VOLUNTEER PROJECT
The Future Factory has numerous programs, including indigenous games, HIV/AIDS awareness, children with physical disabilities, creches, special events and holiday programs.
The main program is the school sports academy. The South African government stopped sports programs in the schools, so the Future Factory went in and now runs structured programs in over 40 schools in netball, basketball, cricket, volleyball, basic ball skills and dance, among others. While I was there, I had three main schools I worked in - Al Azhar (2-8 year olds), Athlone pre-primary (4-5 year olds) and Stellenbosch Waldorf School (7-12 year olds). I did basic ball skills and games with the kids here.
I also got the chance to do teambuilding, which was something I did a lot of at camp. I lucked out because Annie (my project supervisor) was interested in getting a teambuilding program going, and also does a lot of it herself, so we compared activites, and she let me go for it. I did the teambuilding program in workshops for the Rock Challenge, Tulbagh weekend workshop, the Hout Bay holiday program and in the schools, with both the students and the teachers. It was great to see the reaction the program got.
I also got to work in the townships, where people are living in conditions most people I know would not believe. These kids have little clothes, shoes and food, are living in shacks made of bits of fence and wood, limited toilet facilities, and HIV/AIDS infection rates that are alarming.
I was kept busy in South Africa from the second I arrived on the program. I spent the first two weeks living with my host family, the Martins, then due to overcrowding, moved to Annie's house. I still saw the Martins all the time though, and they made me feel extremely welcome and involved me in everything. There were four other volunteers on the project at the time as well (Veronica from Norway, Catherine from Belgium and Philipp and Steffen from Germany), and I made some great friends with them.
I worked pretty much every day, in the mornings I did the schools, in the afternoons I did extra-mural school projects and worked in the townships, then the weekends were workshops or special events. I got to use my uni degree a lot by doing all the PR for the Future Factory. There was always a social event or five to attend, and I was just told I was going - Annie and I had an agreement, I would organise her life and she would rule mine! One of my best achievements was learning to jazz, a huge thing in Cape Town.
I was very sad to leave, but I have been recruited to return in early 2006 for at least a year - fingers crossed I get the visa.
TOP (L-R): WITH VERONICA, CATHERINE AND TAURIG, BRITTANY, WITH MELISSA AND WITH MR & MRS MARTIN, CATHERINE, VERONICA & ANNIE.
LEFT: WITH DEAN.
RIGHT: WITH MY PROJECT SUPERVISOR AND "MOM" ANNIE
