ASTEP is currently offering two unique opportunities in South Africa:
ASTEP & Global Camps Africa "Camp Sizanani"
Sizanani means ‘helping each other’ in Zulu. Camp Sizanani is a project between HIVSA (a nonprofit associated with the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital) and Global Camps Africa (GCA). GCA is an organization founded by Philip Lilienthal, a former Peace Corps Volunteer. GCA and HIVSA have worked collaboratively to make Camp Sizanani possible for over 1500 children to date.
Camp Sizanani provides 130-150 children (per session) affected by HIV/AIDS (ages 10-15) with a 10 day sleep-away camp experience that promotes new skills, maturity, independence, awareness of public health issues, cross-cultural interchange and most important FUN!
ASTEP volunteers work alongside the Camp Sizanani ‘Volchelis’ (local South African volunteers) helping them to create a more well rounded arts curriculum and activities to be used during camp. ASTEP volunteers also get a chance to assist in the camp’s other offerings such as swimming, permaculture and life skills.
ASTEP will be sending volunteers to Camp Sizanani for two separate sessions during the year.
Refilwe
Refilwe means “gift” or “to give” in Tswana. Refilwe began in April 1991 when Jean Stewart and Yvonne Jaques started a clinic on a small site next to the Lanseria Airport, North of Johannesburg. From this grew a wider ministry to the needy people of the area that today focuses on addressing critical needs in the following areas; Medical, Child Care/ Education, life and specific skills training and income generating activities. Refilwe serves a severely disadvantaged community heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, limited education, unemployment, lack of skills & poor housing.
ASTEP volunteers work directly with Refilwe’s Orphaned & Vulnerable Children (OVC) involved in their ‘God Parents Project’ (as well as the surrounding local township children). This project is Refilwe’s ‘non-institutionalized’ solution to caring for these precious children sent to them by the government. The idea revolves around each child being a part of a family as opposed to one of 20 other children in an orphanage or shelter. Refilwe is providing a sustainable environment where the OVC’s can be cared for spiritually, emotionally and physically in home cottages (foster village) with a ‘God Parent’ as the head of the household.
The ASTEP Experience Refilwe is a three week camp and provides basic dance, drama, music, poetry, playwriting, communication skills with a focus on conscious choice making and collaboration workshops for the children of Refilwe during their holiday break (November through December). This month-long intensive session starts daily at 8:00 a.m. and end around 5 p.m. During this time, the students are able to work with our artist volunteers in a safe, supportive and inspiring environment.
Volunteer Stories
‘ASTEP is made of some of the most talented and enthusiastic individuals I know. Especially after this experience with Camp Sizanani I appreciate so much ASTEP’s methods and mission. I believe that focusing service in the direction, in this case the arts, the most effective way of giving.’
- Laura Mead (Camp Sizanani volunteer 2008)‘In completing this experience, I find myself more emotional than with other goodbyes in the past… Refilwe is such a special place and my heart feels heavy thinking about how I will miss these kids and Piet and Isacc (local volunteers) and all of the other wonderful people we met along the way.
I am so proud of what we were able to accomplish here and it is nice to know that this community truly understands and appreciates our work. The exhaustion, the hard work, the fundraising, the challenges were all worth it. Mission accomplished…and I am a better and a stronger teacher for it. I need to come back here no question.’
- Stephanie Martinez (Refilwe volunteer 2008)
THE COMMUNITY
Over 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Seventy-four percent of which, are individuals living in sub-Saharan Africa. There are 14,000 new infections every day (95 percent in developing countries). HIV/AIDS is a "disease of young people" with half of the 5 million new infections each year occurring among people ages 15 to 24. Half of all new infections in the United States occur in people 25 years of age or younger.
The UN estimates that, currently, there are 14 million AIDS orphans and that by 2010 there will be 25 million.
In 2006 UNAIDS/WHO in collaboration with the Department of Health published that 5.5 million South Africans were living with HIV (around 11% of the total population). The ASSA predicts that by 2015 that number will exceed 6 million people, by which time around 5.4 million will have died of AIDS.
IMPACT SUMMARY
Since 2005, ASTEP has sent 25 volunteers to work with over 800 students in PortElizabeth. Over 14 public performances for the community have been produced. As a result of the impressive quality of the shows our volunteers were invited to the Grahamstown Festival as the special guests of a local poet laureate group.
