WALK - Working And Learning Together

"Volunteer Community Service Programme"

Interculture South Africa offers participants the opportunity to find out first hand what it means to live and serve in another country.

WALK - Working And Learning Kanye Kanye (Together)

Kanye Kanye

A Zulu concept which means togetherness, doing something as a group, as part of the community. The WALKer is coming to be part of a community, one with the community. "I am here with you, lets work together towards the objective of understanding each others cultures."

WALK

Work and Learn Together

Work and Learn Kanye Kanye

The WALK Programme offers participants who are between 19 and 26 the opportunity to live and work as a volunteer in a community organisation in South Africa. The main purpose is to learn about the culture of South Africa and the community. In addition they will be exposed to development issues and gain a stronger commitment to world-wide development.

The idea is for the participants to come and live and learn from the people they are sharing life with, rather than come to change the local situation. Participants are encouraged to come, not as experts with all the answers, but as participants in the process of mutual discovery.

The WALKer works with a local community and lives with a family or in an institution. The communities selected would be disadvantaged communities that are stable, open to outsiders, in the process of development and change. Placements are with Community Organisations in a variety of sectors including Education and Schools, Youth, Social Welfare, Disabilities, Community Development, Health, Democracy and Political monitoring and Conflict Resolution. A limited number of placements can also be found in the Environment Sector and with Women's Development Groups.

The WALK Programme thus offers young people an opportunity to work while discovering the multicultural "rainbow nation" of South Africa. It is, however, not a Vocational Programme nor an academic Internship Programme.

Programme Goals

Hopefully young people participating in this informal learning programme will gain:

• cultural growth and friendship with people of other cultures
• a wider understanding of global issues
• exposure to a developing country
• a stronger commitment to world-wide development
• new understanding about life in South Africa
• increased language skills
• This is not a formal academic programme, but much valuable learning occurs through practical vocational experience and daily life.

Qualifications:

Participants should be:

• between 18 to 26 years old
• flexible and adaptable
• committed to learning from other cultures and listening to people in other parts of the world
• willing to live with a host family (or institution) in basic housing
• willing to enter into the life of the local community
• willing to live with financial limitations
• physically and mentally healthy
• ready to work conscientiously
• able to communicate well in English

In 1997 a small pilot phase ran from January to July with 10 participants, with a second Phase pilot in July to December with 9 participants. . There will be 25 participants on each phase in 1998. At this stage, Interculture South Africa is hosting participants from other countries. Plans are in the pipeline for South Africans to sent abroad to participate in other AFS partners' Community Service Programmes.