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By skatz14

My most recent volunteering experience was really different for me because I was the only volunteer in my classroom. It was the day before UCT’s spring break started, so the three other people who volunteer with me in my classroom could not attend, due to pre-break midterms and papers. Every classroom was really lacking in volunteers that day, so I learned what the schools must be like, since they tend to be so understaffed. Because I have around 15 students in my class, the beginning of the lesson was really difficult. SHAWCO aims to have a 3:1 ratio with students to teachers, so 15:1 seemed like the impossible. Eventually, I asked if one of the volunteers who had a much smaller 15-person 5th grade classroom could join me since it was too much, and she agreed. There was another volunteer in her class that day, so she was able to help me ...continue reading "Difficulties and Successes"

By skatz14

Alas, I have begun volunteering in Cape Town! I am volunteering through an organization that is run through the University of Cape Town. It is called SHAWCO, and it is one of South Africa’s largest student volunteer organizations. SHAWCO’s goals are to help with skill development and provide educational programming to youth in Townships and communities around the Cape Town area.

SHAWCO is the base organization, but it has many branches, or sub-organizations, which each have programming specific for that branch. The branch of SHAWCO that I am volunteering with is called Kenstep and it is located at a SHAWCO center in a community called Kensington, about twenty minutes from the University. At 2:45pm every afternoon that I volunteer, a bus picks up all of the volunteers and brings us to Kenstep! ...continue reading "SHAWCO: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship"