Volunteer Testimonials | CTSHG Project Photos
Cape Town Safe Home for Girls is registered to accommodate up to 40 girls (ages 3 -18) and their mission is to provide a quality home for them with a nurturing environment that will cater for their emotional, spiritual, physical, social and educational needs.
As a volunteer, you can play a vital mentoring role to these young girls as well as come up with fun activities, help with homework, read, play, help with meal preparation and much more.
By providing specialised care, education and teaching life skills to the girls within a secure environment, caregivers and volunteers empower them with the necessary skills and knowledge to become confident individuals.
The girls are fully integrated into the local community. They attend schools in the surrounding areas and are actively involved in extra-mural activities. One of the home's main focuses is to re-integrate the children with their families as soon as possible.
To join this project you will need to be aged 18 years or older by the time you arrive in Cape Town. Personal characteristics like commitment, flexibility and the ability to use your initiative will be key. Many of the girls have experienced severe hardships and disappointments during their lives, so it is essential that you are able to set them a good example through your behaviour at all times. To ensure effective communication between all team members, a good understanding of the English language is also required.You will also need to produce a Police Clearance certificate as you will be working children.
| Arrival Airport | Cape Town (CPT) |
| Arrival Day | Friday recommended - you can arrive earlier or over the weekend |
| Join Project On | Monday |
| Minimum Duration | You can volunteer with this project for 4 weeks or longer |
| Volunteering Hours | Approximately 2pm - 7pm, from Monday to Friday each week |
| Main Activities | Assisting with homework, creating fun activities, mentoring young girls and teenagers, helping in the kitchen and around the home |
| Fly Home On | Friday, or any day after |
| Minimum Age | You must be aged 18 years or older when you arrive |
| Availability | Available dates for each duration are shown on the top-right of this page with the option to select from several currencies. |
| Pre-arrival Support | Our experienced team is on hand to ensure you are fully prepared for your trip to South Africa |
| Airport Welcome | One of our team will be at the airport to welcome you and escort you to Ashanti Lodge |
| Accommodation | You will stay at Ashanti Lodge in central Cape Town with a pool, restaurant, bar and wonderful views of Table Mountain. |
| Food | All meals are self-catering at Ashanti Lodge. |
| Wi-Fi | Free Wi-Fi at Ashanti Lodge. |
| Orientation | On your first day you will have a full orientation |
| Badge | We will provide you with a personalised Via Volunteers name badge to wear while you are at your project |
| In-country support | Our volunteer coordinators are available 24/7 for emergencies, and are on hand to help you make the most of your stay |
| Certificate | On completion of your placement we will send you a special thank you certificate to accompany your CV or resume. |
| Visas | Citizens from most countries can arrive in South Africa and stay for up to 90 days without a Visa. Please refer to our FAQ section for more details if you are unsure |
| Flights | Please refer to our FAQ section for recommendations about keeping your flight costs to a minimum |
| Transfers | We will take you to your project on your first afternoon. Thereafter, you will need to budget about R1500 each week for Uber trips between Ashanti Lodge & the project(approx ₤80, €90, US$100, CAD$130, or AUD$150). |
| Transfer back to Cape Town Airport | Uber works really well in Cape Town and is the best value option for this. |
Volunteer Testimonials | CTSHG Project Photos
Your first visit to Cape Town Safe Home for Girls will be on the Monday after you arrive in Cape Town.
On your first day, one of the Via Volunteer's team will collect you from Ashanti Lodge and take you to your project. Thereafter, you will need to book your remaining transfers between Ashanti Lodge and the home using the Uber app on your phone.
You will then be introduced to Graeme for your introduction to the staff, girls and the project.
Make sure you eat lunch before you leave your accommodation each day, or prepare a packed lunch to take with you.
Typically you can expect to be busy from about 2:00pm - 7:00pm. There may be opportunities to help out with events and activities over weekends too, and you will be able to talk with Graeme to arrange any time off or changes to your schedule.
Your afternoons will normally begin with helping to prepare food and snacks in the kitchen. As the girls arrive home from school you will be able to help them with homework, reading and fun activities. Be prepared to bring your own ideas along, and perhaps explore sites like Pinterest in advance for some extra help.
Be creative and let your imagination go wild!
Throughout your stay you are encouraged to tell the girls your story and let them know what you did at school, where you have travelled to, where you normally work, what your interests are, and the things you would still like to do. As a positive role model, your story will encourage these girls to work hard to improve their lives and inspire them to look beyond the unfortunate circumstances of their childhood.
Volunteer Testimonials | CTSHG Project Photos
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 while you're here 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:
Volunteer Testimonials | CTSHG Project Photos
Your arrival airport is Cape Town (CPT)