Afterschool Care Center in the Imizamo Yethu Township

In the Imizamo Yethu Township, approximately 50,000 people live in simple shacks and social housing without access to water, sewage systems, or electricity. The estimated HIV infection rate is 25%, and around 50% of families are unemployed. Pollution and disease are ongoing issues that exacerbate the general sense of hopelessness and despair in the township.

At iKhaya's Afterschool Care Center in the Imizamo Yethu Township, every day, around 100 children aged 6 to 14 (grades 1 to 6) are provided with nutrition, homework assistance, reading and math skills, life skills, psychosocial activities, counseling, and gardening. Most of the children are from households without parents or with neglectful parents, where the home environment is not conducive to positive development. The Afterschool Care Center offers them a place where they can feel safe and have a voice.

The following skills are taught to the children:   

• Mathematics: Mathematics is taught through real-life scenarios and problem-solving tasks.
• Literacy: Speaking, reading, and writing in English and isiXhosa.
• Life Skills: HIV/AIDS awareness, health and hygiene, strategic thinking, and decision-making.
• Group Therapy: Includes problem-solving skills, coping with grief, anger, and fears.
• Recreational Activities: This depends on the activities brought in by volunteers, such as soccer, netball, volleyball, arts, theater, singing, and gardening.

The family support and adult education program supports around 60 families, training them in raising vulnerable children and orphans. The children live with foster families who are taught early childhood development skills by the NGO and provided with an income opportunity to ensure high-quality care for foster children aged 0 to 6.

The NGO has 11 staff members, most of whom come from the township. iKhaya is primarily funded through sponsorships and donations.

Volunteers and interns generally contribute to the afternoon care program in the following ways:

• Assisting teachers with classroom tasks: You assist teachers but also come up with new activities and teaching methods to carry out independently with the children.
• Supporting the children: This involves helping with daily homework in subjects like English, math, and life skills. You also support children in therapeutic programs, prepare meals, and serve them.
• Sharing your culture, talents, and interests: You can teach children aged 6 to 14 your knowledge, skills, and interests. This can include a variety of activities such as cooking lessons, music, theater, sports, etc.

A Typical Day at Your Placement

• 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Reading club with the children.
• 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Helping children with their homework.
• 4:00 PM - 4:10 PM: Serving healthy meals to the children.
• 4:10 PM - 5:00 PM: Tutoring and homework support in key subjects.

If you wish to work in the mornings as well, you can help at a kindergarten in the township supported by iKhaya.

It is also possible to do an internship or volunteer work in the field of social work. A professional social worker is available to supervise your internship.

Program Supporting Preschool-Aged Children

ELRU (Early Learning Resource Unit) supports children up to the age of 6 and their families through various developmental programs:

Home-Based Early Childhood Development: As part of a peer-to-peer program, ELRU regularly visits mothers and families in disadvantaged communities to provide knowledge and skills related to age-appropriate, playful, and developmental activities. Peer-to-peer means that the facilitators leading these activities come from the same social environment as the families, enabling them to understand and relate to the families' and mothers' living conditions. The activities are not just targeted at the children but actively include the parents as well. The goal is for the families to continue the activities independently.

Community-Based Early Childhood Development (Playgroups): ELRU operates its own play groups and developmental groups for children aged 2-5 who lack access to formal childcare facilities (e.g., kindergartens, crèches, playgroups). Unemployed mothers and caregivers from local communities are trained as "Hlumisa" to support their neighborhood. A Hlumisa acquires basic knowledge in age-appropriate early childhood education and typically cares for six children from her neighborhood twice a week for three hours each session. The activities follow a typical playgroup structure.

Centre-Based Early Childhood Development: Childcare and development facilities for children in disadvantaged communities often have poor infrastructure and ineffective management. Resources, materials, and knowledge are often lacking to deliver high-quality educational and developmental work. As a result, the neediest children frequently do not receive the necessary stimulation and support to overcome their disadvantaged living conditions. ELRU works with facilities and stakeholders in disadvantaged communities to improve the quality of childcare offerings.

Qualified internships are available at ELRU for students and trainees in education, pedagogy, early childhood education, social work, and related fields, under the guidance of professionals. You can actively participate in all of ELRU's listed activities with expert supervision. The minimum duration for an internship at ELRU is four weeks.