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A child of 5 years begging for money on the street, the most beautiful voice you have ever heard which comes from a 10 year old girl, a women so badly beaten her children don’t recognise her any more, teenage boys happy to dance in front of complete strangers. These are some of the shocking, amazing, unjust scenes volunteers witness within their first few days here.

It is after these kind of days that the benefits of communal living really hit you. Other people around you who are happy to talk through things with you. People who have had/are having the same experiences as you and who realise how hard they are to process. Having people to laugh with, cry with, pray with, and drink with. You may not all be from the same background, same country, same continent, but you are bonded together through the experiences you share. The YDC is a very open minded place. People are welcome no matter what their race, gender, nationality, sexuality. Volunteers are all kinds of people and the atmosphere of tolerance at the YDC creates an environment that anyone can be comfortable in (whether you are shy or obnoxious, creative or mathematical, a sports fanatic or a bookworm).

Another aspect of communal living is the sharing of household cleaning and cooking duties. Cleaning rosters are in place at both YDCs and volunteers are expected to do their share. Shopping and cooking is also shared tasks. The food is very similar to what you would find in your own country. We have lovely fresh fruit and vegetables that are easy to come by and our supermarkets are stocked with most of what you would expect to find, even some of the same brands as you would find back home. Volunteers are given money weekly (see application for YDC) to buy their food. They take turns cooking, and everyone is expected to participate, YES BOYS THIS MEANS YOU TOO!!!

For those who wish to attend church, there are a number of local churches surrounding both YDCs. Other volunteers and local staff will be happy to show you different churches so that you can find the one that suits you. If you would like to, there is also the opportunity to attend Zulu churches.

For those of you worried about your important documents and valuables (travellers checks, identification, cameras, photos of boy/girlfriends etc) you are able to lock them up in the safe at head office if you would like. However it is also possible to keep them locked up in your bedroom for those of you less worried about the ‘unspeakable crime rates in South Africa’.

Volunteers are often worried about crime and violence when they come to South Africa. We will not deny that these things do happen in South Africa, but would like to assure you that you will be safe when you are here. We do ask that volunteers do not walk on the streets at night, and suggest even during the day that you don’t walk alone. Also, the YFC/KZN project cars will be available for volunteers use, provided they are not needed by the projects at the time. Both YDCs are close to shops, movies, restaurants etc (Durban YDC also located near Durban beach) and it is strongly recommended (especially in Durban) that volunteers obtain a drivers license before arrival so these things are easier to access.

I know all volunteers love receiving mail with news from home, so you will be happy to know that the local post office is within 5km of both YDCs. The mail is collected regularly and the mail service in South Africa is fairly reliable. Banks and ATM’s are easily accessible, and you don’t need to worry about feeling unsafe withdrawing money. It is impossible to feel unsafe with security guards carrying automatic weapons protecting you and your money!! Also, in case anyone is thinking about doing something illegal and thinks they might need some help from their home country, international embassies are mostly situated close. The US embassy is situated in downtown Durban not far from the YDC. The Australian embassy is based in Pretoria however there is a small satellite office in Durban, also not far from the YDC. The Dutch embassy and most other European embassies can be located in Durban as well.

We all know how important fashion and ‘looking cool’ is, so we thought we would put together a guide for you on temperature and appropriate clothing styles. (Please keep this in mind when applying to come to the YDC, make sure the time you wish to volunteer coincides with the time which allows you to wear the clothes which look best on you!!)

Weather Conditions	Durban	Pietermaritzburg
Jan-Mar	30	30
Apr-Jun	25	25
Jul-Sep	20	12
Oct-Dec	25	25

Please note most building do not come equipped with heaters so the winter months (particularly in Pietermaritzburg where it can experience a night time temperature of zero) can be quite tough going. Please remember to bring appropriate clothing for this period. Outdoor thermal wear (ie Polar fleeces) are highly recommended.

Also note that the wet season falls in the summer months (Dec-Feb) so if your visit coincides with summer be sure to bring wet weather gear. These months are also very humid, so light fabrics like linen are recommended. While bedding (sheets, blankets, pillows etc) are provided, towels are not. Please remember to bring your own towels as your housemates would really like it if you showered occasionally.

