Counselling and Social Work Volunteer project in the NPO sector with social workers, psychologists, counsellors and community workers who provide counselling services, training and workshops to people and groups in need of various types of support. These can include marital and family stress, depression, grief, suicide, sexual abuse., domestic violence, substance abuse, mid-life crisis, divorce counselling, HIV-related counselling, conflict management and parenting skills, women and men’s programs.
| Starting days | Starting days are Monday to Friday from mid-February to mid-November |
| Minimum Requirements | 4 weeks and longer subject to visa requirements. A minimum age of 21 years old and studying a related subject or qualified |
| Cost | £1700 for 4 weeks and £350 for each additional week |
| What is included | Food, accommodation, meeting you at the airport, airport collection and drop-off, welcome braai (BBQ), Saturday tour, donation to the project, t-shirt, pre-departure support, in-country staff, 24- emergency help and more |
| What is not included | Flights, visas, travel insurance, spending money |
| Best for | Students, post-retirement gappers, Social Workers, Counsellors, Fundraisers, Psychologists, recently qualified, honours students, retirees, career breakers |
Project Description
Your role on our Counselling and Social Work volunteer project and the types of work/activities you are given may vary and may depend on certain factors such as what’s required at the time that you’re there. You’ll work as part of the team and may spend various periods of time during the day attending community networking activities, assisting in the preparation of and attending community workshops, attending case study groups, data capturing and reporting, administration, attending the Family Foundation counselling courses that run throughout the year (aside from South African school holidays) amongst other things.
Mainly adults are counselled. You will not be doing one-on-one counselling..
You will assist in some or all of the following services while on our Counselling and Social Work volunteer project:
Counselling
You could attend small case study discussion groups which meet monthly covering marriage preparation and enrichment, relationships, individual, family, re-marriage, divorce, trauma and mediation counselling. You may assist the Counsellors in group sessions (no counselling). Due to the nature of the work, counsellors themselves must undergo compulsory monthly supervision.
Trauma Support
This take place at the FAMSA offices. FAMSA provides a trauma counselling program to victims of crime and violence. Other forms of trauma support are sickness, suicide watch, accident, rape, death/loss, family violence, abuse, and HIV/AIDS. With the client’s permission, sessions may be observed.
Training
FAMSA offers various forms of training that you can get involved with, from basic counselling skills, trauma support, group work training, stress management, life skills, personal growth and intimate partner violence throughout the year as part of their Family Foundation counselling course. Training does not run during the South African school holidays. These are aimed at local volunteers, international volunteers, professionals and the public to provide them with the tools to be able to assist with counselling, support and effective listening skills.
Parenting support
Community workshops are given to parents to help them gain skills to be better equipped parents, assisting them with effective parenting skills and addressing specific problems in groups and individual counselling.
Programs
FAMSA runs various programs giving support and assistance to groups of mainly women and men. These include the Men Care and the “Women of Worth’ program. These are programs for men and women which are aimed at equipping them with knowledge and skills to cope with daily situations they find themselves in.
Occasionally an “Anger-in, Anger-out” workshop takes place at the local Knysna Correctional Services Facility where they impart life skills and information to the Inmates, thus assisting in rehabilitating and empowering them.
Fundraising and Marketing
If you have any skills in fundraising and marketing, you will be welcomed with even wider arms! As with any work of this type in the NPO sector, funds to support it are always difficult to come by, so any help that can be enlisted is always very deeply appreciated. You could also be involved with fundraising and marketing projects while you are on the placement.
Administration
As this is a Counselling and Social Work volunteer skills experience you will also be involved with the daily activities that take place in a Non-Profit Organisation in South Africa which can include administration, data capturing, minuting team meetings, report writing, client intake and attending stakeholder meetings and engagements, for example with the Community Policing Forum and other community networking forums in the NPO sector. Sexual Offences forum is also attended monthly.
A typical day
07:30 Breakfast
07:50 Leave for project
08:00 Arrive at project
13:00 Lunch break(this can differ day to day)
13:30 Back to work
15:00 Finish for the day at your project (unless a program is being run)
15:30 Enjoy the rest of the day
Fridays you finish early at 13.30
If you are qualified and have experience, our Counselling and Social Work volunteer project would be especially delighted to have you as you could share your expertise, skills and experience, so your assistance would be very valuable indeed! Please stipulate in your cover letter your field of expertise and how you would like to share your knowledge during your placement.
Accommodation
The volunteer accommodation is a comfortable, self-catering flat located just a few minutes’ walk from Knysna town centre, providing easy access to shopping malls, restaurants, takeaways, gyms, nightlife, entertainment, and essential services. The flat features a fully equipped kitchen with a dining table, fridge, kettle, induction plate, and all necessary utensils for meal preparation. The bathrooms are fitted with showers, sinks, and toilets. For leisure, there are TVs and access to a pool for hot summer days, as well as a private garden area with a picnic table for outdoor dining. Laundry facilities are available for personal use, and we provide laundry detergent. The property is secured with perimeter beams and situated in a quiet, safe neighbourhood. Accommodation options include shared or private rooms, depending on volunteer numbers. Additionally, there is WIFI, and arrangements can be made for couples, friends, and families to stay together. There is a cleaner once a week.
If the volunteer flat is full, we have other self-catering options that are walking distance to the town centre and its amenities and very comfortable.
