South Africa
Volunteers in South Africa live in Botha's Hill, located in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. It is an affluent suburb located 30 minutes from Durban, with modern shops, malls, and restaurants. The area provides many of the same conveniences and opportunities as any U.S. suburb, in terms of shopping and entertainment. Due to the nature of the socio-economic divide and remnants of Apartheid that are present in the area, many of the homes are surrounded by gates and security systems.
The temperature and weather in the area where the Volunteers live varies depending upon the season. During summer months it is typically very warm, with temperatures in the 90s or above. Early in the summer months it can also be very rainy. In the winter months temperatures often drop into the low 50s. Due to the terrain, in a given day temperatures can vary greatly between Botha’s Hill, where the Volunteers live, and the valleys where they serve.
The Volunteers live in a modest house located on the gated property of the Augustinian friars serving in South Africa. The property is at the top of a hill and overlooks one of the impoverished Zulu regions in the valley below. The Volunteers share the property with Augustinian friars, who live in a house a few hundred feet away, as well as with the Augustinian sisters who run the retreat center next door. The contrast between where the Volunteers live and the Zulu regions where they serve can be very difficult, especially because the contrast is part of the daily routine in South Africa. Even though it is difficult not to live in the area that the Volunteers serve, navigating the difference is an imperative part of understanding the realities of South Africa. Additionally, it enables the Volunteers to be in a safe environment.
The Volunteers in South Africa serve in a variety of areas, including teaching English at St. Leo’s Primary School, caring for patients at an HIV/AIDS Respite Unit, tutoring and mentoring children at a local boys' home, and assisting in a community center. Much of the service that the Volunteers are involved in is either directly or indirectly related to HIV/AIDS ministry. Kwa-Zulu Natal has one of the highest concentrations of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, thus dealing with death becomes a constant challenge. As a result, one of the greatest gifts that the Volunteers can give is providing a ministry of presence.
St. Leo Primary School
St. Leo Primary is a government school sponsored by the Augustinians, and is attended by the Zulu children of Molweni and the surrounding towns. Though its administration must answer to the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education, only some of its funding comes from the government. Partially due to the presence of the English-speaking Augustinian Volunteers at the school, enrollment is high and continues to grow every year. The Volunteers placed at St. Leo teach an Oral English class to Grades 3-7, one grade per day, five days a week. Using materials provided in the library where the class takes place, the Volunteers aim to develop reading, writing, and speaking skills to the Zulu learners.
1000 Hills Community Helpers
1000 Hills Community Helpers (Ikhaya lo Thando) is a community care centre comprising a health and wellness clinic, children’s infirmary, and education and development facility located in the Inchanga township. Volunteers have served in the clinic as well as in the education center. In the clinic, responsibilities include filling prescriptions for patients, decanting medicine, and checking vital statistics for patients. In the education center, the Volunteer assists in structuring the primary school curriculum and implementing a phonics program.
Respite Center at the Hillcrest AIDS Centre
The Hillcrest AIDS Centre serves people affected by AIDS in the area outside of Durban. It operates several different programs for people including a feeding and clothing scheme, an income generation project in the form of woza moya, and the respite centre. The Volunteers are stationed primarily in the respite centre serving in a variety of capacities, as needed. The centre can accommodate up to 25 patients, most of whom are extremely ill with fully developed AIDS. The Volunteers assist in the treatment of these patients in any way they can, including providing transportation, acting as an advocate for the patients during medical visits, providing basic medical care and comfort for the patients, and administrative tasks.
St. Theresa’s Home for Boys
St. Theresa’s is a home for boys ages 5 through 18 whose families are either unable to care for them or have passed away. Many of the children have HIV/AIDS. St. Theresa’s is staffed by the Augustinian Sisters in South Africa. There is a school onsite that the boys attend during the day, and in the afternoons they go home to their cottages, where they are separated according to age. The Volunteers assist in tutoring and mentoring the boys after school, three days a week. Each Volunteer is assigned to a particular cottage and works with the same boys throughout the year.