Working at Bethany

Your work will involve changing nappies, feeding, dressing and most importantly playing with the children. They are in great need of love and stimulation and as a volunteer you can help provide this.  You will work with all the children, and will often organise different acitivities for them.

Volunteers will also be involved in hospital visits, meeting and greeting visitors, organising outings and monitoring the health of the children.  



Bethany always welcomes ideas from volunteers and if there is anything you are particularly interested in, we will try to accomodate.  There are plenty of opportunities for the more artistic to paint murals on some of the bare patches of the walls.

We would appreciate all volunteers having access to a mobile phone while they are staying with us at Bethany. It’s important that we are able to contact you, and you us, if there are any problems. Most phones from Europe can be unlocked here if not already done so, or a new phone can be purchased for approx R250. The main networks in South Africa are Vodacom, MTN and Cell C, and airtime/credit for pay-as-you-go phones can be purchased from almost anywhere in town.


Accommodation

Your accommodation in a flat and electricity is provided free of charge. We also provide a hot meal at lunchtime when you are working.


Working Hours

You will usually work 6 days a week, with 1 weekend off each month.  We encourage you to travel whilst you are with us, we just ask for some warning so that we can alter timetables.

Living in Mthatha

Ikhwezi Lokusa, where you will be living, is approximately 5 km from Mthatha.  You can get to and from town in a combi taxi for just 5 rand each way.

Ikhwezi Lokusa is a secure compound run by a commune of Catholic nuns, in which there is Bethany Home, Ikhwezi Special School, The Rehabiliation Centre and Glen Avent Convent.  There are frequent power cuts, so bring a torch!

Mthatha has everything you need, there are plenty of supermarkets and fast-food restaurants.  It is also the home to The Nelson Mandela Museum, something you definetly must visit!  However there are no luxuries such as Cinemas, swimming pools or book shops.