After-school sport is hugely popular with children from low-income communities in South Africa, as a way to play their favorite games and spend time with their friends. Not only that, but it helps with their development and exposes them to better role models. As a volunteer, you’ll help to provide these programs to keep children busy after school and less likely to engage in negative behaviors, playing a key role in lowering some of the socio-economic problems often found in South Africa.
You’ll act as a volunteer sports coach, and have three options to choose from for your project:
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You can help to run the existing sports being offered, including skateboarding, netball, soccer, boxing or swimming. This involves practicing and playing these sports and running the program that is already in place.
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You can be in more of a leadership role, working with the local team, analyzing the way sport is offered and finding ways to improve it.
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You can run a sports clinic, teaching a sport that’s not currently being offered. This is likely to involve more planning and you may need to bring your own equipment.
The project runs in the afternoons from Tuesday through Thursday. In the mornings, you’ll spend time in pre-schools on the Kindergarten project, helping with games, activities and general duties. This is another active volunteer experience, working with younger children and helping their development.
The Sport Development project is closed for the school holidays in January, April, July, October and December. Volunteers during these months will be switched to the Holiday Club project. The project also doesn’t run on Mondays, but you can help to plan the week’s activities.
School Holidays 2021:
- 1st April - 9th April
- 28th June - 9th July
- 27th September - 4th October
- 13th December - January 2022 (exact date for returning to school in 2022 has not yet been confirmed)