Answers to questions which you may have about
volunteering at Conquest For Life are given below.
What immunisations do I need to have before coming to
Johannesburg?
You must take Hepatitis A and
Typhoid vaccines at least 10 days before your date of travel along with
other regular vaccines (tetanus, polio, etc.) that you would have probably taken
at some stage in your youth. If you are coming from a yellow fever infected area,
then the yellow fever vaccine is also a requirement.
Although Afrikaans is the most widely spoken
language here, people are also able to communicate in English.
Is Johannesburg as violent and dangerous as people
say?
No it is not therefore you must not let this
be an issue for you. You will be working and living with a safe and welcoming
community and there will always be someone available to take you to where ever
you may want to go.
No. Mosquitoes and other biting insects are not a
problem where you will be living and working. You will only need to protect
yourself only if you decide to visit a safari park or places that are out of the
city area.
If you do not have any previous work experience that's
fine; this will be a great way to start your work life. Commitment and
willingness to make a contribution towards our community is what we are
looking for. We are seeking agents of change who will help in the attainment of
our objectives and help to drive our vision.
If however you are skilled in any area which you
believe can be an advantage to us in one way or another then that's
great.
This depends entirely on how much you
want to budget for the duration of your stay. Check out the following currency converter web site to see how much
your local currency is worth in South African Rand. But just to be on the
safe side you may want to bring a credit/debit card with you. You can use them
to withdraw cash here as long as they have the visa/cirrus/maestro
logo on them. And yes, you will get charged some kind of fee by your bank from
back home so find out exactly how much this will be.
Accommodation is provided free of charge for
all our volunteers. You will be staying in a house that is occupied by other
volunteers such as yourself. The house is located in the suburbs not too far
from Conquest headquarters in Westbury.
Do I have to
pay for any bills?
No. The only thing you pay for is your own expenses
such as food and any other personal luxuries!
You will be based at the CFL headquarters in
Westbury but you may also be sent to work at any of the other
offices.
At present CFL employs 30 people yet this number is set
to grow as we expand our premises and take on new projects. CFL is a young and
vibrant organisation as many of the staff members are young people who are
channeling their skills and energy towards making a difference in their society
in order to create a brighter future for members of the
community.
The atmosphere at work is very much relaxed yet
focused. Members of staff are the most warm, energetic and welcoming people you
will find anywhere; they work very hard but also know how to have
fun!
How will I get
to work?
Free transport is provided to take you to work
and back home again and to other places such as the supermarket.
Conquest is a community based organisation therefore
you will get to meet and interact with members of the community on a daily basis
as various workshops and programmes take place throughout the week.
Also, as most of the staff live within the community
you will get a chance to meet other people through them as they take you out and
get you accustomed to life within the society.
You will receive support in every way
possible. We love welcoming new people into our midst and we appreciate the fact
that they are coming from a completely different culture therefore we make sure
that you are well informed about everything and there will always be someone
around to get you accustomed to our way of life over here.
Click here for more details about tourist
information, weather conditions, attractions etc.
