Volunteer in South Africa

If you are interested in helping the courageous people of South Africa most directly, we invite you to consider volunteering in Ndawana, the village where Edzimkulu’s work is done.

While our needs in South Africa vary over time, as an overseas volunteer, the work you may be expected to do can include the following:

• provide medical or dental care
• teach skills to the people of Ndawana
• assist Ndawana residents to obtain official SA documents and social grants
• build, repair or maintain Edzimkulu facilities
• facilitate the transport of needy people
• provide administrative support to the overseas operation
• share your skills with the management team
• work to enhance education delivery
• tutor high school students
• assist matriculants to find bursaries and post-secondary opportunities

We have learned that having short-term volunteers (less than 3 months) sometimes is not effective. By the time volunteers overcome jet lag, become acquainted with the many elements of our operation, get to know the Ndawana team, etc., it is time to return to Canada. The most effective arrangement is to have volunteers who can commit at least 3 months. We will consider volunteers who have currently needed skills, fit well into current initiatives, or can contribute in other ways in the shorter term.

In the past our work has focused on the construction of the four-building community centre in the village. The building of this centre represented the birth of the organization because it provides the facilities to deliver a wide range of aid and services to the people of Ndawana. It also represents the heart of Edzimkulu in the community we love and serve.

With the completion of the community centre in December 2005, we turned to full-time program development. Our focus had primarily been in health delivery, and by January 2007 we have been recognized by the Department of Health as the leaders in rural health delivery in the entire Sisonke District.

There is still a lot of work to be done to make our clinic officially recognized and supported completely by the Department of Health. Other opportunities for volunteers are noted above.

Since volunteering in South Africa involves a substantial commitment by both Edzimkulu and you, the volunteer, care must be taken to ensure the mutual appropriateness of your involvement. Should you express interest in volunteering overseas, we will work with you to determine the fit between you, the organization, and our needs. Below is a list of general guidelines and requirements:

• In order to evaluate fit, we will invite you to volunteer in Edmonton for a period of time. This will allow us to get to know you, and you the organization. (This volunteer time-period may be waived for individuals with specific critically-needed skills, such as medical/dental practitioners, and for those from outside Edmonton.)

• Overseas volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 3 months work. Exceptions may be made for those with specialized skills.

• Overseas volunteers are required to sign a contract that states the terms and conditions of the volunteer agreement.

• Volunteers are responsible for transportation to and from South Africa.  

• While Edzimkulu provides accommodation, volunteers are responsible for the cost of food throughout their volunteer period.

For frequently asked question, please read the Volunteer FAQ. The Volunteer Contract can be downloaded here.

If you have any questions or would like to explore volunteering overseas, please write to volunteer@edzimkulu.org.