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Community Groups
VIA VOLUNTEERS
Voluntourism in South Africa’s Community Organizations
any visitors to South Africa’s shores
are not content to only tour the
country, but want to contribute their time and efforts to community or conservation projects. Volunteering is the perfect solution for them as they join the unseen thousands making up a secret workforce of local and international volunteers who contribute to the survival of thousands of Non-profit organizations, and the people and wildlife in their care. In many instances these projects don’t have the resources to reach out to international volunteers for assistance, or to coordinate the various aspects of their journey. Via Volunteers, based in Gordon’s Bay, provide this very specialized service to volunteers and organizations across South Africa.
Via Volunteers work with sustainable long term projects that are developed through genuine community and conservation needs to ensure that volunteer contributions are meaningful and long lasting. Husband and wife team Ed & Heather Scott are co-founders of Via Volunteers, and personally vet every project. Aside from an exhaustive project evaluation, they also check everything from the volunteer’s perspective, which includes testing the accommodation, open air showers on game reserves, and wonderful long drop toilets at remote wildlife sanctuaries.
Via Volunteers work with some of the most highly regarded NPOs, including Nazareth House, Newkidz on the Block, Fikelela Children’s Home, Natures Valley Trust and SANCCOB amongst others. Volunteers can select from a wide variety of projects with choices including getting hands-on with African penguin rehabilitation, monitoring rhino and elephant near Kruger, assisting with an educational enrichment project in Khayelitsha and working alongside marine biologists studying great white sharks.
Whilst the majority of applicants are from overseas, Via Volunteers accept applications from South Africans too. “Volunteering is an excellent bridge between school and the workplace, and a great way for young South Africans to gain work experience, improve skills, develop self-esteem, and network with potential employers” says Ed. “It’s difficult enough for many youngsters to find employment as it is, so we’ve worked extra hard to keep costs affordable for local and international volunteers alike, with our fees including everything from transport, accommodation, training, supervision, equipment, support, and often meals too”.
The Via Volunteers team further brings foreign donors and local organizations in contact, or acts as a collection point for donations of various kinds. Where local needs are identified for instance, Heather says “We are happy to collect donations of blankets, food, clothes and toys and will distribute them to grateful recipients on your behalf.”
International volunteers leave their mark in South Africa, not only by dedicating their time and energy to a community or conservation project, but also through the positive contribution they make in supporting local businesses, tourism operators, craftsmen and women, and the many jobs that are created and sustained by purchases they make, and activities they take part in while they are here. When managed correctly, voluntourism ticks all the boxes when it comes to satisfying the criteria for responsible tourism, bringing visitors to areas of the country outside the traditional tourist routes, and providing a sustainable means for NGO projects to develop and employ local people.
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