Description

ISV's South African Program
Go wild in South Africa with International Student Volunteers - a non-profit organization offering the highest rated student volunteer and adventure travel program for students in the world. ISV was recently selected as one of the Top 10 volunteer organizations by the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy. ISV has a range of amazing projects in South that include leopard conservation, game park management, sport and education programs for children, community development in isolated villages and wildlife research. After your project, you can spend two weeks travelling on ISVs adventure tour with activities that include wildlife safaris, river cruises alongside hippos and crocs, rappelling down mountains, surd lessons, horseback riding through wildlife parks next to zebra and wildebeest and so much more! You will see wild animals face to face and partake in the most spectacular adventure activities South Africa has on offer. Turn the TV off because this will beat the discovery channel any day!

About ISV
International Student Volunteers Inc, is a US-based non-profit organization that offers globally minded participants the unique opportunity to combine meaningful volunteer projects and adventure travel. ISV has offices all over the world to look after over 4,000 participants who volunteer with us every year. ISV volunteers come from all countries and you don't have to be a student to participate. ISV offers programs in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Costa Rica, The Dominican Republic, Eastern Europe, South Africa and Ecuador. Because of ISV's strong educational focus, many university students apply to receive academic credit for their involvement in the program. ISV is committed to providing life-changing programs that allow you to make a meaningful difference to a community or environment that needs your help. After your project you can continue your overseas experience with a non-stop action-packed adventure and cultural tour of your host country.

About South Africa
South Africa has a turbulent history, resulting in a great divide between rich and poor. Many South Africans live in poverty and struggle to meet everyday needs. Greater infrastructure development is a priority to meet basic human needs of the many South Africans living in townships. Carefully structured volunteer programs provide a means to make a real difference through community development. You can help by volunteering to help with township renewal which involves focused work on school buildings and playgrounds, urban renewal projects, water and sanitation development.

South Africa has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world, but many of its unique animals are on the verge of extinction due to hunting, culling, urban expansion and poor land practice. Make a difference to one of the world's most unique countries with ISV and have an African Adventure you won't forget.

Volunteer Projects
ISV has several amazing projects in very different parts of the country. You could be working on the Wild Coast, Swaziland, Kruger National Park, Cape Town or in the expansive North East of South Africa.

Wildlife Sanctuary: Make a difference to South Africa's wildlife!
As a volunteer, you will play a vital role in restoring and enriching of one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in South Africa. You will be volunteering on much needed restorations of the wildlife enclosures and infrastructure. Plus, you and your volunteer team will help with the daily care of many of the animals such as cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena and vultures. You will also spend time in a local school promoting environmental awareness to local children so they may practice valuable lessons in conservation in their daily lives.

Childrens Program: Help develop a nations future!
Set in an impoverished community on the outskirts of Cape Town, this project has amazing views of Table Mountain. You will be working with rural communities to provide areas for children to be entertained and educated in order to prevent boredom related crimes amongst children such as alcohol/drug abuse, violence and gang related behaviour and sexual abuse. Tasks involve building soccer fields, childrens nutrition program, playground construction, community gardens and sports and activity days with the children. There will also be free time, to give you the opportunity to do many different activities in the area, from kite boarding, rappelling off Table Mountain and visiting Robben Island.

Teaching: Inspire and teach the nations youth!
Volunteer with ISV and assist teachers in a local impoverished community to provide a reasonable standard of education in an area that is under staffed and underfunded. As a volunteer you will partake in assistant teaching and provide individual attention to children during lessons. Help with crafts, painting, reading and games. Assist with giving the children their meals. Every child receives a meal, which is often their only meal that day. You will also help clean, maintain and even refurbish the classrooms, most of which are quite run down. This project is set in the beautiful Cape Point area, surrounded in beautiful beaches and mountains.