In 2006, ASTEP established the first ever Art Section in one of Ubuntu’s township school libraries. ASTEP donated over 150 books, CD’s and DVD’s that covered a wide array of novels, plays, biographies, poetry, artwork catalogs, dance concerts and music recordings of South African artists and African-American artists. The impetus behind this project was to expose the children and provide them with inspirational material about people who are either from their area or who come from or grew up in similar backgrounds, families and/or situations. The aim was to motivate children, and inspire them by example, to pursue their creative abilities and wildest dreams.
2007 was a wonderful year for dance in our Africa program. It was the first year ASTEP exposed any of our students to the art of tap dancing which was made possible by several tap shoe drives held by local dance studios and the donation of 100 pairs of tap shoes supplied by the Capezio Dance Factory Outlet in New Jersey. Also, two of our long term students received full scholarships to attend a local ballet academy during the following school year. ASTEP collaborated with the Yale Alumni Chorus on their Power of Song Tour for a wonderful benefit presentation in honor of Ubuntu.
Another special accomplishment in 2007: ASTEP, in collaboration with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Ubuntu Education Fund shared a once-in-a-lifetime experience with children from our collaborative South Africa initiative. The ASTEP 2007 team traveled with 47 children (hand selected by Ubuntu from townships in Port Elizabeth) on a 3-day bus tour to visit Johannesburg for an exciting arts-awareness trip.
In 2008 ASTEP partnered with two new organizations to further our reach and affect change in the lives of over 300 additional South African children. The first experience was in September with Global Camps Africa’s Camp Sizanani which is an organization that provides a unique 10-day sleep away camp experience for children directly affected by HIV/AIDS. ASTEP sent four volunteers to help provide a crucial arts component to help enhance Camp Sizanani’s existing programming.
In November 2008 ASTEP sent 4 volunteers and produced an ASTEP Experience at Refilwe in South Africa, and provided, for the first time, an interactive, in person arts experience for these special children.
INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?
Volunteer applications (found on our website) must be submitted no later than August 23rd 2009 for September Camp Sizanani; October 1st 2009 for Refilwe; November 1st 2009 for December Camp Sizanani.
Applicants will be notified via phone or e-mail upon receipt of application and the interview/acceptance process will take place within two-three weeks post initial contact.
Please Note: Applicants will be required to undergo formal training (in person or via phone/Skype) prior to the on-site training/emersion. Applicants should be prepared and willing to work collaboratively during the creation process being that every experience and the themes covered are unique to the individuals and students involved.
DATES
September 20th – October 4th: Camp Sizanani (September)
November 22nd – December 27th: Refilwe
December (TBA): Camp Sizanani
AMENITIES
Meals, room and board while on-site are provided by ASTEP and our partnering organizations. Though never luxurious, ASTEP, first and foremost, focuses on the safety of our volunteers while on-site.
Camp Sizanani
At Camp Sizanani most volunteers share a private boarding school, dormitory-style, more than one person to a room, living accommodations. This is a full camp communal living situation where all meals are scheduled and shared by the entire group, students, volunteers and staff.
Refilwe
At Refilwe ASTEP volunteers live together on-site in a guest cottage (small house). The accommodations require more than one person to a room, and volunteers are responsible for making their own breakfast, dinner and household care of the cottage.
Volunteers, in either program, who choose to travel off-site will have to make their own arrangements for accommodation, travel and food. Sometimes, occasional trips to surrounding areas will be provided free of cost, but are not guaranteed.
International transportation (airfare) to and from Africa is not provided.
WHAT TO EXPECT
GCA
As this experience is a sleep away style camp, the children are 100% the responsibility of the volunteers. A Camp Sizanani volunteer must be prepared to help out where they are most needed which can include anything any thing from the 24 hour care of the children to general day-to-day administration as set by the local staff in addition to the arts classes.
Refilwe
Volunteers will live and work with one another, sharing a living space, leadership responsibilities and teaching collaboratively in the classroom. All volunteer artists will teach in the specific art form that they are qualified in while providing support and guidance to the children both as an artist and as an individual.
ASTEP’s volunteer positions almost always require one-to-one and group interaction with the children.
