STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY INTERACTION SYMPOSIUM
“PORTRAITS OF HOPE THROUGH ENGAGEMENT”
STUDENT VOLUNTEERING
2 SEPTEMBER 2010
 Michelle Pietersen
MGD One Stop Service Student Volunteering
 Marinda Benade
Student volunteer and coordinator perspective
 Bianca Joseph
Student volunteer, coordinator and research perspective
‘together we grow’
 Founded in 1964 –USKOR Tygerberg campus
 Registered as NPO (003-249)
 GOUS –Stellenbosch campus
 1973 joined forces renamed MGD
 Presently: 7 full time staff, 650 student volunteers
 Approximately 4000 participants benefit from
MGD’s services
‘ together we grow’
Current Status
ABET
One Stop
Service
KLP
MGD
Entrepreneurship
Primary
Health
 One Stop Service started 2008,
 MGD in partnership with SRC & RAG
provide support services to students
‘ together we grow’
 Sharing of knowledge, experience and resources
 Co-ordination between student community
projects
 Access information regarding all student
involvement in community
 Provide training and guidance for volunteers
 Enhance the professionalism of community
projects
‘ together we grow’
 Financial contribution towards MGD
 60% - One Stop Service
 Funds student driven projects
‘together we grow’
 An amount of R570.000.00 have been allocated to
40 registered student driven projects on both
Stellenbosch Campus and Tygerberg Campus
 574 US students are involved in community
projects in an around Stellenbosch
 Initiated a 100 hour challenge
 Supported the SRC CI who hosted a successful
“Change exchange student conference”
 Student Volunteers of US became involved in the
National Initiative of SAHECEF in celebrating
Mandela Day 2010
 One stop Service: Semi finalist for the
International Mac Jannet competition for student
volunteering.
 NYS Student Volunteer Programme launched May
2009 engaging 550 student volunteers on campus
‘ together we grow’
 Cloetesville Secondary School
 Bruckner De Villiers
 Kuyasa Horizon Empowerment
 Devon Valley Primary
 Vlaeberg Community
 Ravensmead Community
 Weber Gedenk Primary School
 New Life Centre Boston
 Vision K
 Alta Du Toit
 Ikhaya Primary
 Bathandwa House
 Ikhaya Trust
 Delft South Primary
 Makapula High
 Delft Clinic
 Pebbles
 Emergency Medical Services
 Stellenbosch Safehouse
 Kayamandi High School
 Stellenbosch Gemeente & Vlaeberg
 Mfuleni Community
 Kleinvlei High School
 Tygerberg Hospital school
 Babin Pre school Centre
 Cloetesville after care centre
 PC Petersen Primary
 Vlottenberg Primary
 Celebrating 46 years as student volunteer NPO
 Acknowledged as one of US CI Flagship projects-
MGD
 Best Practice site - Dept of Social Services
 Receives National award as best ABET centre 2009
 Pass rate level 4 average of 86% - ABET
 Received Academic award from Provincial Minister
of Education
MGD
committed to maintain
 Efficient, Effective and Quality service
 Working in partnership with community
 Embracing diversity
 Tutoring children in the Pebbles Project After School
Clubs
Need for the project
•
Children had special educational needs and required one-on-one
support in their homework.
Kaapzicht After School Club
A tutor with two children at Kaapzicht
Aim of the tutoring project
•The primary aim: Tutoring of the children from March until October 2010.
•The tutoring occurred twice a week on a Tuesday and Thursday (15:00 -17:00 )
• The five identified Pebbles After Care Clubs: Villiera, Hartenberg, Bellevue,
Kaapzicht and Eikendal.
A Tutor with a child at Villiera After school Club
 The recruitment involved advertising community interaction within the
house meeting which created general awareness
 We recruited 50 volunteers for tutoring
A tutor at Kaapzicht helping about 4 children with their school work
The HK’s of community interaction received training
from Maties Community Service at the beginning of
our term.
The training taught us the following skills:
•Partnering with an organisation
•Recruiting volunteers
•Writing a funding Proposal
•Budgeting
Managing a volunteer group of 50 volunteers
The long June holiday and exam period
The lack of commitment in some tutors
Changes in time tables of University.
Language barrier in the tutor-child relationship
Tutors was not assigned to one specific child
 The planning of the project was finished by February 2010
 Working around exam dates and holidays
 The 50 tutors were divided into 4 groups which allowed for consistency
 Each tutor: time table with tutoring dates until October
 Reflection of my personal experience
During RAG Isa and Metanoia raised: R2454.13
“I have enjoyed experimenting with a variety of different things: like
looking at a child with a desire to learn even through daunting
circumstances, bringing a smile to a sad face, giving love and care to a
child when they most need it, most importantly being the motivational
factor behind a child’s success.” – Asanda (Pebbles Tutor)
“I definitely made the difference in helping the one little on with her self
esteem. And I think together with my one tutoring partner we helped a
few grade 6's with there math, because they kept coming back to us. We
could see the difference.” – Ane (Pebbles Tutor)
“Tutoring the children has been a highlight to my week. Being able to be
selfless for a few hours has been a great privilege. I see more value in
my life than I did before I met the children” – Roxanne (Pebbles Tutor)
“The success I experienced with the children was getting to know them
better, and seeing them become more comfortable around me. At first
they do not even want to ask for help when they are struggling, but
lately they have started asking questions and allowing me to help them
with their homework.” – Michelle (Pebbles Tutor)
Recruitment and Retention of student volunteers
Ek is ‘n
Matie
 High turn over rate –due to University time
and rosters changing per semester
 Zeal and passion that is not directed to a
specific goal
 Test and holiday schedules
Management
Recruitment
Training
Retention
Volunteer program
grounded in theory
 Relationship above structure
 Structure is important
 Clear communication
 Participatory decision making and ownership
 Continuous casting of vision – people want to be
part of something bigger than themselves
 Passion – leading by example
For my CV 
Personal growth
Out of classroom learning experience
Doorway to career path
Skills development
Feeling socially responsible
Recruitment
Retention
 Your volunteers are your  Create a family
best recruitment agents
 Identify your volunteer
group (psychology
students)- be deliberate
 Liaise with other key
informants – share
volunteers




environment
Meet volunteer
expectations
Participation and
ownership
Clear communication and
task description
Set goals and continuously
cast vision-bigger picture
 MGDVideo.avi