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YDC volunteers are given the opportunity to work in any of YFC/KZNs projects. Working closely with local staff and interns, volunteers gain an excellent understanding of the projects and the communities which they serve. This partnership also gives both the international and local staff the opportunity to learn and develop.

In the first week, volunteers meet with the project coordinator and/or supervisor, who will be responsible for their placement, who fills them in on what takes place in the project they will be working for and what will be expected of them. This is a great overview of what is happening, but the real information about the projects is gained from the staff volunteers work with. These staff members will show volunteers what they do, which children they work with, how they help, and what the volunteer can do to assist this work. Regular project meeting also take place, providing a great source of learning and support.

Project training usually takes place at the beginning of the year but, if appropriate, projects may provide training opportunities throughout the year. It may also be possible, on occasion, for volunteers to attend conferences or external training that would benefit their project.

Volunteers are welcome at any time of the year, however the months between February and November are very busy for YFC/KZN and are therefore a great time for volunteering. However, it is worth noting that the June holidays last 3 full weeks and as a result we encourage many of our staff to take leave during this time. Volunteers thinking of coming during this time are recommended to plan their South African travel for June to ensure they make the most of their time here. (It is also possible to take holidays at other times however during these holidays there is not a lot for volunteers to do within our projects.)

One of the things volunteers comment on here is the strong relationships between the staff, interns and children in the projects we serve. As they spend more time here, volunteers realise the great value of these relationships. Volunteers get the opportunity to start forming relationships and making friends. Along with this comes the opportunity to experience different cultures and lifestyles. While this is a very fundamental and amazing part of a volunteers experience, it can also get quite frustrating. This focus on people and relationships can quite often lead to timelines being delayed, plans being changed or even meetings getting cancelled. Volunteers (especially ones coming from a ‘western background’) struggle with this concept, affectionately known as ‘Africa Time’. But once you start to understand and accept this concept, the passion behind this often exasperating concept becomes clear, and the value starts to outweigh the annoyance.

Throughout the volunteers stay there is constant communication between the volunteer, volunteer coordinator and the project supervisor. This communication is used to judge how the volunteer is going, whether they are comfortable within the project they are working for and if they fit in well with the local staff and interns. If there are problems, it is possible for the volunteer to change projects to something everyone feels would be more suitable. (It is also possible for volunteers to work in multiple projects if they feel this would be best for them and the projects) At the end of a volunteers stay, the volunteer coordinator and project supervisor will have exit interviews with the volunteer. These interviews are to form an evaluation of the volunteer’s experiences. This gives the volunteer a chance to help YFC/KZN to shape its volunteer program by identifying problem areas that exist within the program and offering suggestions for improvement.

 

The YDC which volunteers decide to stay at will have an impact on which projects they work at. If volunteers are staying in Pietermaritzburg they can work with-

 

If volunteers are staying in Durban they can work with-