Children care at the Children Center in South Africa

Arrival | arrival

After my 12 hour flight, I landed directly in Cape Town and was then picked up by Jemaine: he is the local contact/organizer. But don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit - the typical German punctuality doesn't exist here ;) I bought a SIM card at the airport to reach him, but actually you don't have to: you get one provided by him and he also helps you to set everything up.

You then drive with Jemaine to your chosen accommodation – for me it was the Volunteer House, where you arrive after a maximum of 20 minutes. No matter what time you arrive, there is actually always a volunteer in the house, so you are not alone. I was already blown away by the city: you can already see a lot of poverty (e.g. some people live here in tents right next to the expressway, which somehow leaves an oppressive feeling) and at the same time you realize how big this city is.

Orientation program

The orientation program usually starts the next day and is divided into two parts: On the one hand, you get a short presentation (1 hour) from Jemaine. Here you can find out everything: from beautiful markets, (German-speaking) doctors in the area to the “rules of conduct” for the city. I thought it made sense, because here you realize once again that you are no longer in Germany and that the mentality of the people is different. The other part of the orientation program is a paid hop-on hop-off bus tour, which is really worth taking your time (it took me half a day back then).

Areas of responsibility

My project was the Children's Center. There are several groups: the babies, the 2-3 year olds, the 4-5 year olds and the pre-school children. I was able to get to know each group once and was therefore present with every teacher. We usually arrived at a quarter to 9 a.m. and the teachers carried out a "warm-up program" until 9 a.m. Then everyone went to their group and the children were allowed to either paint or knead for an hour.

As a volunteer, the task is to make sure that the children stay seated and "complete" their tasks. This can be extremely difficult with 2-year-olds, for example, because - logically - after a while they have a certain urge to move or simply no longer want to paint/knead. I then tried to encourage the children to paint something else, kneaded with them or simply praised them for their results.

After that there was a snack. Here you have to help some of the babies/smaller children eat. The next hour is mostly play before they come back in for lunch. After the meal, the children go to sleep and then you leave at some point.

In general, one can say that the educators are very strict and also use some violence. Your explanation for this is not comprehensible for the German understanding of education. It was always shocking for me when the children were hit and I always stood there motionless.

In general, the educators are all nice people and you can have a good chat with one or the other. It is also important to know that the entire Children's Center is a huge room, which can make it very loud and tiring at times. You shouldn't be afraid of contact either, because firstly you accompany the children to the bathroom and secondly the general hygiene here is rather modest. Most volunteers also bring gifts: toys, crayons, coloring books…

Home & Living

I lived in the Volunteer House, where we had between 10 and 15 residents during my period (April/May). There are 2-bed rooms, each with its own bathroom. Otherwise there are also single rooms in the basement, although you don't have your own bathroom here. I really liked living in the house, because you quickly connect with other participants and plans for the afternoon/evening change so quickly that you would otherwise hardly be able to keep up. I also noticed that volunteers from host families switched to the house as soon as there was space.

You live in a relatively safe residential area, but the house is well secured. However, you need an Uber for all activities, which quickly makes itself felt in the wallet. Although you are never actually on the road alone and can therefore share costs, I would still say that at least a third of all expenses were spent on Uber trips. Nobody rented a car during my time here either.

Essen

Since we cooked and shopped for ourselves in the Volunteer House, there were no major differences in culinary terms (although you quickly miss German bread). The organization provided toast, muesli, oatmeal, jam, peanut butter and milk (in the case of a vegan diet: milk alternatives and hummus). In theory, you can drink tap water, but many people can't tolerate it and it tastes strongly of chlorine.

In the city you will find countless restaurants and cute cafes. There are also good, typical (South) African restaurants that are definitely worth a visit. Good bars are all on Long Street!

leisure

Leisure time can be arranged individually. I checked out the typical tourist highlights and there are also interesting museums when the weather is bad. We often went out together in the evenings: karaoke night, bars, pizza or sushi all-you-can-eat... There is definitely enough to discover!

Apart from individual situations, as a young and visibly foreign woman, I actually felt safe. However, you should always be aware of your surroundings and not respond to all "interlocutors" or get rid of them skillfully. But most of the people I met here have all been very nice.

Special experiences

What was particularly impressive for me was the big cultural difference. Sometimes it was really hard for me to walk the streets where life is marked by so much poverty. But that's exactly what made me realize how privileged we are just because we were born in Germany. We are doing comparatively well - but unfortunately we forget that far too often.

I won't forget the children in my project either, who could be really exhausting at times, but on the whole welcomed me with so much warmth and made me feel it.
I am also grateful for the great friendships that have developed!

Field report by Julia R., April/May 2022