Teach children in one-on-one sessions in a township school in 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 in the beautiful city of Cape Town and work at an oversubscribed and under-resourced school in a friendly and welcoming township just outside of the city.

This volunteer project involves teaching primary school children using dedicated one-on-one sessions to help bring them up to required standards. The aim is to give certain students extra attention as they have fallen behind the rest of their peers. Some of the children struggle to understand their teachers because their home language is not English.

After working with each student, not only may you see a measurable improvement in their abilities, the students should also be more confident and comfortable once they return to their classrooms.

Life on the Program

GVI will provide training to all volunteers covering classroom management, lesson planning, curriculum, a local language lesson, township life and other useful information.

From Monday to Friday you will travel by minibus to the township school where you will work from 9am-4pm, with an hour’s break for lunch. Usually in the morning you will teach individual students and in the afternoon you will conduct small homework and reading workshops. After school you may spend time preparing your lessons for the next day.

Accommodation is in a house or apartment with shared rooms and bathrooms, with electricity and running hot water.

Weekends are free for you to explore the local area and there are many different side trips and activities available such as a safari day trip or a Cape Town cultural weekend.

Program Details

The children assigned to the program have been selected by their teachers as they require extra tuition. The sessions aim to improve literacy, numeracy, English language skills and confidence levels.

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 some individual attention which they are not getting in their classroom.

You should typically work with the same small group of students in your one-on-one’s each day for 30 minute sessions, then several more in the reading focus and afternoon workshop sessions. Resources, art materials, games and the curriculum will be provided to help you prepare your lessons.

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.