Volunteer in South Africa: HIV/AIDS Project

These HIV/Aids projects help support families with home based care for terminally ill patients and children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Those who suffer the most are our children. Sometimes they do not have someone to talk to. In some instances children suffer because there is no one who can talk on their behalf. They do not always understand why they do not have a parent any more. Local HIV/AIDS projects are fully supported by schools, churches, local clinics, Social Services and the district office of Social Development as well as UNICEF. As a volunteer you will assist caretakers and work in HIV/AIDS support groups. Each support group is supervised by a group facilitator. Support groups run their own awareness programs. They do motivational talks at the prisons, juvenile centers, churches, and any awareness events. Volunteers also help promote workshops on HIV and AIDS, positive living, HIV /AIDS and the law, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS and guidelines of support groups.

Skills/Qualifications Needed

There is no specific qualification required to volunteer in this project. However, volunteers must possess love and willingness to share time and compassion with the people with great patience and high flexibility.

Role of a Volunteer

Volunteers take care of HIV/AIDS infected kids and people and get them engaged in educational and training activities meant to increase awareness and stop the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Through story telling they want to teach children and even family members that story telling can be therapeutic and also help you to cope with your circumstances. They also help children with their schoolwork and Family Conferences is also one of their activities. Volunteer help could be highly useful in the following activities:

• Care and encourage HIV/AIDS affected
• Counseling and education in hospitals and communities
• Raise personal risk perception among the youth, men and women by involving them to actively participate in HIV/AIDS preventive education in the district
• Help various HIV/AIDS organizations in their community outreach programs such as hospice care, recreational and educational programs, voluntary HIV counseling and testing, and educational seminars and conferences on the virus within the local community

Room/ Food/ Supervision

Volunteers mainly stay with homestays in the communities. Our host families are active community members, mature, trained and experienced with international volunteers. You will get a single room (or sharing with another volunteer) in a homestay. The accommodation will be clean and simply furnished. Local host will manage 3 local meals a day. During the volunteering period, local organization staff will guide, help, and supervise you.