Volunteering in a daycare center in Cape Town

The selection of the organization

It was clear to me early on that I wanted to go to Africa between high school and university. So I requested various documents, including from RGV. The brochure was easy to understand and the projects were well described. After a short call to the organization, it quickly became clear that I wanted to go to Cape Town with RGV. Immediately after my registration, I received a lot of information and documents about what I have to consider and what I need for my trip (including vaccinations, medication, etc.). The flight was also booked relatively quickly by telephone with the organization in Munich.

Arrived in Cape Town

When we arrived in Cape Town (I flew with a friend) we were picked up punctually from the airport and first taken to the Student House. We came to our host family two days later. So I was able to get to know the people who lived in the student house, which was very good.

Living in my host family

The host family was really great. They gave us a warm welcome. We had our own bathroom and it was really very clean. The host family also did a lot with us, but it was difficult to keep in touch with the new people from the student house, which is why we tried to go there as often as possible. On the other hand, our host family was closer to our place of work.

Work in the daycare

Here the children are taught basic things such as the days of the week or numbers in the morning, after which they play. They also get several meals a day there. Our job there was to play with the children and give them some love and affection. We were in the second oldest group, i.e. the 4-5 year olds. Nevertheless, especially when playing outside, you had a lot of contact with other age groups and everyone immediately took you to their hearts and vice versa, of course!

The best thing was that at birthdays the respective child was treated like a princess/prince and there were several cakes or biscuits, from which each child got something. After that, games were played together, like at a children's birthday party. Also, there was a lot of singing.

We only had to work from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., which was great because it gave us more time to explore Cape Town.

Leisure activities in and around Cape Town

The city itself is very large and confusing at first glance, but that settles down after a short time. There are so many things to experience. This starts at the "Waterfront" (a small town on the harbour), goes to the sunset at "Signal Hill" or at "Bloubergstrand", to hiking on Table Mountain or "Lions Head". Even the beaches like "Camps Bay" or small cafes like "Charlies Bakery" are worth a visit.

For adventurous people there is also the possibility to go shark diving or sky diving. It is definitely recommended to book the safari and visit the Cape of Good Hope. What you see there in such a short time is simply indescribable. In the evenings, especially on weekends, there is always something going on. On Long Street, which has many cafés and restaurants to offer during the day, you can celebrate great or just go for a cocktail.

Safety in Cape Town

If you follow the rules and don't travel alone, you don't need to be afraid, e.g. B. being mugged.

Conclusion of my volunteer work in South Africa

In summary, I can only say that it was a super cool 6 weeks in Cape Town that I will never forget, even if the time was a bit too short. If you want to experience a lot, you should probably stay in the student house, because you have more opportunities to do something with others. Of course there were a few disagreements or problems here and there, but Jemaine sorted them out pretty quickly. In such a short time you not only got to know the culture and the country, but also made friends. I was definitely not the last time in this country!

Volunteering at a Day Care Center in Cape Town Lara's Experience Report