| What makes Anir different from any other travel experience? Anir has spent the last 15 years cultivating relationships with grassroots organizations and persons who have made history in South Africa and the world.
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Our Helping Hands program is a short-term (10-15 days) working holiday for persons who
do not have much time but want to travel and do something in the global community.
Here is an example of a usual itinerary:
do not have much time but want to travel and do something in the global community.
Here is an example of a usual itinerary:
We arrive in Cape Town in the early afternoon where we are met and transferred to our European style accommodations in Greenpoint. We will be staying at one of the most hospitable bed and breakfast in Cape Town at the base of majestic Table Mountain. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. An eclectic mix of architectural styles, Cape Dutch, English Tutor, brightly Coloured Muslim homes, with cobble stone streets and cultural diversity that enhances the cosmopolitan texture of the city. *First full day our first full day in the city will start with an early morning lecture on South African culture then take us to the Iziko Cultural Museum of Cape Town, one of the finest cultural museums in the country. Here you will learn about and acclimate yourself to not only the major indigenous cultures of the area but also the topography and ocean around it. In the afternoon we will tour the historic points of the city; then in the evening dine at the famed Africa Café where you will sample the food treasures of the continent. *Day two: The morning starts with a visit to Robben Island which is situated 11km from Cape Town, in the middle of Table Bay. Here Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years in prison, much of it under hard labor. The island is now a museum and conservation area and was declared a World Heritage site in 1999. Former inmates lead the tours and there is also wildlife viewing, with antelopes such as springbok and bontebok, and a diverse selection of birds, including ostriches and an African penguin colony, Cape Fur Seals play in the cold Atlantic waters and are food for great white sharks; who along with the cold water and strong currents deterred prisoners from attempting to swim to the mainland. In the Afternoon we experience the raw energy of this ‘rainbow nation’ in one remarkable day. We start with a tour of the vibrant Bo-Kaap (Malay Quarter) where bright colored boxy houses contrast with the Cape Dutch & English style architecture of downtown. Then on to the District Six Museum, which dramatically documents the tragic disintegration of this once-vibrant community by the apartheid government. From here, we tour Langa, the oldest apartheid housing scheme in the Western Cape and visit the Tsoga Environmental Gardens, which are an example of the entrepreneurship of the township people of the new South Africa. Continue to Guguletu, gaining invaluable insights into the cultures and history of each township. Then sample a slice of township life with a visit to an informal spaza shop, a shebeen (pub) and hostels. Contemplate this land of contrasts over lunch at a township restaurant for aspiring young chefs and students of the tourist industry. This tour is lead by members of the township community. *Day three Starts with a forum discussion on HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The leaders of this forum are local educators and specialist on the subject. This Experience include visits to local orphan homes, clinics and a township maternity hospital, where participants meet with and exchange questions and information on the treatment and education of HIV/AIDS. *Day Five, Six & Seven are full days spent at work either at one of the children's homes, soup kitchen, or community outreach program. Participants may request which area they would like work at. Day Eight we tour the spectacular Cape Peninsula and you will learn why Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world; in addition we visit the coastal towns of Fish Hoek, Muizenberg and the penguin colony at Simon’s Town as well Cape Point. The Cape Peninsula is the thin finger of land in the south-western most corner of Africa with the city of Cape Town at its head. As we travel south towards Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, the land gets narrower until the continent ends with nothing beyond except Antarctica. In 1578 Sir Francis Drake described it as “The fairest cape in the whole circumference of the globe”. The rugged Table Mountain range meanders down the centre of the peninsula, and long white soft sandy beaches and little rocky coves, line the edges. The flora and fauna is unique to the area and brightly coloured birdlife is prolific. *Day Nine you are free to rest, explore the city on your own and to shop at the oldest market location in South Africa. Greenmarket Square has been a market site since the late 1700’s and now is home to a variety of African vendors from all over the continent. And then contrast it with a visit to the very glamorous Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront Mall; or spend the day on a hike or half the day on a tram ride up to the top of Table Mountain. The hike will allow you a chance to inspect mountain wildflowers. The tram ride gives you a birds-eye-view of Table Bay. Or spend the day or an afternoon visiting Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens home to 10% of the world's flora, or indulge on a full day tour visiting the Cape Winelands consisting of several towns including Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek. Gracious Cape Dutch homesteads set against a backdrop of mountains, forests, and rolling vineyards provide an unforgettable landscape. You will have the opportunity to sample and purchase noble vintages, to explore the realm of the wine maker and experience a rich historical and architectural tradition while you learn first-hand how this picturesque part of South Africa produces some of the world’s finest wines. Or you may depart for home so as to arrive back on day 10. Day 10 you may either depart for home or other destinations or leave with us for a two day BIG FIVE photo safari. |
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*Applicants must be over the age of 18 Applicants should be: -Well organized -Self-motivated -Reliable -Eager to learn new things and have new experiences -Emotionally flexible & stable -Able to work under pressure -Can easily adjust to change A great desire to learn more about yourself and eager to experience a new culture and life style with a strong interest in any of the following: Women’s Health Community Health HIV/AIDS Children and Youth |