As a Township Crèche volunteer you will assist with childcare at a crèche in the townships of Knysna, along the stunning Garden Route. Support local teachers in providing foundation-phase education and early childhood development.
| Starting days | Starting days are Monday to Friday in the South African school term (see below for dates). Closed for December to the 15th of January. |
| Minimum Requirements | 2 weeks and longer subject to visa requirements. A minimum age of 16 years old if unaccompanied and younger if accompanied by a parent or guardian. |
| Cost | £850 for 2 weeks and £350 for each additional week. 1 week placements available by arrangement |
| What is included | Food, shared accommodation, meeting you at George airport, airport collection and drop-off, weekly transport to and from your creche, donation, pre-departure support, in-country team, 24- emergency help and more |
| What is not included | Flights, visas, travel insurance, spending money |
| Best for | Gappers, career breakers, families, post-retirement gappers, couples, education and teaching students or professionals |
Project Description
Our Township Crèche Volunteer Project partners with a locally run crèche in one of Knysna’s townships, providing much-needed support to young learners. Privately funded by the parents of attending children, the crèche operates on very low school fees, making financial resources limited and facilities quite basic.
The children are grouped into foundation-phase classes based on age and learning level, primarily Grade R and Grade RR. Since English is introduced as a formal subject in Grade 1, these early learning years are crucial in helping children build a strong foundation in the alphabet and numbers. Many of the learners speak isiXhosa or Afrikaans as their first language, making English their second—or even third—language. Volunteers play a vital role in this area, as their daily interactions with the children help improve their conversational English, confidence, and early numeracy skills.
Volunteers support the crèche teachers in a variety of ways, from introducing fresh lesson ideas to leading engaging activities such as reading, singing, and creative play. They also assist with daily routines, including helping with cooked lunches, overseeing snack and nap times, and creating a warm, stimulating environment for these eager young learners.
As a volunteer on our Township Crèche volunteer project, your duties may include:
Assisting with Early Childhood Education
- Helping young learners (Grade R & RR) with basic literacy and numeracy (alphabet, numbers, colors, and shapes).
- Encouraging English language development, as many children speak isiXhosa or Afrikaans as their first language.
- Leading storytelling, reading, and singing to improve language skills and engagement.
- Supporting teachers with lesson planning and creative learning activities.
Providing General Classroom Support
- Assisting teachers with classroom management and keeping children engaged.
- Organising and facilitating educational games and playtime to support learning.
- Helping with arts and crafts to encourage creativity and fine motor skills.
Supporting Daily Routines
- Assisting with mealtimes, ensuring children eat their cooked lunch and snack.
- Overseeing nap times, helping settle children when needed.
- Encouraging good hygiene practices, such as handwashing and tidying up.
Creating a Warm and Nurturing Environment
- Providing one-on-one attention to children who need extra support.
- Helping to build confidence and social skills through play and interaction.
- Being a positive role model by offering patience, kindness, and encouragement.
Helping with General Maintenance and Organisation
- Assisting in keeping the crèche clean and organised.
- Helping maintain learning materials by organising books, toys, and supplies.
By volunteering, you’ll not only support the overworked teachers but also help prepare young learners for primary school, giving them the foundational skills and confidence they need for a better future. Your presence brings new energy, creativity, and support, making a real difference in the lives of the children and the community.
The Township Crèche Project runs from 08h00 to 13h30, Monday to Friday, with several short breaks throughout the day for snacks and the children’s nap time. Lesson and playtime are active and energetic, and after lunch, the children rest as they are tired from the day’s activities. During nap time, you may choose to read a book, assist the teachers with tidying up, or help plan lessons for the following day’s activities.
If you already have relevant qualifications, skills, or experience, we would be thrilled to utilise them during your placement. If you’re using this project to earn practical credits for your studies, please let us know so we can coordinate with your university lecturer. Don’t worry if you don’t have qualifications or prior experience—the purpose of volunteering is to provide support wherever it’s needed, immerse yourself in a new culture, and create lasting memories—for both you and the children!
School terms for 2025
| Term | Start | Ends |
| 1st | 15th of January | 28th of March |
| 2nd | 8th of April | 27th of June |
| 3rd | 22nd of July | 3rd of October |
| 4th | 13th of October | 10th of December |
This Township Creche volunteer project runs in the South African school terms only.
If you are not able to volunteer in the dates of the school term and can only volunteer in the school holidays, we suggest that you get involved in our Youth Development and Social Work volunteer project as there is a holiday program to keep all the local community children safe, busy and occupied with fun activities.
After-school activities
There are a few activities that you can take part in after-school. You can either help the after-school club with the youth development centre, assist with grassroots soccer coaching, visit the local elephant park, do some shopping, have lunch at the Waterfront on the lagoon edge, take a sunset cruise, hike the Pledge nature reserve or just getting a well needed nap as the children can be exhausting as they have so much energy. Please note that after-school activities do not take place every afternoon.
Accommodation
The Township Crèche volunteer accommodation is shared with volunteers from other Knysna-based projects. This self-catering cottage is within walking distance of Knysna’s town center, offering easy access to shopping malls, restaurants, takeaways, gyms, nightlife, entertainment, and essential services.
Accommodation options include shared bedrooms with other volunteers or single rooms, depending on how many volunteers we have. The cottage features a satellite TV, shared bathrooms with showers, basins, and toilets, as well as a laundry room equipped with a washing machine and tumble dryer.
There is a fully equipped kitchen for preparing meals, with an indoor dining area. For outdoor dining, a braai (BBQ) facility and picnic area are available. During the hot summer months, you can cool off in the swimming pool. The accommodation also provides Wi-Fi for your convenience. There is a cleaner once a week and linen and towels are provided but volunteers are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.
Couples, friends, and families are welcome, with accommodation available to suit different group sizes.
If the volunteer cottage is full, we have other self-catering options that are walking distance to the town centre and its amenities and very comfortable.
Food
As a volunteer on the Township Crèche volunteer project, you will receive a food allowance to cover your basic grocery needs for self-prepared meals. During your induction, you’ll be taken on a grocery shopping trip to help you select foods that meet your dietary preferences and requirements.
Knysna offers several grocery stores, along with a variety of excellent restaurants and takeaways for those days when you prefer not to cook. The kitchen is fully equipped with an induction plate, microwave, fridge/freezer, kettle, toaster, and grill for your convenience.
Volunteers are responsible for cleaning up after preparing their meals, and it’s important to maintain a tidy living space.
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 Township Crèche volunteer 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, barbecuing 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 four.
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 our Township Crèche volunteer project, either fill in the contact form or please email info@volunteerinternationaladventures.com. You might also be interested in our Teaching at Creches and Schools volunteer project in Zanzibar.