Community Development: Help Isolated communities!
Here's your chance to make a real difference to a community that needs your help. This project will complement a bigger vision to redefine the face of the Cintsa East Township through new infrastructure, housing, water, sanitation and the building of a high school. Through smaller micro-projects, you will be involved in tasks such as urban renewal, township greening and school playground building. This communities isolation has meant they have struggled with every day amenities we take for granted including water, education, shelter, sustainable food and even childrens play equipment This is an amazing chance to make a difference and help empower the local people who live in this township.

Elephants and Rhino! Animal and Habitat Research in Swaziland
Go wild in Swaziland on a unique project research animals and ecosystems in the Hlane National Park. Swaziland is a small country within South Africa and is home to some of Africas most well-known animals. As a volunteer, you will work in different game park areas within Swaziland to provide data on animal behaviours, locations and numbers in order for the Parks Management to better maintain the habitats and animals within the game park. Under the guidance of conservation experts, you will be monitoring animal species through radio tracking, nest checking, counting animals and observing behaviours. You will be staying in tents within the game reserve, to give you a totally wild experience. This is a unique chance to get close to some of Africas most endangered animals, including the opportunity to track elephant and rhino on foot. Your work and research will help develop conservation plans for many years to come.

Animal Rehabilitation: Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation
An amazing project designed to reintroduce rehabilitated wildlife to their natural environments. Create homes for orphaned, poisoned or injured wildlife, which through their injuries will never be able to return to their natural environments. Establish breeding facilities for wildlife, which cannot be reintroduced into the wild. Through our educational programmes we stress how sensitive our ecosystem is and how fast we are losing it. As a volunteer you can take part in the daily feeding of a variety of many orphaned and permanent animals; cleaning of their enclosures and scrubbing of their bed mats. Students may even get the chance to release some of them. Other activities you may get the chance to take part in include game capture and possible re-location; wildlife veterinary work which would be mostly observational. This project is set in Blyde River Canyon, right near Kruger National Park.

Adventure Tour
Your Adventure Tour will vary depending on the time of year that you travel

May-Sept tour
On this incredible adventure you will explore the natural and cultural wonders in South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique. ISVs tour is like no other, and includes a host of activities that will leave you breathless. Swim with whale sharks and manta rays in the warm waters of Mozambique before exploring its culturally rich capital- Maputo. Experience the thrill of horseback riding or mountain biking through game reserves as you observe wild animals right next to you. Visit an elephant and Monkey sanctuary and feel the rhythm of Africa with native drumming and dance lessons.

ISVs tour has it all- below are examples of the activities you will experience on an ISV tour.

* Snorkeling and scuba diving with whale sharks, dolphins and manta rays in Mozambique
* Biking or horseback riding through game parks in Swaziland
* Exploring local markets, museums and cultural highlights
* Wildlife safaris in national parks, including Kruger National Park
* Underground caving adventures
* African drumming classes
* Surfing lessons in the Indian Ocean
* Visiting an elephant sanctuary
* Breathtaking drive along the Panoramic Route to Blyde River Canyon

Nov-Feb tour
Participants will travel along South Africa's stunning Garden Route between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town discovering the world famous surfing mecca Jeffrey's Bay, the rugged coastline and indigenous forests of Tsitsikamma National Park, the limestone caves and countryside of Oudtshoorn (ostrich capital of the world), Table Mountain and the exciting city of Cape Town. You will then fly to northern South Africa and explore the wildlife havens for elephant, lion, rhino and many other species at Kruger National Park, and take in the spectacular vistas of the Panoramic Route around Blyde River Canyon. You will have the opportunity to participate on activities such as:

