South Africa Child and Youth Work Experience Report

In the semester break to South Africa

The idea of ​​volunteering in South Africa had been in my head for a long time and never really let go of me. Since I am still at the beginning of my studies in social work, I have decided to travel to Cape Town during the semester break. At the end of August the time had finally come. When I arrived in the evening, Chad was already waiting for me. He brought me straight to my host family.

South African family life up close

Although it was relatively late, Mr. and Mrs. Marsh received me warmly. I shared a room in the back of the house with 2 other volunteers. The next day Mrs. Marsh showed me the house, told me about her family and familiarized me with the house rules.

At the end of the day we always had dinner together. Mostly there was something with meat and always something typically South African. We shared our experiences like a real family. I really enjoyed living with the host family. This enabled me to experience everyday life in South Africa up close.

My activities in the field of child and youth work

Actually, I should be working on another project. But shortly after my arrival, I heard from many other volunteers that they would not necessarily recommend this project to others. Jemaine therefore decided that we should all choose a different project, which I was happy about.

After a week, I finally had my first day of work at a non-profit organization that, among other things, carries out educational campaigns at primary schools on the subject of bullying. We were very kindly received by the team. The project is very diverse.

Our anti bullying campaign

Every Tuesday we drove to the primary school where we started an anti-bullying campaign. Depending on the age group, we presented different types of bullying. Most of the time the kids did well. Some even had the courage to share their own experiences in front of the whole class. We have tried not only to be at the front and teach the children something, but to work on the topic together with the children. Sometimes the work was very tiring, but it's nice to know that our effort was worth it.

Implementation of counseling sessions & self-help groups

On Wednesdays we met Nadia in another primary school, where one of us was allowed to be present at the counseling sessions. Later, a kind of self-help group for women who try to face their past and look positively into the future took place in the community center. In the afternoon, young people who had gone astray and whose parents didn't know what to do came together in the library.

We always had the opportunity to contribute our own ideas and ask questions. I was really enthusiastic about the project and my team there.

In terms of my studies, I was able to take a lot of new knowledge with me. Unfortunately we could only work there 2 days a week. On the days off we had the opportunity to go to the City Mission. Unfortunately, there were too few tasks for us here. Conducting the counseling interviews with the children without sufficient previous knowledge was too great a challenge. So I ended up working in this facility for only 2 days.

Exploration tours and weekend trips

On the weekends we had enough time to explore Cape Town and the surrounding area. A must is to walk up Table Mountain! Once you are at the top and can enjoy the beautiful view, the effort is forgotten. The Garden Route, the Cape of Good Hope and Robben Island are also recommended!

Conclusion: Personal and a valuable experience for your studies!

My time in Cape Town was wonderful. I made many new friends, got to know a completely different culture and gained many new experiences that I can apply to the further course of my social studies and my life. I will always remember Cape Town and the people there!

South Africa Child and youth work Experience report from Sina E, 22.10.15/XNUMX/XNUMX