Community care support volunteer in South Africa
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Eastern Cape |
| departures: | Tailormade departures from 4 to 12 weeks available throughout the year |
| price: | From £1335 (4 weeks) - £2020 (8 weeks) excluding flights. Includes project donation, half-board home stay, full orientation and support from local team. We can offer advice on flights from the UK. Over 21s only for this project. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
We place skilled volunteers to work with not instead of local people. Your skills will be matched to specific needs. We need skilled health practitioners, social workers, educators, counsellors and administrators. Missionvale is one of Port Elizabeth’s oldest townships with a population of nearly 100,000 people. Unemployment in the township runs at a fairly constant 70% and is accompanied by the deprivations of hunger, alcohol abuse, TB and a high incidence of HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS affects some 60% of the population. The Missionvale Care Centre (MCC) was established by Sister Ethel Normoyle, who began by opening a small clinic under a shade tree. From these modest beginnings, and with much hard work and dedication, the MCC expanded into what is now very much a community within a community, and runs a comprehensive programme of services to the local economically poor.
The main areas of MCC activity include the following, all of which will benefit from volunteers’ input:
• pre-primary and primary classes providing, education, care and nourishment to children;
• a clinic which sees tens of thousands of patients every year – babies, children and adults;
• counselling and support groups for HIV/Aids infected and affected families;
• a detox, nutrition and vitamin therapy programme for HIV/Aids sufferers;
• a nutrition centre caring for hundreds of heads of families;
• self-help projects on literacy and sewing;
• adult training classes to enable parents to provide for their families and reduce dependency;
• a successful community garden & provision of small family plots;
• a clothing warehouse for distribution to families in desperate situations
The latest addition to the MCC’s services is a Resource and Support Centre for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. The centre is expanding the MCC’s care, compassion and sustenance with a trained team of careers who go out into the community to the homes of those too ill to visit the main Centre.
There is also a rudimentary day hospice for patients needing particular care such as re-hydration and rest, and the MCC’s goal is for this new centre to become a haven for people’s individual needs – from palliative care and nutrition, to solace, counselling and education. All the present and future work of the MCC includes elements of education & skills training aimed at making the community more employable and less dependent on charity.
HIV/AIDS affects some 60% of the population. The Missionvale Care Centre (MCC) was established by Sister Ethel Normoyle, who began by opening a small clinic under a shade tree. From these modest beginnings, and with much hard work and dedication, the MCC expanded into what is now very much a community within a community, and runs a comprehensive programme of services to the local economically poor.
The main areas of MCC activity include the following, all of which will benefit from volunteers’ input:
• pre-primary and primary classes providing, education, care and nourishment to children;
• a clinic which sees tens of thousands of patients every year – babies, children and adults;
• counselling and support groups for HIV/Aids infected and affected families;
• a detox, nutrition and vitamin therapy programme for HIV/Aids sufferers;
• a nutrition centre caring for hundreds of heads of families;
• self-help projects on literacy and sewing;
• adult training classes to enable parents to provide for their families and reduce dependency;
• a successful community garden & provision of small family plots;
• a clothing warehouse for distribution to families in desperate situations
The latest addition to the MCC’s services is a Resource and Support Centre for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. The centre is expanding the MCC’s care, compassion and sustenance with a trained team of careers who go out into the community to the homes of those too ill to visit the main Centre.
There is also a rudimentary day hospice for patients needing particular care such as re-hydration and rest, and the MCC’s goal is for this new centre to become a haven for people’s individual needs – from palliative care and nutrition, to solace, counselling and education. All the present and future work of the MCC includes elements of education & skills training aimed at making the community more employable and less dependent on charity.
Highly Commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
 Our core values are respect & dignity, responsibility & sustainability, service & partnership, economic transparency. As with all the projects we offer, it is designed to be culturally sustainable and economically transparent, as well as being community-driven. Respect & dignity – there must be mutual respect for the dignity of volunteers and local people, and by living in a comfortable family home within the local community, you will be able to share and discuss aspects of ordinary daily life. Responsibility & sustainability - you will be working with the MCC’s staff and local care workers to enhance their own capacity, not replacing any local worker – no volunteer will be placed in isolation – there has to be ongoing and consistent volunteer input. Service & partnership – we work together with the local Project Management Team in matching the volunteer and their skills to the specific requirements of the project. The professional care and health workers on the project agree together as to how volunteer input can advance the project at the particular time of a volunteer’s placement. Economic transparency – the price of the placement is paid by you straight to the Project Management Team, not to us – we ensure that at least 80% of the price remains where it is needed most, in the host country, and is used to further enhance this project – 18% of the total price is for the exclusive use of this project. How your money is spent:
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