Volunteer Testimonials   |   Masigcine Project Photos

Your first visit to Masigcine Children's Home will be on the first Monday after you arrive in Cape Town.

One of the Via Volunteers team will collect you from Ashanti Lodge every Monday at 10:00 and take you to a local mall where you will have about an hour to do your grocery shopping. From there we will take you to Masigcine. We will introduce you to the team on your first afternoon there and help you settle into the volunteer room.

On Mondays you will help out from 3pm through to 6pm. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you will be helping out from about 6am through to 6pm with a 2-hour lunch break from 1-3pm. On Friday you will be helping out from 6am through to about 12 noon or 6pm. Volunteering hours are variable, so please be prepared to be flexible to the needs of the children and the home. Some days will see you starting later than 6am, and other days will see you finishing later than 6pm.

Please remember that times and duties can vary at short notice as no day is exactly the same at Masigcine. You will need to be prepared to use your initiative if you find yourself at a loose end with no planned activities or duties. During your stay you can expect to be helping out with the following activities:

• Assisting with and coming up with fun activities and games
• Helping the staff in the kitchen with preparing food, serving and feeding the young ones
• Developmental play with the babies and toddlers
• Assist mamas with clinic visits two or three times each week
• Assist mamas with walking children to and from the local creche
• Changing nappies
• Ironing and cleaning

If you would like some inspiration of what to do with the children, we have prepared lots of boards for you on our Pinterest page with plenty of ideas for fun educational activities for children.

Every Friday, one of the Via Volunteers team will collect you from Masigcine at about 12 noon and take you back to Ashanti Lodge for your weekend off.

If you would like to book any activities or tours for your weekends off, please let Gary or Chantal know and they will be happy to arrange these for you.

Volunteer Testimonials   |   Masigcine Project Photos

Weekend accommodation (every Friday, Saturday & Sunday night):

Voted in 2019 as Cape Town’s best backpacker accommodation, Ashanti Lodge has excellent facilities and is perfectly positioned in central Cape Town as an ideal base for volunteers. This will be your home every weekend and is a great place to relax when you aren’t out exploring everything Cape Town has to offer.

Uber works very well in Cape Town, and Ashanti is just a couple of minutes away from the excellent MyCiti bus route which provides cheap, safe and reliable transport to Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Camps Bay, Hout Bay and much more. Close by you will also find an incredible variety of restaurants and bars, plenty of great hangouts in Long Street, a well-equipped shopping mall, supermarkets, health shops, cafes…the list goes on.

While you’re at Ashanti you can enjoy all of the facilities below. Whether you’re having a dip in the pool or watching Table Mountain while you have breakfast, you will find that Ashanti have thought of everything:

• Dormitory accommodation with all bedding and linen provided.
• Free Wi-Fi from anywhere on the premises
• A fully equipped shared kitchen with fridge/freezers for storing your groceries
• A basic breakfast can be purchased at the restaurant starting from R70.
• All bedding including linen, duvet and pillows (linen is changed every four days)
• Laundry service – R70 per 0-5kg load including powder, wash, dry & fold. Drop it off at reception and it will be ready for you about 12 hours later
• Lots of showers and toilets
• A lovely pool area with sun beds and a BBQ
• A restaurant bar with a pool table, and a balcony overlooking the pool with impressive views of Table Mountain. If you're extra hungry, an all you can eat breakfast buffet is available for only R70, with great value meals available through to 10pm
• A personal safe for every volunteer and coded access to your room
• Lockable under bed storage for your suitcase/clothing (bring your own padlock for this)
• CCTV Security, controlled access and a night guard
• A night manager
• The lodge is cleaned daily and rooms are also serviced daily.

On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday night:

You will stay in our dedicated volunteer room at Masigcine Children's Home. This basic but comfortable accommodation has the following facilities:

• One shared bedroom with 4 beds (2 bunk beds)
• A bathroom with a toilet, basin and shower
• All bedding is provided
• You are expected to keep your living space and the bathroom tidy, and to clean up after yourself. A cleaner comes in every Monday morning to mop floors, dust etc.

A microwave and kettle are provided in the flat for preparing quick snacks and drinks. Other meals can be prepared in the fully equipped kitchen downstairs.

Volunteer Testimonials   |   Masigcine Project Photos

Masigcine Children's Home is located in Mfuleni about a 25-minute drive from the centre of Cape Town.

Your arrival airport is Cape Town (CPT)

• We have arrival dates for this project on most Fridays throughout the year.
• You can also arrive earlier or over the weekend if you prefer. We can easily add extra nights to your stay, before and/or after your placement.
• You can book your arrival flight to land at Cape Town International Airport at any time of day.
• One of our team will be at the airport to give you a warm welcome. We will also escort you to Ashanti Lodge and help you get settled in.
• You will have the rest of the weekend to explore Cape Town before joining Masigcine on Monday.