Volunteering is an altruistic action and its value is incalculable, and also based on your tastes or aptitudes, the activities in which you can embark on to help with can be very different. If you want to know about the work some NGOs do in Africa, read on, we’ll tell you about it!
Volunteering in Africa to help children
There are many NGOs that focus their work on children to try to guarantee a future for those who need it most, the children of the poorest countries. Fighting for equality begins by giving more to those who have less, and that is precisely what we do in Meraki bay thanks to our Houties project.
Houties is the first juvenile group of Hangberg, a favela located about 25 minutes away from downtown Cape Town. In this community, children live exposed to structural problems such as high levels of violence (Cape Town is the fifteenth most violent city in the world), premature and/or unwanted pregnancies, and alcoholism or drug use.
To keep them away from these situations, in Houties we organize games and activities with them. During the examination period we set up a support group; in the summer we go to the beach or to the swimming pool and try to encourage values such as respect for the environment, the importance of hygiene, or why making an effort is important.
In Houties we have created an urban garden, we have gone hiking and played survival games, we have done workshops on hygiene and nutrition, and some of our activities have also included cooking lessons. Above all, we want them to have fun while learning! If you want to join us and have fun with all this together with the little ones then volunteering is the best option! The smile they give you from ear to ear as a thank you is priceless!
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Volunteering in Africa to help women
Feminism dictates the political agenda of many countries, achieving equality between men and women is a priority for more and more people. If you want to volunteer to help women in Africa, you can also come to Meraki Bay!
We work with the women of the community thanks to our sewing workshops. We first made scarves for our group of Houties and, once finished, we started making cloth folders. As soon as they are finished, we will sell them in the local market so that women can have a source of income thanks to their work.
Other volunteering work in Africa
However, there are many other volunteer activities in which you can participate, such as helping to protect the animal world.
Volunteer work with animals
According to the United Nations Organisation (UN), every day 150 animal species become extinct, and according to the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, two of the ten countries with the most endangered species are in Africa: Madagascar and Tanzania.
The biodiversity of both countries is endangered, 1,115 species in Madagascar and 1,081 in Tanzania are threatened. There are many NGOs in Africa that work towards protecting animals and if you want to help animals with volunteer work these are two of the main countries that need your help the most.
Have you decided which activities are best for you? If you still have any questions, contact us and tell us what you want to do or about the training you have, your help will be welcome in any of our projects.