* Surfing at the world renowned Jeffrey's Bay
* Horseback riding along deserted ivory colored sand beaches
* Discovering the wild coastline and waterfalls of Tsitsikamma National Park
* Exploring high in the treetop canopies of Outeniqua Yellowood trees
* Ocean kayaking among the Cape Fur seal colony in Plettenberg Bay
* Visiting Oudtshoorn, ostrich capital of the world and exploring the countryside by bicycle
* Squeezing through tunnels and beholding the wonders of the limestone formations of the magnificent Cango Caves
* Bungy jumping 216 m (648 ft) the highest bridge bungy in the world!
* Rappelling from Table Mountain, overlooking the city of Cape Town
* Wildlife viewing via morning, afternoon and evening game drives in Kruger National Park
* Taking in the breathtaking views from the Panoramic Route nearby to Blyde River Canyon
* Visiting Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was kept prisoner for 27 years
* Sandboarding in the Atlantis Nature Reserve
* Experiencing the fun nightlife in Cape Town including a cultural night of food, music and dance at Moyo African Village

WILD AFRICA EXCURSION
Join us for a journey to two more amazing African countries before the long journey home. In Botswana, explore Chobe National Park by land and river safaris and spot giant crocodiles, hippos, elephants, and more in this wildlife-viewing heaven. Travel to Victoria Falls and enjoy a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River in Zambia. Thi additional excursion is available after you complete your ISV 4 week Program

Highlights

Experience the magic of South Africa's wildlife parks as you get up close and personal with the 'top five' - buffalo, rhino, leopard, lion and elephant.

Why Travel with ISV?
* Combine meaningful volunteer projects with exciting adventure travel
* ISV has support offices in every program country we operate in
* Trained staff to guide your project and tour
* Group travel you will make friends from across the globe and not be alone
* Educational learn a lot and possibly receive academic credit (if applicable)
* ISV is not a sending agent we run our own programs with our own trained staff to ensure you have the most amazing experience possible.

Qualifications

No qualifications are necessary; ISV will give you all the training you need. To maximize your experience it is preferable you can speak English fluently. You do not need to speak the language of your host country, as you will have bi-lingual project and tour leaders to guide your experience. Minimum age is 18 years old by the time of departure. This program is open to everyone, not just students.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

Progam prices vary - please see our website

Cost Includes:

• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Registration fees
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Your program price includes quite a lot:
* All accommodation
* All meals in first two weeks (volunteer project) - delicious local cuisine!
* Approximately half of your meals in the second two weeks (adventure tour)
* All ground transportation in the host country (including all in-country airport transfers)
* ISV Adventure Tour activities (minimum five incredible activities per tour)
* An ISV Project Leader to accompany you on the volunteer project
* An ISV Tour Leader to guide you on the Adventure Tour and make sure you have an amazing time
* All in-country orientations upon arrival in the host country
* All administration and promotion costs
* All pre-departure training, manuals and preparation of participants
* In country offices set up to coordinate projects and programs for participants
* Training of all host organizations
* All materials for projects (for example, bricks, mortar, wood, tools)
* Twenty-four hour support for you during the program through our dedicated office and program staff
The program cost also goes towards the equipment or building materials needed for your projects, your in-country support, your adventure activities, your amazing trained project and tour leaders, AND towards the ongoing sustainability and training of each project. We give you and our projects the support and structure many other volunteer organizations cannot, as we have an office in each country to look after your entire experience and develop lasting relationships with the communities in which we operate.
Cost does not include: passport costs, insurance, international flights, in-country domestic flights (if required), vaccinations, spending money, extra activities on tour (available through Optional Activity Package).

Credit Available

yes

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Despite our name, any person may volunteer with ISV as long as they are over 18 years old. The majority of our participants are 18 to 30 years old, but we welcome anyone who wishes to join us and make a difference. You do not need any special skills to volunteer with ISV. We just ask that you are willing to give back to your host country; you are willing to learn as much as you can about the people, environment and issues facing your host country, and are ready to make the best friends along your adventure of a lifetime.

Age Range

18+

This Program is open to

American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel

in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

1 Week

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network

International Student Volunteers's Mission Statement

To create an environment that combines conservation, community development, education and recreation into the ultimate adventure travel program for anyone who desires to make a difference by volunteering in local communities abroad.

Year Founded

1981