The style of dress is basically very informal and casual, however we do ask that volunteers look respectable, so nothing too short or too tight (in Zulu tradition it is considered inappropriate for women to display their thighs). When going into schools and informal settlements it would be good to wear jeans or trousers or respectable skirts that aren’t too short. Its probably good to dress like you are going out for dinner with your parents rather then going to a night club with you friends.

While both Pietermaritzburg and Durban YDCs offer a similar experience, there are some differences which make one or the other more suitable to different people-

 

PIETERMARITZBURG – ‘City of Choice’

As of three weeks ago, I began work at Gateway Christian School, an English-medium school located in the old Gateway prison. In the mornings at Gateway, I work in the library with Mrs Williams. My duties here are many and varied. Some days, I will spend my time solely organizing books. Other days, I am faced with the never-ending task of putting cards into the books and cataloguing them on the computer. Still other days, Mrs Williams enlists my help in teaching her library classes. Those times, I get the pleasure of reading stories to the class and, at the same time, helping them improve their English vocabulary, mechanics and understanding. It is challenging at times, because primary school children can be very rambunctious. In the afternoons, Sjoerd and I help Aunty Virginia run the Aftercare program. It is basically there to occupy children while they wait for their parent or transport to come to the school. We are basically given free reign of the group, and have therefore been able to be extremely active with the children. It is easier because they speak much more English than children in Zulu-medium schools. So I feel like I am able to take more initiative in doing things with them.  Some days, we play games; some days we do crafts; some days we play sports. On bad weather days, we take them into the library for movie time and reading. This is the best opportunity for us to share the Gospel with the children, while having fun and building personal relationships with them. A big challenge I have encountered is getting them to understand that games are more fun if you don't cheat, and trying to teach them to be good winners as well as good losers. I feel like I am learning a lot from working at Gateway Christian School, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a great thing.

-Aerin Brown

 

The YDC in Pietermaritzburg is an old Victorian house (see photos) in the centre of town. It is on the same property as the Khayalethu Boys shelter (which offers volunteers the opportunity to spend a lot of time with, and really get to know the boys and staff staying there). Pietermaritzburg is quite a safe town and volunteers are welcome to go for walks during to day to the shops or just to sightsee. At night it is not recommended to walk, however it is usually possible to use the YFC/KZN vehicles if you wish to go out at night.

The YDC here consists of 3 bedrooms, one of them sleeps 2 people, and the others 4 (sorry no individual rooms), a large lounge and dining area, a kitchen and bathroom. There is also a large yard and a veranda out the front which is a lovely place to sit on a warm evening and talk or just think.

A lot of local staff comes to visit the volunteers outside work hours, this being a great way to build relationships, and to learn about the different cultures in the place you are living and working.

At the Pietermaritzburg YDC there is a phone and cell phones can be used here. There is also internet access, however it is dial up. Volunteers use an outlook email address and connect just once a day to send and receive emails. Friends and family are asked to put the volunteers name as the subject and emails are sorted into folders accordingly. If volunteers wish to use personal email (hotmail, yahoo, gmail etc) they will need to go to an internet café or to the office.

 

DURBAN – ‘South Africa’s Playground’

The YDC in Durban is on the same property as the Tennyson House offices, Phakama offices and the Tennyson House shelter (it is actually the second floor of the Tennyson House offices). This set up gives the volunteers the foundations to form very meaningful and long lasting relationships with the Durban staff. Being situated with the offices also gives the volunteers the ability to have constant internet, phone and fax access.

The YDC here consists of 6 bedrooms (if the house is not full volunteers may have their own room, if it is full some volunteers will be asked to share) a lounge, kitchen and bathroom. There is also a second toilet which is shared by the office staff.

While it is not really safe to walk around Durban, there are always cars available for use, and there is shops, movies, restaurants, beaches, nightclubs etc all fairly close to the YDC.

Whether working for the shelter, or any of the other Durban projects, volunteers here tend to form very close relationships with the girls staying here. A lot of time is spent with the girls, taking them to school, helping with their homework, playing games or just sitting and talking.

YDC Experiences