Volunteer in South Africa

CHOSA partners with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and local Cape Town universities to staff a volunteer program every academic semester (February-June and July-November). Our volunteer program provides after-school enrichment activities at Baphumelele Children’s Home in Khayelitsha, Emasithandane Children’s Home in Nyanga and, most recently, The Bridge, a transitional home in Khayelitsha specifically for children who were formerly living on the streets.

Volunteers are placed at one of the homes and spend two afternoons per week tutoring the children. Two volunteers are generally responsible for a particular age group of children, and develop their own lesson plans based on their particular skill set and the desires of the children. While most groups focus on the traditional subjects of math, English, and science, our volunteers often incorporate aspects of music, art, sport, and other disciplines into their lessons, creating a rich experience for the children.

Most volunteers spend about 6 hours per week with the children while they take classes at the local university. For those who are interested in volunteering with CHOSA in a more intensive role, we have capacity-building needs at many of the projects we support, and certainly welcome volunteers on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, CHOSA cannot cover travel or living costs of volunteers, but we can help you brainstorm ways to raise funds for your trip. To discuss specifics, please send us an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !