Teach children literacy and numeracy in one-on-one sessions in a townships outside of Cape Town

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Make a Positive Difference in Their Lives

Program Overview
Life on the Program
Program Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Join our teaching team and work at an overcrowded and under-resourced school in a friendly and welcoming township just outside the beautiful city of Cape Town.

This project tasks volunteers with teaching primary school children in dedicated one-on-one sessions. Some of the children struggle to understand their teachers because their home language is not English, and as a result they fall behind their peers in their studies. The aim of our project is to give extra attention to these students and help bring them up to the required academic standards.

Through your diligent work you will see a measurable improvement in the abilities of your students, and they in turn will be more confident and comfortable when they rejoin their classrooms.

Life on the Program

The rigorous training all our volunteers receive upon arrival covers classroom management, lesson and curriculum planning, basic local language lessons and the norms and cultural standards of township life.

Monday through Friday you will travel by minibus to the township school where you will work from 9am to 4pm, with a break for lunch. Most mornings you will teach individual students in tutoring session, and in the afternoon you will conduct homework and reading workshops for small groups. After school you may spend time preparing your lessons for the next day.

Your accommodations are in a house or apartment with shared rooms and bathrooms which have electricity and running hot water.

On the weekends you are free to explore the local area or to participate in optional side trips, including a safari day trip or a cultural weekend taking in the best of Cape Town.

Program Details

The local teachers assign children to our program if require extra attention. The teaching sessions in our program aim to improve literacy, numeracy and English language skills as well as the confidence levels of all the children enrolled.

Volunteers typically work with a total of 8 students over a 2 week cycle. Each student has a 25 minute session each day and over the 2 weeks will cover all the material set out in our specially designed program. Resources, materials, games and the curriculum will be provided to help you prepare your lessons.

The students enjoy reading stories and playing educational games during their sessions. They will also have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have and get the individual attention their normal teachers cannot provide and which they need to succeed.

Volunteer Testimonials

My volunteer experience with GVI in South Africa was wonderful. South Africa is the most beautiful place I have ever been to and I was shocked by how nice the accommodations were. I...

Andrea Fowler, USA

My volunteer experience with GVI in South Africa was wonderful. South Africa is the most beautiful place I have ever been to and I was shocked by how nice the accommodations were. I really enjoyed that fact that GVI set up weekend excursions so that the volunteers could really see South Africa and learn about its rich culture and history. Standing on top of Table Mountain was truly one of the most breath taking experiences of my life!

As exciting as exploring Cape Town was, the best part of my trip was getting to spend time with the children at both the school and the orphanage. They were wonderful, smart, funny, playful and really excited to learn. They made me laugh and also taught me about resilience. Seeing the bright spirits of children who by most people’s standards don’t have much made me realize that I often take what I have for granted. I can’t wait to go back!

Every expectation has been met; I have met some lovely kids, been part of a fantastic team and made some great friends along the way. There are too many highlights to chose from but the ‘a-ha’...

Kerry Eyre, United Kingdom

Every expectation has been met; I have met some lovely kids, been part of a fantastic team and made some great friends along the way. There are too many highlights to chose from but the ‘a-ha’ moments are the best, when a student finally has a breakthrough and learns something new nothing beats it! Safari was awesome too! I would definitely recommend this project, you get to spend time working with children who truly appreciate the help, meet new friends and enjoy the awesome experiences that Cape Town has to offer.

My time on the project was wonderful! The country of South Africa is absolutely beautiful and the GVI staff was knowledgeable and supportive. I would highly recommend GVI for anyone thinking about...

Andi Tryon, USA

My time on the project was wonderful! The country of South Africa is absolutely beautiful and the GVI staff was knowledgeable and supportive. I would highly recommend GVI for anyone thinking about volunteering abroad. I have volunteered overseas twice and noticed a big difference between the first groups I went with and GVI. GVI was organized, easy to get a hold of, and truly involved in the communities they serve.