Review: International Development in South Africa by Gaurika J

Although not necessary for a volunteering placement, I picked International Development as it relates well to my interests and university degree (International Relations).

I’m interested in political issues, evaluating neoliberalism and the charity sector so I chose South Africa because I wanted to learn more about its progressions and lingering struggles after colonisation and Apartheid, and I was interested to see if the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 had intersected these issues.

I was glad I chose something which related well to what I study as I was able to well-assimilate and appreciate the social, economic, cultural, environmental, historical and political intricacies of the underprivileged community I was in: Vrygrond, Cape Town.

Arriving in South Africa

I felt on arrival that my placement destination – Where Rainbows Meet (Rainbows for short) – was like a safe place in the midst of a deprived and turbulent area. The staff members, volunteers and beneficiaries of Rainbows’ work are very much united towards solidarity within the community.

They run programmes oriented towards long-term aid (eg. female entrepreneurial programmes, gardening and nutritional programmes, daycare and youth development programmes, life skills training workshops) and programmes oriented towards short-term aid (eg. community feeding programmes, aid outreach to natural disasters such as fires).

It was unlike what I’ve seen with the discourse around charities in my home country, the UK. The centre itself is always bustling with activity and people from the local community are always coming in and out of the centre; the impact Rainbows makes is therefore incredibly palpable.

Working at Where Rainbows Meet

Where Rainbows Meet is incredibly diverse in its services and therefore offers diversity in the work that you can do.

I assisted Rainbows’ Project Manager (Kyle Cupido) with:

Fundraising efforts
Devising plans for more methods and means of fundraising
Social media Marking
Updated the website
Supporting the running of workshops
Completing write-ups of workshops
Assisting in community feeding.

Additional tasks other volunteers concentrated on were:

Running computer training sessions for the community
Assisting the children and youth daycare & education programmes
Developing and designing architectural models for improvements and additions (eg: a boundary wall and roof) to the centre
Outreach programmes with social workers

Being engaged with the female entrepreneurial and nutritional programmes is also something that volunteers are welcome to do as well. Being organised and having a plan of tasks to do that day helped a lot in being able to keep doing something to help Rainbows, but flexibility is important as anything unexpected could happen in the community that needs a sector of our attention.

For example, a fire broke out in a nearby community and some of my time that day was seeing firsthand how such events affect the stability of the community; this was an incredibly valuable insight into the limitations townships face and why centres like Rainbows are so important.

The staff were all incredibly friendly and I discussed much with them on the issues the centre, Vrygrond and South Africa faces. Their viewpoints were important for me to ascertain in order to understand some things that I would not be able to on academic or media sources.

For example, their opinions and evidence of how recent political corruption has seeped into local communities around Vrygrond. I felt like I was an actual staff member there because of the responsibilities and positive interactions I had with the staff even though I was there for a short time.

Social Activities and Travel

I visited the V&A Waterfront and Greenmarket Square, Robben Island, Muizenberg Beach and the Cape of Good Hope. I would have done more if I were there for longer than two weeks! Go for longer than two weeks!!

Robben Island was a fascinating insight into some of the history of South Africa and our tour guide was a real past political prisoner there. The beach and the Cape boasted some great views and animals!

Projects Abroad affiliated staff members kindly took us out on a short but rewarding hike to Lion’s Head, which is good if you want to take advantage of the natural scenery but are not able or comfortable with long hikes, and also for a meal at BlueBird Garage which I would recommend if you like restored and vintage-esque social spaces.

The V&A Waterfront and Greenmarket Square are classic touristy places where you’re sure to get everything you want. The V&A Mall has a large pharmacy and toiletries store called Clicks and banking facilities in case of urgent need.

Final thoughts

I felt melancholy that I was leaving people I had quickly learned to respect and learn from. I was given a lovely card made and filled in by the staff members, volunteers and children which was incredibly gratifying.

I was grateful that I’d had this experience to learn about communities and cities different from the singular one that I’d grown up in. Diversity of experiences brings diversity in understanding of the world, and I think I have a much better and refined understanding and appreciation of how grassroots organisations can form and the strengths they have over large multinational organisations.

I felt a lot more comfortable than anticipated in these places I went. Using Uber and Bolt were very efficient ways of getting around town. My rides all arrived within a couple of minutes and I had no problems with the services, but still keep an eye on the app of where you’re going and, if you can, check with your driver whose name they are picking up to ensure you’re getting in the right car.

I arrived in South Africa with a family member who, having a standard tourist holiday, experienced no problems on the streets nor using Uber & Bolt.

I also felt very comfortable in my accommodation (the Director’s, Mymoena Scholtz, house) and I and other volunteers got driven to and from Rainbows and the accommodation which meant that I did feel safe in areas away from the town centre.

This is a personal account of one volunteer’s experience on the project and is a snapshot in time. Your experience may be different, as our projects are constantly adapting to local needs and building on accomplishments. Seasonal weather changes can also have a big impact. To find out more about what you can expect from this project we encourage you to speak to one of our friendly staff.