Matsulu is a small, welcoming township. The people are friendly and are always very enthusiastic towards Tenteleni volunteers. As a result, there are many opportunities for volunteers to get involved within the Township.

The Matsulu project lasts for eight weeks and consists of two Project Coordinators and approximately twelve volunteers. The volunteers’ will be working in pairs as ‘Assistant Educators’ in one of our partner schools in the Matsulu Township. Within this role volunteers will assist in and out of the classrooms, help maintain school libraries, as well as take part in extracurricular activities.

One of Matsulu’s main highlights is its great diversity of Non-Formal Placements. Volunteers will get the opportunity to work in any of the following placements two afternoons a week: The Masihambisane Disabled Centre, The Lutheran Church Feeding Scheme, The Home Based Care Centre or The Mayihlasele Youth Group. Depending on the placement, volunteers will be encouraged to help with the distribution of lunch, assist the children with their homework, initiate activities, and generally just spend time getting to know the children/adults.

From 2012 all volunteers will be staying within Matsulu township, this is an exciting new development for the project. Half of the group will be in a home stay at the Tower of Love Orphanage, which is a very small and friendly children’s home. The home is run by Isaac, who lives there with about five children. The other volunteers will be staying with the PCs in a newly built guest house in the centre of Matsulu.

The project is eight week longs. The first week will be training (delivered by PCs), which will refresh and build upon the UK training. Following this, volunteers will then spend seven weeks working in schools and NFE placements.

Any questions? Contact Sian Long, Matsulu Communications Officer: safricacomms3@tenteleni.org.uk.

Accommodation

From 2012 all volunteers will be staying in the Matsulu Township. Five volunteers will stay in the Tower of Love Orphanage. Isaac, who runs the children’s home, has been a good friend of Tenteleni for a number of years. The Tower of Love has now been a homestay for two years and has always been highlighted as one the best aspects of the Matsulu project.

The other seven volunteers, as well as the PCs, will be staying in a newly built guesthouse located in the heart of Matsulu. Previous years volunteers have had to stay outside of the township, due to the lack of accommodation within the Township. As a result, the Duduzile Guesthouse is an exciting new development for Tenteleni and it will be used by volunteers for the first time in 2012. The guesthouse is safe, clean and suitable for volunteers.

Having all volunteers living with Matsulu will be a great way of getting more involved in the community.

Transport

Volunteers will have a mini bus driver to drive them to and from their schools and Non-Formal Placements. Depending on placements, the homestay volunteers may also use the mini bus, or else will be accompanied on the short walk to and from their schools.

Food

The six volunteers in the homestay with eat with Isaac and the children. The volunteers will assist with the cooking and cleaning. The food will be more traditional African fare, consisting generally of pap or rice and meat.

The volunteers staying at Duduzile lodge will be self catered. The group will do their food shopping as a group (except if there are specific diet requirements) and will then have a cooking and cleaning rota each week.

Formal Education Placements

Tenteleni works in six primary schools in Matsulu:

• Benjamin Primary School

• Enzani Primary School

• Funindlela Primary School

• Letsakuthula Primary School

• Sehlulile Primary School

• Tsandzanani Primary School

Non-Formal Education Placements

Masihambisane Disabled Activity Centre

Masibambisane is a day centre for adults mainly (a couple of children sometimes attend) with a range of disabilities. The lack of safety nets within South Africa, often means that people with disabilities end up being excluded from society and live in severe poverty. The centre thus provides these adults with educational as well as practical opportunities, from learning brail to learning to sew. The centre also provides these adults with food.

The Home-Based Care Centre

The Home Based Care Centre runs a daily feeding scheme for orphans and vulnerable children in the area. The children arrive after school, around 1.30pm, in order to be fed. The children stay to get help with their homework and play games after their meal until about 4pm.

The Lutheran Church Feeding Scheme

The Feeding Scheme runs daily providing food for orphans and vulnerable children in the area. The scheme runs after school, from around 1.30pm when the children arrive to be fed. When volunteers are around children stay to play games after their meal. There is also a pre-school held in the church in the mornings.

The Mayihlasele Youth Group

An HIV and AIDS awareness youth group aimed at orphans and vulnerable children aged 12 and above, working in co-ordination with a local NGO, Lovelife. Their aim is to help support and prevent HIV/Aids through dance, singing, drama and poetry.

Tenteleni aims for the Matsulu volunteer role to involve:

• To help learners reach their full potential through education.
• To assist teachers in bringing imagination and enthusiasm into the learners’ school experience.
• To initiate or help with extra-curricular activities to enrich the learners’ school experience, such as after school debating, drama or sports clubs.
• To assist with youth issues awareness amongst school children.
• To give special attention to learners who, for whatever reason, have fallen behind at school.
• To establish sustainable projects in all schools that can continue in our absence.
• To be a cross cultural learning experience for volunteers, pupils and teachers alike.
• To provide positive role models for children and young people.

Additional Information

Matsulu volunteers work in pairs. This enables you to get involved in the areas and lessons you are personally interested in. You will work alongside a variety of educators, helping to plan lessons and offering classroom support. Each school and educator is different so you can make the programme work for you and your school.

School starts early and finishes early so to avoid the heat of the day. Therefore, you will be getting up around 6am to grab breakfast before your short bus journey. The bus will drop you off at 7.30 ready for assembly.

Assembly is generally first thing, the Educators’ and Learners’ singing is a great way to start the day. There are three one hour periods from 7.30 until 10.30, and then a lunch break. This will be either rice or pap (boiled maize – the staple food of sub-saharan Africa!) accompanied with either beans or meat stew. During this time, volunteers will generally sit in the staff room and chat to Educators. Then there’s another two periods until 1.15. Tenteleni encourages volunteers to get involved in extra-curricular activities like reading clubs or football, so this might go on for another half an hour or so. Twice a week volunteers will then travel to their non-formal placements after school.

Some afternoons volunteers go to Malelane (a 15 minute drive) to shop and use the internet. Otherwise volunteers are always happy just to relax, as starting the day so early is very tiring! Preparing lessons and events (such as Sports & Culture days) also takes place in the afternoons. This is a really good time to share thoughts and experiences.