Area: Wild Coast – South Africa
Opportunity: Teaching in a rural community
Duration: 3 months or longer
Cost: R50/$7 per day to cover food

The Balen High School is located in Amadiba Administrative Area of Bizana (town). It is approximately 20 KM from the coastline, and lies along the valleys of the Mtentu river. It falls within the Pondoland Centre of endemism on the Wild Coast of South Africa.

Poverty levels in this area are the highest in the country, with the unemployment rate estimated at 71% and 88% of households living below the poverty line. Schools have very poor facilities and the drop-out rate is very high; people have to walk for about 2-3 hours to get to the nearest medical clinic; children walk for about 3-5 hours to and from school each day; road infrastructure is very poor and on local roads it takes about two hours to cover a distance of 40km due to the poor state of local roads; 26% of the population has no formal schooling and only 2% have passed Grade 12.

The opportunity
The Balen High School principle Opa Koffi recognises the need for better quality education for his learners and teachers alike, therefore he has invited anyone willing to assist the teachers in the fields of English, Maths, Physical Science, Chemistry, Life Science (Biology) or Librarianship.

Balen High School information
Size: 350 learners, approximately 50 learners per class
Religion: Largely a Christian based school but they are not affiliated to any church.
School hours: School starts at 7:45 ends a 14:30
Sport & music are available to learners from 15:00 to 16:00
Electricity: The South African government have recently installed solar panels at the school so there is power.
Facilities: limited in all areas, the Science kits are not complete, relevant books are in short supply, there are no sports fields, teaching aids are not available.
Language: English is the medium of instruction and Xhosa is the mother tounge
Ablutions: The ablutions are very rudimentary according to western standards, all the learners and teachers use a long drop system, please be aware that this may take some getting used to but it is all the people know in the area.
Water: There is no running tap water, water is pumped form the river and collected in rain tanks for cooking and drinking.
Sport: They offer , football, netball, volleyball, soft ball, baseball and hand ball.
Behaviour and discipline: Generally the learners are willing to learn and there is a high level of respect for the teachers. The teachers tell us that punishment is handed out in the form of duties such as cleaning the school.

Who should apply
The ideal candidates would be 2 people, friends or a couple for ease of settling in and a reference point.
You need to be: Culturally tolerant, open to different way of doing things within the school system, able to observe without imposing opinions, prepared to work long hours, committed to teaching the teachers and the learners, interact with the whole community as you will be living amongst the community, willing to live in a totally rural environment. (i.e no shops, electricity, running water, pubs, bathrooms)

Curriculum
The volunteer will receive the curriculum by post in advance so they can familiarise themselves with the work. They will become assistant teachers and will work closely with the teachers in order provide a better understanding for the teacher about their subject.

Accommodation and Food
The principle Mr Koffi will be your host for the duration of your stay.
The accommodation is in his own home, he lives with his wife and 2 children, his sister and her 2 children and his son, there are 3 huts and an outside toilet that is a long drop system. You will have your own room which is part of the main building.
Water is pumped up from the river into tanks and there is no running water and therefore no bath room. To wash you are required to fill a basin of water and bathe in the privacy of your room.
Food will be provided mostly from Koffi’s prolific garden the kind of food you will be eating are as follows:
Rice, cabbage, samp & beans, madumbe, sweet potato, porridge, chicken, beef, mutton, pork, canned beef, home made bread. Alcohol and smoking are permitted at his home.
There is a generator so you can charge computers and batteries.

What you will gain from the experience
A deep understanding of a new African culture
Aspects of a new language, namely Xhosa
New tastes in food
A sense of tradition in the form of songs and dances
New values
An understanding of the educating system in South Africa
A chance to make a huge impact from an educational perspective
A chance to inspire young minds

Cost
Cost R50 per day to cover your very basic expenses.
This will include:
Food (traditional food only)
Accommodation (very basic)
Transport to and from school each day.

Getting to the project
You will need to fly into the Durban International Airport then catch a bus to Port Edward where the principle will collect you and transport you to the school.
If you want to hire a car for the duration of you stay please ensure it is a 4 wheel drive as the roads leading to the school are very rough.

What to bring
• Water purification tablets
however we recommend that you bring purification tablets, and boil your drinking water.
• Medical:
Bring a basic medical kit as there are no shops or medical supplies in the area. This should include insect repellent (there is no Malaria in this area), tick bite fever tablets, sunscreen, head ache tablets, anti biotic, plasters and bandages, anti histamine cream, disinfectant, asthma pumps, etc.
• Personal:
Bring all your own toiletries, sleeping bag, warm jacket, towels, swim wear, personal clothing, torch, batteries, toilet paper (many people use newspaper)
• Food:
Any food you think you need, mainly dry goods as fridge space is limited if at all, the fridge is run off gas and this is an expense to the household so they only run the fridge when it is necessary.
NO DRUGS or ALCAHOL on the school premises
• Hiking gear:
Good walking shoes and a tent (optional) there are a lot of wonderful places to explore in this area and it is ideal for hiking.
• Teaching aids:
The schools has very little equipment and what equipment they do have has not been used in a while, so you will be required to be very creative and bare in mind that any thing you may need in your own teaching methods may not be readily available at the school.
• Computer and 3 G card:
There are no computers, or internet access points, you may bring your own computer and purchase a Vodacom 3G card or use your mobile phone as a modem.

Weather
The Wild Coast shares its climatic characteristics with the coast of KwaZulu/Natal. The area is part of the summer rainfall region and generally enjoys warm to humid, sub tropical conditions. Annual summer rainfall regularly exceeds 1000mm, with summer temperatures between late November and March averaging highs of 28°C to 32°C (82°F-90°F). Average winter highs between June and late September reaching a very agreeable 23°C to 25°C (73°F-77°F).

School terms
School Term 1 : 19 Jan - 1 Apr
School Term 2 : 11 Apr - 24 Jun
School Term 3 : 18 Jul - 30 Sep
School Term 4 : 10 Oct - 9 Dec

What to do in the area
The village of Balen is situated in one of the most spectacular parts of South Africa so in your spare time there is plenty of scope to explore this incredible landscape, swim in the rivers and hike the Georges. On weekends you can visit the very popular tourist towns of Port St Johns or Port Edward where there is lots to do.

www.portstjohns.org.za
www.portedward.co.za

Pictures from the school: the principle, the outside kitchen, the grade 12’s, classroom interior (Luthandu the head boy is in the front with a black jacket), the water tanks.

Pictures of the accommodation: The principle feeds the goats and chickens, lounge interior, your room interior, view from the school and view from the accommodation.

How to apply
Send us your CV and a 1 page motivation letter as to why you would like to work in the heart of rural South Africa. Send your application to: info@voluntoursouthafrica.com