South-To-North Programme
CCE, in partnership with Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiners – Friends of Waldorf Education, offers young South African adults the opportunity to work in a social facility in Germany: this is a voluntary service and all work is performed without pay. The programme does, however, offer participants the opportunity for travel, and the opportunity to enjoy intercultural encounters and exchanges, as well as new areas of work alongside new spheres of learning.
This volunteer venture is made possible by the German Federal Voluntary Service, which is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth. Interested participants are required to visit the Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiners – Friends of Waldorf Education website [https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/en] to complete the online application form and check the necessary requirements.
Participants must be at least 18 years of age and able to express themselves effectively in German. Ideally they will have some experience working in social care situations such as a children’s home, a special-needs care centre, a farming community working with children or youth requiring care.
Applicants should be curious and open to meeting new people and gaining cultural experiences. Equally important is that they are interested in working within a Waldorf environment and open to the underlying philosophy of Anthroposophy. Currently we can accept only interested persons based in the greater Cape Town area.
Successful south-north volunteers will receive:
- Free room and board in Germany.
- A monthly “pocket money” stipend.
- Health, accident and liability insurance coverage.
- Seminars and pedagogical support.
- Support in the visa application process.
Note: All costs related to the visa, preparatory language courses, as well as the return ticket to Germany are for the volunteer’s own expense. In individual cases, the Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiners – Friends of Waldorf Education might be able to assist with travel expenses.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Before departing Cape Town, volunteers attend a preparatory seminar, co-facilitated by alumni volunteers where possible. On returning, they attend a “debriefing” returning seminar.
Participants typically attend 25 seminar days, during which there is opportunity for personal exchanges and reflection of life in Germany. Friends of Waldorf Education staff support the volunteers during their entire year in all matters related to their voluntary service.
SCOPE OF THE WORK
In social therapeutic and curative educational institutions people with and without special needs work together. Our volunteers support these people in all their daily activities (eating, getting dressed, personal hygiene). They work mostly in special-needs households but often also workshops (woodworking, weaving and pottery, as examples).
When working in Waldorf schools, volunteers support teachers by attending to individual children with special needs. In afterschool care centres the children are supported with their lessons in a family atmosphere. In the kindergartens, volunteers support educators in structuring the day for children between the ages of two and six.
Volunteers caring for the elderly assist these people with eating, getting dressed and bodily hygiene, while handling various other necessary daily tasks.
In biodynamic agriculture, core concerns are the responsible cohabitation of humans, as well as the care of soil and animals. Volunteers might find themselves working in food gardens, general farming or in animal husbandry. In Germany, many of the social therapeutic institutions to which volunteers are sent also have a biodynamic farm.