The Location
The Child Care and AIDS Orphans Program is set in the Ezulwini Valley in Swaziland. Known as the “Valley of Heaven,” this is Swaziland’s cultural heart. Home of the royal family and traditional ceremonies, the Ezulwini Valley is rich in culture. But, like the country as a whole, it struggles with an alarmingly high HIV/AIDS rate and large number of homeless and neglected children.

The Situation
A combination of a poor economy and one of the world’s highest HIV/AIDS rates has left Swaziland unable to care for many of its most vulnerable citizens. Nearly four in 10 adults in Swaziland are infected with HIV, leaving many children without parents to care for them. One in 10 households are headed by children left to care for themselves. These children often cannot afford to attend school and have no access to basic health services. Thousands more are homeless.

What's Being Done
Our partner in Swaziland aims to assist these vulnerable children by working with local non-profit organizations that provide shelter and basic services for needy children.

What You Can Do
Volunteers will help children develop basic skills to help in their day-to-day lives and teach them English. The Child Care and AIDS Orphans Program also involves researching areas of need and raising awareness of the children in their surrounding communities. Volunteers will build relationships with these children and create an enjoyable learning atmosphere through various activities. You may also help construct basic shelters, gardens, water systems and other physical structures that are needed. Your work as a volunteer in Swaziland will have a direct impact on the lives of needy children.

Airport Pickup and Orientation:
You will fly into Johannesburg, South Africa, and from there either take a bus to Swaziland or catch a connecting flight to Manzini International Airport in Swaziland. If you fly, a staff member will pick you up at the airport and drive you to the project. If you take the bus, it leaves Johannesburg Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. It will drop you off at the main office of our partner organization. You will receive an in-depth orientation that will last several days. During that time you will meet the staff, learn about Swaziland and your responsibilities as a volunteer.

Transportation:
Volunteer Adventures will arrange transportation for the following:
Airport pickup at Manzini International Airport
Local transportation at project locations
Transportation to and from excursions

Accommodations:
You will stay at the volunteer base camp in the Ezulwini Valley. The base has a number of dorms with bunk beds and shared bath rooms. All rooms have a veranda. There is a communal kitchen where meals are prepared, a TV lounge with board games, and a large deck with a pool table and dart board. The lodge is surrounded by a spacious garden with a communal barbecue area. At the entrance of the volunteer base is a restaurant and just a mile away is a town complete with a shopping center and craft markets.

Meals:
Cooking responsibilities alternate between volunteers.

In-Country Support:
We work directly with our partner organization to provide support during your time in Swaziland. A 24-hour support team will be there to assist and instruct volunteers during their stay. There are also trained field guides at the camp that can help you with any problems or concerns.

Additional Activities and Excursions:
Swaziland is ideal for walking, mountain biking, horseback riding and kayaking. There are also organized trips volunteers can enjoy, such as hiking around Drakensberg and trips to Kruger Park and the beaches of Mozambique. Other places of interest include: Sibebe rock (the world’s largest exposed granite dome), the Gap (where the entire Komati River disappears underground in a natural rock fissure), the Craft Route (various rural crafts markets in the Ezulwini-Malkerns area), Ngwempisi Gorge, and Rosecraft House on Fire (open air amphitheatre and nightclub).