Food
You will receive a food allowance to cover your basic groceries for self-prepared meals. As part of your induction, you will be taken on a grocery shopping trip upon your arrival, allowing you to select specific foods that meet your dietary requirements. Knysna boasts several grocery stores as well as a variety of excellent restaurants and takeaways for those times when you prefer not to cook. The kitchen is well-equipped with an induction plate, microwave, fridge/freezer, kettle, toaster, and grill.
Location
You will need to fly into George Airport between 09h00 and 16h00 for your airport collection where you will be met by your Volunteer International Adventures representative and driven to your volunteer accommodation in Knysna. On completion of your project, you will be driven back to George Airport in time for your return flight which must be any time after 10h30. If arriving by coach from Cape Town, you will be fetched and dropped off at the coach depot in Knysna. Arrivals and departures must be Monday to Fridays and not weekends.
Knysna is one of South Africa’s favourite towns based around the beautiful Knysna estuary with views of the iconic headlands. It is not known as the jewel of the Garden Route for nothing and is surrounded by magical forests, farmlands and a breath-taking coastline dotted with blue flag beaches which are great for swimming, barbequing or just simply watching dolphins surfing in the waves. It is also home to the famous elusive Knysna elephant which are the most southern free roaming elephants in the world and there are still hot debates about the numbers with some saying there is only one left and others a small herd of about 4.
The area that Knysna is situated is the Garden Route of the province of the Western Cape and it is a dream for animal lovers and extreme sports enthusiasts as there are numerous private wildlife reserves, national parks, whale watching, predator sanctuaries, primate sanctuaries, elephant sanctuaries, wolf sanctuaries, skydiving, paragliding, sandboarding, numerous interesting markets and so much more so boredom is not an option.
Our projects take place mainly in the local townships in the poorer areas where we do our best to try and lighten the load for the teachers, schools and NPOs assisting in the area with hands on help and financial support
For more information or to book, either fill in the contact form or please email info@volunteerinternationaladventures.com
A few reviews from past volunteers…
-Cliona Nolan, American (September 2024)“It is difficult to know where to begin, this process has utterly changed my life in the most positive ways. During my stay in Knysna I got the opportunity to volunteer at a local NGO that offers so many people the support they need. The work involves engaging and educating prisoners to working in the townships and making connections that empower entire communities. But what I found most valuable was the people, all of the people I worked with and the everyday people like shop keepers and uber drivers etc were just absolutely amazing! The warmth and kindness never ended. I want to come back with my family and have them take part in this experience, ether working with people or wildlife, either way I know they will be humbled and meet some of the kindest people in the world. I also need to make a shout out to Sharon and Rustin for their continued care and support throughout this experience, Sharon is a fountain of knowledge and Rustin is always at the ready to get you to wherever you need to be. I could have stayed for many more months or years if my life had allowed for such an undertaking. Thank you all for such a fantastic experience, I look forward to my next trip in 2027!”
“As a social work student from the Netherlands, I spent six weeks volunteering in the Counselling and Social Work Skills program. It was an incredible experience to collaborate with the program’s dedicated team. From the very first day, everyone warmly welcomed me and encouraged me to join them in their daily work. This gave me the opportunity to learn extensively about their approach, as well as witness their pride in the progress they have achieved within the community. I also had the chance to participate in several courses, which deepened my understanding of the similarities and differences between social work in the Netherlands and South Africa. Much of my time was spent working closely with my colleagues at the program, as well as engaging directly with the local community. Meeting and interacting with local residents, hearing their stories, and forming connections was a deeply enriching and, at times, overwhelming experience”
– Bob Zentjens, Dutch (July 2024)
“I knew I was in safe hands from my very first contact with Sharon. She provided me with all the information I needed and answered all my questions. Sharon met me at the local airport and safely transported me to the volunteers’ accommodation, chatting all the way, giving me a flavour of what was to come. Sharon was always available, and nothing was too much trouble, we saw her at least every day when she arrived at the volunteer house to take us to our respective placements. There were also plenty opportunities for social activities and trips to nature reserves and markets at the weekends, all of which Sharon arranged. The placement provided me with lots of opportunities to participate in projects, supporting staff and deliver training. My choice of this programme was primarily based on the placement itself rather than the country but I soon fell in love with the warmth of the people of South Africa and the amazing countryside and wildlife. I have been a regular visitor since that first visit and meeting up with Sharon each time is always a highlight. I would have no hesitation in recommending this programme to anyone who wants a fully immersive experience of life in South Africa”
-Sue Sutton, British
“I flew to SA, two days after I graduated with my MSW degree. I worked in Social Work, psychology, and counseling part of the program and it was life changing!! Sharon was beyond amazing; she went above and beyond for me. One my favorite memories with Sharon was collecting money in the community outside of a coffee shop for a couple of hours. Let’s just say that we reached our donation quota. The night before I left to go back to America, Sharon took me out, and we saw the supermoon coming up from the water. It was incredible. The experience, people I met, and what I learned was incredibly rewarding as a social worker. I would go back in a heartbeat. I highly recommended this program. If it wasn’t for Sharon, I wouldn’t have had the life changing experience that I did. I am eternally grateful for this trip and the friends that I made“
-Anna Bauer, American
For similar projects in Knysna, South Africa, take a look at our Youth Development and Social Work volunteer project.