Semester Study Abroad
Overview: Community services
The opportunity to offer service to the disadvantaged communities of Cape Town is a highlight of many students' study abroad experience. South Africa has inherited a fractured, complex social and political system, where resources are not adequate to meet the needs of the people. The legacy of apartheid is still with us and, through community service, we can attempt to redress some of the injustices of the past by contributing to the future of communities in need.
IAPO has offered study abroad students the opportunity to volunteer for community service through the Students' Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (SHAWCO) for several years. During the orientation programme, students are taken to the various community service sites, welcomed by the communities who benefit from the work done there, and given first-hand knowledge of the difference their contribution could make. Volunteers are enlisted at the end of the day.
Students may choose to volunteer for as many, or as few, hours per week as they are able to fit within their chosen academic programme. A certificate of participation is issued at the end of the semester if a minimum of 35 hours of service has been completed.
For more information about SHAWCO, visit their website.
