South Africa

• Helping on SU Camp Programmes
  These are great fun! Camps are held all the time in South Africa, whether it be a two day camp or a seven day camp. But one thing is certain – there a lot of hard work. Often your day on camp starts at 6.30 am and will end at 9 pm – but all so worth it. Often the camps are Christian camps; therefore will be more Bible focused. On these camps you may well be leading a small group of youngsters and encouraging them to share together. Non-Christian camps will be more activity based, varying from snorkelling to rock climbing. However even on these camps the young people get an opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus, which you are more than likely to be delivering.

Often depending on the location you are sent to, you will share the responsibility of booking the site, ordering equipment, finding caterers and all the admin duties that are involved in pulling together camps of this size (ranging from 25-100 children).

• Visiting and facilitating School Christian Groups
  This will range from going in to lead assemblies, to helping set up Christian Unions in local schools.
• Assisting in the office work, admin, etc
  All of the above and below activities need a lot of administrative assistance. This might involve sending out letters inviting the children to the camps, producing publicity material to advertise the camps, or maybe ringing around the schools making sure that every one knows these camps are happening.
• Teaching the Life Skills Programme (this will take the majority of your time) Some information from the SU Lifeskills Education handbook is below, this should give you a good idea of what Lifeskills aims to achieve.

Post-apartheid South Africa is exciting, desperate and challenging. Exciting because human dignity has been restored. Desperate because there will not be quick delivery of a better life. Challenging because our country has become a values vacuum and at the moment 2 million people are infected with the AIDS virus. Countless people are in jail for crimes of every description and even more walk free. Families are largely dysfunctional. Drugs are increasingly freely available. Racism is bubbling under the surface.

It’s into this context that SU continues to bring its message of hope and health for the youth of our nation.

We have extensive experience in running dynamic, relevant Lifeskills courses aimed at intervening in the relentless spread of AIDS and other social ills. We reach over 40,000 young people in schools across the country each year with Lifeskills courses.

Each course is interactive and participative, relevant to today’s frustrations and contemporary in its teaching method.

The programmes are designed to enrich the lives of young people and significantly impact their decision-making in the area of relationships, sex and AIDS, as well as in the field of religious tolerance, human rights, prejudice, reconciliation, family relationships, violence, crime an substances abuse. All areas which could lead to devastating consequences and a criminal lifestyle. They are challenged to get to grips with who they are and how they relate to peers – who perhaps don’t share their value system; to parents – no matter how difficult the relationship; and finally to God – as a firm foundation in a world with few certainties. We are committed to providing young people with the skills they need to grow up to be alive – to enjoy a worthwhile and fulfilled life, free from the fear of harm, and ultimately, liberated to live life without regret.

There are a number of courses on offer, here are a few examples:

• All the Right Moves: Lifeskills for an AID-free generation aimed at 13 to 16 year age group addresses the issue of sexual decision-making with which young people are currently struggling. Includes topics such as 'It doesn’t have to be this way’ and 'You're worth it (You are valuable)’.
• Beautiful People: Skills for living in a Rainbow Nation is an attempt to help young people between the age of 12 and 15 to understand and respect each other’s cultures, religions and histories. It also aims to help young people cope with the difficulties experienced in being part of a fragmented and often less than perfect family.
• Crime Free: Lessons in honest living is an attempt to help young people between the age of 12 and 14 make good decisions about facing reality rather than taking drugs to escape or embarking upon a lifetime of rime to make money. It deals with fundamental issues such as developing a work ethic, resolving conflict without resorting to violence, controlling anger and escaping the pressure of being part of a gang.

Placements start in the January of each year and last for 6 months, with the option of staying on to travel and see some more of this beautiful country.

As a volunteer you need to arrange your own support, which includes airfare, accommodation, food and internal travel.

 
 
Minimum Age:  18 
Cost:  £3,400 
Start Date:  January 
Duration:  six months