Be a community legend on your gap year.

Whether it’s helping little pre-schoolers go about their day, or making sure that the elderly have a clean environment to live in, the work you’ll do in Kenton-On-Sea, the beautiful beach town outside of Port Elizabeth, will be hugely appreciated and respected by both the community members and workers.

Kenton-on-Sea will be your new home in South Africa, as you participate in one of our most important cultural exchange programmes. Situated on the spectacular coastline of South Africa’s southeastern tip, there are lots of gorgeous beaches where you can relax with friends and grab a cold beer after your day’s work is done. There are even two refreshing rivers where many of our programme participants love swimming to cool down in the evenings.

And with everything you need just a short walking distance away from your accommodation, you’re guaranteed a stress-free, easy transition into life in this seaside town.

PHOTOS

Help Make A Measurable Difference In A South African Seaside Town

The South Africa Cultural Exchange Programme is the perfect opportunity to do something different and meaningful with your gap year. Don’t just spend your valuable time off getting so drunk that you don’t even remember what you did! Come home from your time abroad with irreplaceable memories, unparalleled travel and cultural experiences, and a new vision of the world. Spending time helping others is one of the most valuable and important things you can do during your gap year, and in life.

Our cultural exchange programme embodies a unique model of empowerment within the local community, enabling members to help themselves through enhanced economic, social, educational and environmental development schemes.

This rewarding programme will allow you to make a difference in a range of peoples’ lives, from toddlers taking their first vital ‘steps’ in life to adults looking to make a fresh start in education, and elderly members of the community who have more zest for life than you ever thought possible.

Through seven special programme features, you will gain valuable experience in a range of working environments and social development programmes. The areas where you will help the most are:

• Feeding Scheme Assistance: Spend time seeing what it’s really like to work in a humanitarian aid setting, working in the soup kitchens to feed the vulnerable children of the area.
• Early Education Assisting Help out in two preschools, playing with the little kiddies and teaching them valuable lessons.
• Primary Education Assisting: Teach young kids some English skills, help the teacher in the classroom and grow with pride as you watch your kid’s progress.
• Elderly Housekeeping Initiative: Make a tangible difference in the lives of elderly community members, by aiding with cleaning and spending valuable time getting to know them.
• Homework Support: It may seem easy for you, but assisting kids with their homework will help to keep them focused, motivated and enthusiastic about education. This incredible support network also has a 100% success rate!
• Youth Empowerment: Help young adults develop the skills to brighten their future. Using simple group exercises and helpful tools, you can help them to develop valuable business, leadership, entrepreneurial and social skills.
• IT literacy: Help advance the community and bring important technological opportunities to the area by assisting in computer literary with primary school children.
• Coastal Conservation Project: Undertake rewarding conservation work with the help of the fun and enthusiastic children of Kenton-on-Sea, as you clean up the coast and take part in important research of the wetlands.

It’s Not All Work, No Play!

Living in South Africa will give you an awesome opportunity to explore the country in depth. Weekends at the South Africa Cultural Exchange are yours to enjoy and you can spend them any way you like; whether that involves lying on the gorgeous white-sand beaches of Kenton-on-Sea, or taking some epic trips further afield to discover more awesome parts of the country.

And if our community exchange programme is not enough to keep you busy, then there are plenty of other additional adventures and activities that you can enjoy while you’re there.

With South Africa hailed as the adrenaline capital of the African continent, you can experience an optional range of exciting extreme sports and activities like never before. Be prepared to go:

• Sky Diving in Grahamstown
• Day-Trip to Addo Elephant National Park
• Horse Riding on the Beach
• Two-Day Canoe Trip with an overnight at Bushman’s River
• Bungee Jumping at Storms River; the World’s Highest Jump
• Deep Sea Fishing
• Shark cage diving with Great Whites in Plettenberg Bay
• And lots more adventure!

Not feeling in the mood to bungee jump off a bridge, or go cage diving with Great White Sharks? Sure, even us adrenaline junkies feel like relaxing sometimes!

You can always slow it down by visiting some of the stunning surroundings in South Africa, such as the breath-taking Garden Route, the vast Karoo or the beautiful Chintsa. Traveling around the south-eastern part of the country will give you a better insight into the culture and lifestyle, as well as providing you with a well-deserved break from you duties at the Cultural Exchange programme in Kenton-on-Sea.

Weekend trip accommodation or food not included in Cultural Exchange Programme subsidies.

• Elephant and Lion Conservation Programme (Optional)

But wait, there’s more! (Read in your best infomercial voice!)

We have another awesome opportunity for anyone wishing to extend their time in South Africa and broaden their learning and experiences through amazing conservation work. Just a 16km drive from Kenton-on-Sea is a beautiful Game Reserve, one of the famous Big Five Game Reserves of South Africa. Home to hundreds of wild animals including elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffe, zebra and more, working as a conservationist at the Kariega Game Reserve is a once-in-a-lifetime dream opportunity for any animal lovers! By adding on our Xtreme wildlife volunteering experience you can stay on the reserve, immerse yourself into life ‘in the bush’ and learn a mountain of knowledge about the wildlife and conservation efforts of the reserve.

Cool activities include everything from elephant and lion monitoring, to helping to combat harmful alien plants.

If you’re interested in adding the Elephant and Lion Conservation Programme to your itinerary, just let us know and we’ll arrange the rest!

ACCOMMODATION

We provide accommodation for all of our programme participants. The house is situated in the stunning seaside town of Kenton-on-Sea, with gorgeous beaches and everything you need just a short walk away. It is not luxurious but has everything you will need for a comfortable and safe stay in Kenton-on-Sea. Bedrooms and bathrooms may be shared, depending on occupancy. The house includes a fully equipped kitchen, lounge with TV, courtyard and BBQ facilities. Bed linen is also provided and laundry is done for you in the washing machine on site. The house does not have a telephone but call cards can be easily purchased in the town, where there is also an Internet café.

Trip Frequently Asked Questions

PRICE IN GBP

•  2 Weeks £489

DATES

•  You can start this project any Monday of the month.