Theron children’s home

When a child is admitted to this home, they become part of an intensive care programme under the leadership of the director, two social workers and the housemother. This is done in co-operation with a social worker at home. One of the main objectives of the social workers is to rehabilitate parents so that families can be reunited.

Volunteers duties may include:-

Depending on the volunteer’s qualifications, we have a lot of children who need occupational therapy.  Other tasks will be recreational programmes with the children and help with study as well as tasks normally done by the child-care worker.

 Transport of children to hospitals, doctor, therapists, schools, clinic and other activities.

• Supervision and support of children under the guidance of a child care worker in the different home units.
• Involvement, help and supervision with regard to the presentation of programmes and activities in the Children’s Home.
• Help children with homework
• Relief work when adequately experienced in home units.
• Serve up food.
• Washing.
• Cleaning task.

The Broster children’s home

This children’s home is situated in the Khayalethu Township and can accommodate up to 30 children.  They have two different units where boys and girls live separately.  All the children come from troubled backgrounds and they all attend the nearby schools; pre-school children go to a crèche in the mornings.

The home is of wooden construction, sitting on a hill with a beautiful view of the town of Knysna.

Duties that Volunteers could get involved in.

• Transport of children to hospitals, doctor, therapists, schools, clinic and other activities.
• Supervision and support of children under the guidance of a child care worker
• Bathing, feeding babies
• Changing nappies
• Help with admin work
• Serve up food.
• Cleaning task.
• Involvement, help and supervision with regard to the presentation of programmes and activities in the Children’s Home. 

Convalescent hospital for children

The hospital’s mission is to provide expert nursing and medical care in a homely and loving environment for children recovering from acute medical and surgical conditions. The hospital also provides temporary care and education for children who need shelter for social reasons.

Ideally these children should be sent home to the care of their parents but this is not always possible due to social and environmental problems. A convalescent hospital such as this, where the facilities are all dedicated to childcare, can provide;

• Quality care and supervision by skilled nursing staff
• A friendly, homely environment where children can be fully mobile, wear ordinary clothes, play outside in a safe garden and attend school.
• A highly specialized convalescent Burns-unit.

Durbanville children’s home

This home helps children to develop their full potential and to live independent lives.  The home offers life skills programmes and run a variety of projects encouraging the children to develop hand skills and to practice entrepreneurship.  The home also has an educational programme and arranges sporting activities to advance the children’s physical and social development.

Volunteers will help with:

• Getting the children ready for school
• Helping with the meals
• Playing with the children
• Taking the children to the doctor, sport act.
• Being a big brother or sister to the children

The volunteer will have his or her own flat with kitchen and living room.  This project only takes in 5 volunteers at a time, so you will have to share the flat with other persons.  It is close to shops and the city center.  You will also have the use of the swimming pool!

Margaret’s house for boys.

This home is situated in the suburb of Lansdowne in Cape Town.  It is a domestic dwelling that houses 22 boys between the ages of five and 16 years.  The boys have been found on the street or have run away from home. They are referred to Margaret’s House by the South African police, beach constables, social workers or members of the public.

All the boys attend local schools and churches or Mosques.  In the afternoon’s they attend an arts and craft class, play sport or play in the local park.   A time is set in the afternoons for homework and study. If a boy is unable to return to his own family, alternative solutions such as foster care, transfer to another facility or boarding school are arranged.

Ideally, our Volunteers should have the following specific skills.

· Understanding and empathy for traumatised children

· Be able to easily interact with boys of all ages

· Have a good organisational skills

· Maintain good interpersonal relations 

· Be flexible and adaptable and have creative mind

· Be able to maintain discipline

· Be able to act calmly and purposefully in an emergency

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"Now my time in Cape Town is almost over I want to thank you so much all your help and support. I miss the kids so much, so I plan to come back soon. I hope the other volunteers enjoy the time so much like I did." Anne.

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