Two years ago my wife traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to volunteer in a township called Khayelitsha for two months. After expressing her interest of volunteering abroad to me, I immediately thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to give back. 

This past winter and spring, my daughter Katie followed her footsteps and studied abroad in Cape Town. One of the reasons she wanted to study in Cape Town was to have the opportunity to volunteer. After seeing how beneficial it was for her mother, she was inspired to do the same.  When she got to Cape Town there were a few different organizations she could chose from. However, after talking to previous volunteers and learning more about the programs she decided to work with CHOSA. CHOSA is a US-based non-profit organization that “aims to support the growth of community-based projects in South Africa which provide high-quality care for children.” They give hope to the children of South Africa. She was paired up with two other students in her program and were assigned to run an after school program with children ages 7-10 years old. They focused on teaching them writing, English and mathematics skills.

Katie volunteered two days a week from 3-6pm. The children she was working with lived in a house called Emasithandane (also known as Emasi for short). There were around 35 kids at Emasi that ranged from toddlers to teenagers. Some live there permanently and others are there for a limited period of time. Many of these children come from a troubled background (although not all are orphans) and stay at Emasi for many personal reasons. Mama Maposela is the founder of Emasi and runs the house, as well as a number of caregivers at the home that take care of the kids.

Emasi is located in a township called Nyanga, which translates to meaning ‘the moon’ and was located about 15 minutes away from where she stayed in Cape Town. It is one of the oldest black townships and was established as a result of the migrant labor system. In 1955 it became a fully established township. The living conditions are very poor. Volunteering with CHOSA opened her eyes to the extreme level of poverty in South Africa and added an entirely new element to her abroad experience. She was able to take time out of her day and help the kids at Emasi. Volunteering with CHOSA for 5 and a half months allowed her to become connected with the kids, caregivers and township. It impacted her beyond what she ever imagined. When she got home from Cape Town she said,”I didn’t come to South Africa with the mentality of  “changing the world, but I left with the sincere attitude of giving back and doing what I can do to better it.”

Giving back to the community is extremely important. Whether the size of your contribution, anything helps. Although allotting three hours of your day to teach children writing, English and math skills may seem minuscule, it is still better than nothing. There are so many organizations, such as Cross Cultural Solutions and CHOSA, which are always in need of volunteers. Volunteering is a great opportunity to better others lives while bettering yours at the same time. I am so proud of my wife and daughter for taking a leap and volunteering abroad.

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