Living Hope Volunteers

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MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Living Hope is very diverse ministry and there are many opportunities for involvement for volunteers, fields like medicine, home care, chronic illness care, public awareness on health issues, children’s work, ministry to homeless including substance abuse counseling, Christian counseling, children’s work including school life skills education, afternoon clubs, sports clubs, teen clubs, teenage pregnancy issues, parenting groups and counseling, advocacy and injustice issues, economic empowerment including skills training, entrepreneur education and development, soft-skills training such as attitudes, dreaming, goal setting, time management, conflict resolution, and a home office that incorporates disciplines like human resources, accounting, procurement, marketing, public relations, social work, chaplaincy, monitoring and evaluation, etc. plus a Christian radio station and a Baptist church.

Kids & Teens Clubs:
Here the volunteers get involved in facilitating the kids clubs on all levels. From just playing and loving the kids to helping with control and discipline, supervising activities, serving meals, helping plan the daily activities, giving ideas, tips etc and even writing the curriculum. They also make a difference by bringing some new life to the clubs, encouraging the Life Skills Educators by the fresh and abundant energy they have and supporting and uplifting them by becoming close friends.

The teens follow a more specific curriculum where they talk to the kids about teen issues from the atypical issues of insecurities that teens face, the importance of education, the life skills and instilling a foundation to be inspiring young adults to approaching the deep issues of South African teens such as HIV/AIDS, sex, rape, prostitution, multiple partners, physical abuse, intensely broken and messed up home lives, drugs and alcoholism. The volunteers get to help the Life Skills Educators in the same way as the Kids Clubs. (Min of 90days serving period)

Living Grace:
Living Grace is a ministry to homeless and destitute, those involved can come and get a home cooked meal and receive spiritual food for the soul too. Volunteers have gotten involved by developing and growing the standard of the morning and mid day worship and devotions. They have brought along a guitar and a couple of new songs and taught the homeless cool chorus’ and actions and have them dancing and clapping with great vigour. They assist the staff hugely by helping them sort food, clothing, help them cook and dish up meals and clean and generally give joy to the Homeless Shelter by their abundant energy and enthusiasm.

CCFM/Mobile Music Academy:
This is a new initiative which is finding underprivileged children of the area who have undiscovered natural gifting in singing/music. They currently have 5 students and have already recorded their first song and been interviewed on live radio. Those volunteers who are gifted musically are used in teaching the kids how to read music, voice training, music history and they teach them musical instruments. They also get involved with the marketing and developing, sponsorship, networking, the curriculum and helping gather resources for the Mobile Music Academy. (Min 28 days – 2 positions available)

Living Hope Health Care Centre (Hospice):
This is essentially a hospice for people with HIV/AIDS that has now actually changed its name to “Health Care Centre” because initially it was a place for people to have a comfortable end to their life but due to LH’s holistic ministry in teaching patients about HIV/AIDS, nutrition, ARV’s, and God that now 85% of the patients actually return home. Volunteers come here mainly to befriend the patients, talk to them, entertain them read, laugh. They also end up becoming a vital role of the staff by help feed the patients and again with the general morale of the place. (Min 28 days – 1 position available)

Manual Labour/Community Work:
Part of the project is getting involved in the community at large and volunteers often get recruited to be involved in a manual project such as building shelters at the kids clubs, clearing rocks for play areas, pulling weeds, painting etc.

Office work (Administrative assistant): For Living Hope to keep up its pace there are many administrative tasks that require doing and with the help of the volunteers helping with the admin it makes life so much easier and the Living Hope Staff are able to spend more time focusing on the work or project that they’re busy with at the time. This office work varies from data input, to filing, to sorting ribbon and volunteers have even gotten involved with extensive surveys where they’ve gone into every single house in a community finding out specific information required for Living Hope to be able to grow effectively in that area. Use your professional and educational training for practical ministry work.

Living Way:
Volunteers get involved with all aspects of developing this new branch of Living Hope. Living Way works to economically empower people from under-resourced communities in the Cape Peninsula. It develops entrepreneurs and empowers individuals by teaching them the skills to run a business, save for the future and connects them with job opportunities as well as creating jobs by growing businesses. Some additional involvements that our volunteers have been part of: Filming of a professional Living Hope’s promotional DVD that is used to raise funds for Living Hope. Running workshops to build capacity in Life Skills Educators who aren’t qualified and trained on how to manage and facilitate classrooms. During the xenophobic violence and the Internally Displaced People (aka refugees) our volunteers went every day to bring joy and happiness to the kids who’s had their lives turned upside down. The volunteers brought activities, songs, crayons and balls and spent many hours with the kids, getting to know them and having fun with them. This served as a great subtle ministry in the Muslim camp and not only that but helped the refugee adults and parents by taking the kids out of the tent and entertaining them. The adults also enjoyed the times they had an ear willing to listen to them talk about home, life, family etc.

Project Notes

Seeing the volunteers become a well used and respected source of help is amazing. The Living Hope staff and Life Skills Educators have welcomed them with open arms and have found much joy in the friendships developed. It is beautiful to see the bonds being built. Many of the on the ground staff have commented how much their lives have been touched by various ACTS Volunteers in various ways and I know for sure this is the same for the volunteers. They walk away with changed hearts.

PROJECT ORIENTATION & SUPPORT

Upon arrival at the ACTS/Living Hope accommodation in Cape Town, you will receive a detailed briefing on basic cultural aspects of your working environment, as well as further information on the current status of the Project and our other programme involvements in Cape Town.

You will also spend time with your coordinator familiarizing yourself with local surroundings, staff that you will be working with as well as the community centers at which you will be based.

Throughout your stay at your placement in Cape Town you will have the support and guidance of our project staff and coordinators. They are part of our greater ACTS support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance.

ACCOMMODATION & MEALs

Accommodation
Our volunteer house is a comfortable and safe home shared with other volunteers during your time here. You will be sharing a twin room in the Cape Lodge, ACTS Volunteer House. Nestled under the Mountains and Fynbos the house is situated in the Southern Peninsula of Cape Town, very centrally located within the peninsula, only 40 minutes drive from the Airport and 30 minutes from the centre of Cape Town. The house is within walking distance of the Living Hope headquarters, King of Kings Baptist Church and also to the nearby mall with numerous shops, restaurants and movies. The property is very private and secure with 08 spacious en suite (shower, toilet and basin) bedrooms.

Facilities include:
• Wireless Internet
• Swimming pool & entertainment area with braai (barbeque)
• En-Suite (shower toilet and basin)
• Satellite TV
***Please Note: The only thing that you will have to remember to pack is your own towels.

Meals
You will be provided with three meals a day. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis consisting of cereals / porridge, toast, tea and coffee. Lunch you will need to prepare yourself, all the ingredients needed, will be provided. Dinner will be cooked or prepared for you by one of our chefs at your volunteer house. On weekends you will need to cook your own meals (we will provide ingredients) as our staff will need to be given time off. Weekends are usually a good time for tourist activities and exploring the surrounding area, so this is the time that a lot of volunteers are out and about. Please advise us of any specific dietary requirements before you arrive!

getting there

We will meet you at the airport! Fly into Cape Town International Airport, where you will be met by our project coordinator or a representative from ACTS Volunteers, who will transfer you to the project accommodation.

When booking your flights please book them so that you arrive on the first or third Monday of the month. The only exception to this will be the months of June and July 2010, the arrival dates will be 31 May 2010(for June) & 28 June 2010 (for July). This is due to the fact that our projects will be running slightly different because of the Soccer World Cup being held in South Africa. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 9PM.

project costs includes

• Transfer from the nearest airport, bus or train station in Cape Town to the project accommodation in Fish Hoek
• Orientation and introductions to project work upon your arrival
• All daily transportation to and from the project
• Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day at your accommodation
• Assistance in your projects by various Living Hope and ACTS volunteer co- coordinators. Full support from ACTS and LH and your coordinator throughout your time at your Cape Town placement
• Project Fee: this entails financing that goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as teaching materials, sports equipment, supplies, etc.

project costs excludes

• Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement (expected to include cover for repatriation)
• All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
• Email/Internet, telephone calls and soft drinks (internet available at lodge or within walking distance)
• All visas for border crossings (on extra excursions)
• Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary in Cape Town and within South Africa
• Transport after hours and on weekends

day in the life of a volunteer...

Monday through Friday is typically work days and the weekends are free, but there are exceptions for special events or outreaches.  The day begins with daily devotions with the other volunteers, and the transport leaves for the work sites around 7:45 am.  The work day is typically 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, but each and every volunteer has a different ministry plan, so each schedule is slightly different.  Some have free time after lunch, and then work in afternoon kids clubs until 6 or 6:30 pm. Every case is different, but in short, you do not start “too” early and you’re at home for dinner each night.  The volunteers usually “hang out” with each other on the weekends for social and tourism activities.  We attend church together as a group on most Sundays at the churches in the communities where we work.  Most of the volunteers pack their lunch and eat at one of our locations during the day, but some are in a position to eat at local establishments if they choose.

outside of ministry

The volunteers plan their own evening and weekend activities but what we do get involved with is a daily morning devotion at home or at work and prayer time where we go through a chosen book of the bible and each person leads a morning. And once a week we have volunteer bible study lead by a senior company staff member but people who cross paths with the volunteers in some way or another are invited as a guest speaker on the occasional week. On Sundays they attend King of Kings and volunteers have the option on every other Sunday to go to a more traditional African service in one of the townships they work in.

In terms of activities the volunteers fill their time with. They have done everything from the extremes of Shark Cage Diving, Sky Diving, to hiking Table Mountain, Wine Tasting, and sight seeing to Cape Point, penguins at Boulders Beach. They have frequented the V&A Waterfront, made visits to neighbouring towns such as Stellenbosch, Hermanus, visited Robben Island – and the prison cell of Nelson Mandela, even done the tranquil sunset walks where you can see whales and seals playing in the water.

They have also been invited to attend functions as well as being invited to stay over or go for lunch at friends houses in the townships. On weekends the volunteers also help out with general activities that Living Hope and the Life Skills Educators hold.

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose"
- Jim Elliot, missionary martyr who lost his life in the late 1950's trying to reach the Auca Indians of Ecuador