary school took me to one of the first classes. It quickly became clear to me why volunteers are needed here. After the class teacher explained something to the students, their hands went up. "Teacher, teacher can you help me?". With a total of 44 children in the class, there is of course not enough individual support for the pupils. That's why I was all the more pleased to be able to deal more with the somewhat weaker students and to explain everything to them in a calm and playful way, which of course was hardly possible otherwise.

Of course, it was also nice to see how grateful the children were and how happy they were to have a small smiley face under their blackboard copy. They showed their love and gratitude after the first few hours with lots of hugs. Even during the breaks, they wanted to know a lot about me and Germany. Of course it was a change to experience the lessons in Cape Town when you know the pedagogy in Germany, but you quickly get used to it.

The class teacher also had a very big heart and clearly showed me her gratitude. In addition to answering many questions and checking the notes, I was also allowed to write a test with my class, correct it and give it back. It was very difficult for me to leave the class after four weeks. "Teacher thank you.", "Teacher we will miss you", really didn't make it easy to leave.

Free time after the project and on weekends:

Together with the volunteers, we exchanged ideas after the hours in the project and always told each other how our day was. So you could also learn a lot about other projects and get a deeper insight into life in Cape Town.

There was a small trip every day after the project. Be it a food market, shopping, cinema, sightseeing or just for a sunset at the beach. My primary school found it useful that all volunteers have Fridays off by arrangement. That's why I was able to see an incredible amount of Cape Town and a little bit outside of it.

Groups with the same interests quickly arose, so everyone could see and do what they wanted. The wish lists were quickly ticked off: Robben Island, Cape Point, Safari, Table Mountain, Lion's Head, etc. Living together in the student house enabled me to make many new acquaintances, have fun and have an unforgettable time.

My conclusion on volunteering:

I would recommend everyone to travel to South Africa. I will definitely come back and spend a few weeks there. It is worth a trip, especially as a transition after high school or even during the holidays. The people, the food, the nature, the city and life in South Africa are indescribable. I will always have positive memories of the trip and my project.

Report from a primary school in Cape Town, by Vanessa G., December 2018