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Large scale HIV/AIDS infection has adversely affected South African communities. Many families have broken down and many children orphaned. RCDP International’s HIV/AIDS project facilitates educational outreach and supports terminally ill patients (adults and children) with at-home care and offers counseling and emotional support to affected family members. This project is fully supported by schools, churches, local clinics, social services and the district office for social development, as well as UNICEF.
Volunteers will provide care to HIV/AIDS infected patients and engage the community in educational and training activities to increase awareness and halt the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Volunteers may utilize therapeutic story-telling to develop coping skills in survivors and families, depending on circumstances. Other volunteer duties include:
Note: In South Africa, many of our volunteer projects are based in rural communities, sometime located at a great distance from the city limits of Cape Town. In each local community, we support multiple projects such as orphanages, schools, HIV/AIDS project, hospital etc. Volunteers will help or participate in more than one project during their experience. This multi-tasking presents varied volunteering experience and the extra help is greatly appreciated by the community.
No specific qualifications are required of volunteers wishing to participate in the HIV/AIDS volunteer project in South Africa. However, applicants should have a focused interest and bear passion for public community outreach and other healthcare-related activities. Volunteers are expected to be flexible.
This project is located in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. This city is famous among travelers for its harbors and its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom that includes well-known landmarks such as Table Mountain and Cape Point. As a volunteer, you’ll have a lot to learn from this city which falls among the most multicultural cities in the world.
In South Africa, all volunteers stay with well-screened host families. Our host families are socially respected and are well versed in the art of hosting international volunteers. Host families offer a safe home, private rooms and shared bathroom facilities with running water. Volunteers can do their own laundry at home or the host family may offer to do it for you for a nominal extra fee. You will receive three prepared meals per day. If you will be out of the house during lunch hour, you can request a lunch "to go" that you can take with you or eat out on your own. Host families provide typical meals that are traditional to South Africa.
Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers either through visits or via email/telephone. With longer placements, we visit our volunteers every two weeks (when possible). Volunteers are always welcome at the local office. If project placement is near, we request that volunteers stop by the office once a week to keep us posted on how you are doing with your home stay and project. If project placement is very far, then our local staff members maintain communication either by email and/or phone.
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The mission of RCDP-Nepal is to encourage international volunteers to contribute in sustainable community development that benefits the underprivileged and extremely poor. By developing the places and the communities, the volunteers are also developing themselves and learning new perspectives and ideas that will ultimately change their lives.
