• playing games and singing
• art, painting and creative work
• making teaching aids
• accompanying children on special outings
• food preparation and gardening

The Project
The pre-school and crèche is the only one in the area and serves a growing need.The pre school  is based in a small property where Sibongile (the school's founder) has her home. Facilities are  basic - but  thanks to support from previous volunteers there are now two small classrooms, a pit latrine and a fenced playground with some play equipment.  

All kinds of practical support, as well as the skills and expertise of teachers and child-care professionals are needed. Through play or more formal teaching, volunteers can work with the children and staff in a range of areas.

Sibongile is keen to learn as much as she can about child development and pre school education so that she can continue to develop her school and thus enable more local parents to seek employment whilst knowing their children are safe and well cared for. When we first started working with the pre-school in 2006, there were 6 pupils - in 2009 there are over 30.

If you have experience of caring for and entertaining young children, vegetable gardening skills or practical building skills you can make a real difference to this community and their young children.

Context
The history of the Ndebele Village of Mapoch helps to explain why there is so much need in so many different aspects of community life. The original Ndebele community of Mapoch lived in an area called Wonderboom in Pretoria. They were living on a farm of a certain white farmer. This community was evicted from Pretoria during the early 1950’s. Apparently the farmer petitioned to the government of the time, to have the community removed from “his” land as tourists were travelling through “his” land to visit the community. Blacks were forcibly removed from traditional settlements to make way for white communities under Apartheid policies.

This community was first moved to “Vlakfontein”, where it was found that there was not enough land for their cattle to graze, no rivers nearby and no space suitable to hold the traditional initiation schools, amongst other factors. The community petitioned and more suitable land was found for them.  The Mapoch Ndebele Community then moved to a farm at Klipgat under the authority of Mr Speelman Buhlakani Msiza (Chief) in 1953. The current village was built and life goes on as usual. 

Mapoch is a unique place as the community still live and practice their traditional way of life, i.e. traditional ceremonies, Ndebele painting, beadwork and general cultrural life. Women are the traditional artists and craftspeople in the Ndebele community and it is their skills of mural painting and beadwork which exemplify much of what outsiders recognise as essentially Ndebele.

The three main families in the village are the: Msiza’s (direct family of the Chief), Buda’s (son in laws) and Skosana’s. Locally the village is known as “Mabhoko”, which is the name of one of the late Ndebele Kings, but the white people had difficulty in pronouncing Mabhoko and called it “Mapoch”.

The Ndebele people are descendants of the Nguni tribes (greater Zulu tribes) who split from the Zulus and moved up and settled around the greater Pretoria areas.  Mzilizazi and King Cha Ndebele feature greatly in their history.

There are many areas of daily village life, as well as in the education of young children, where volunteers can help. Whatever skills and abilities you have, the Project Management Team and village leaders will work together to design meaningful and sustainable projects for volunteers.

The local partners we work with on this project won the prestigious Chairman's Award at the Imvelo Awards for responsible tourism in 2007 for their work with the community of Mapoch. They were also awarded for Best economic Impact and Best Social Involvement Programme in the community.

Volunteers will live within the community with a local family.They will have a large private bedroom - there is unlikely to be running water inside the home but your hosts will provide hot water for washing and all the homes are clean and well cared for and have electricity. All meals are supplied - they will be simple but wholesome and substantial!
Alternatively for an additional charge volunteers can stay in the community owned guesthouse equipped with private ensuite facilities on a full board basis.

 £1235 for 4 weeks based on full board in a community homestay

Additional weeks  are costed at a sliding reducing rate
Please note these costs are correct to the best of our knowledge but can only be confirmed at time of booking due to changes in transport and taxes outside our control.

N.B. Costs based on a conversion rate of SAR 13.5 to 1.00GB£.
Please note twin room placements will be lower.

Included:
Full board in a local home - private room , airport transfers, full local orientation, social event, local SIM card, project & placement liaison

Your project donation will be used for the purchase of essential equipment for the community project.
Previous donations have been used to refurbish and extend the building, build a latrine, create a safe play area and purchase educational toys and furniture.

How your money is spent based on 4 weeks

SAR 7300 ( £540) - direct costs in South Africa (airport transfers, accommodation and meals, orientation, information packs). For an additional charge of 3400 Rand for 4 weeks( approx £305) volunteers can choose to stay in the community guest house with private ensuite facilities.
SAR 4160 (£310)- project management & supervision in South Africa
SAR 2259(£170) - project donation in South Africa
215 GBP - recruitment, matching & project development in UK

Not included:
flights, insurance, visa costs, daily travel if needed, personal expenses such as phone calls, medical expenses, etc