Cape Town

Jun 2 2014

Why You Should Be a Volunteer at MBC

1) South Africa

Such a nice country! During your stay here you’ll have the possibility to do a lot of things! Muizenberg and Cape Town are both wonderful places to visit and there are loads of really cool activities to do! And you’ll have all your weekends free!! Thus, hiking, sea experiences (shark diving, seal boat trips, viewing penguins, fishing), wine degustation, rugby games, safaris and even more are waiting for you! If you like parties, Cape Town offers many possibilities.

Furthermore wherever you go here you’ll always discover new things to do! New views! Different peoples! Indeed, South Africa is a multicultural country and you can meet peoples who come from all around the world! Black and white together! And learn a lot about what is real life!!!

2) Muizenberg

You’ll stay in Muizenberg, which is a really nice place that’s well known for its surfing beach!!! Enjoy the perfect waves and live in a wonderful house where you’ll enjoy the chilled atmosphere and the amazing view of the ocean! Ant (MBC president and the volunteer house’s owner) is such a nice guy! He’ll teach you a lot about South African culture! Mainly on the evening in his living room accompanied with his guitar and nice music, like “Sugar Man”. You’ll share your room with peoples who are here for the same reasons as you so everything should go really well! I am really happy to chat with them and learn about their countries, their cultures and their lives.

In Muizenberg, there is a tradition. Each week you’ll enjoy the Bluebird Food and Goods Market, which is the place to be on Fridays! With a wide selection of delicious and different food and alcohol! Surf instructors, volunteers and many other people will be there!

For the rest of the week it’s easy to travel about locally thanks to the train or taxi drivers (really cheap and nice drivers who take care of you). Kalk Bay is only 5 minutes away from Muizenberg and there you can find really cool bars and restaurants like Cape to Cuba!!! You’ll probably also go to Brass Bell, where lots of volunteers and locals take up residence on Wednesday nights to have a go at karaoke! You can have a great party here!

3) Mission

If you like sport, this is the project you must choose! Every morning you’ll enjoy great waves in a wonderful place! For me it was my first surfing experience! And after 2 weeks’ training I caught my first real wave!! It was an extraordinary sensation! I could turn on the wave and feel the speed coming! When I finally fell down off the board, I was like a child – I couldn’t stop smiling! Such a nice experience! Time flies in the water! And even on days when the waves aren’t so good, the ocean as far as you can see is perfect for getting you to empty your mind and think about life!

Three days a week with the kids you’ll play soccer, go hiking and surf!! These kids come from a township and they grow up in a dangerous place where gangsters are present and try to make them cross the line. These kids are amazing! Indeed they are always smiling and love speaking with you and learning about your life. They’ll give you so much!! Time goes really fast with them and you can’t be bored!! During sport activities they like to be with you! And they love jokes! At the beginning it will be difficult to remember all their names but you’ll use some tips to remember them! Cause they all have their own charisma and particularities! For example Themba! You can’t miss him – he will always try to make jokes and play with you!

Twice a week in the afternoons you’ll stay at the office, which is a really pleasant place! You’ll share ideas with others volunteers and try to develop MBC (posting blogs, marketing, communication). You’ll have a blank canvas for developing the project and its workers are always ready to listen to you and help you. All the work you’ll provide will be indirectly necessary for the kids because the more people know about MBC, the more the organisation will benefit. It’s such a good motivation to know you can help them!

Thanks to this experience you’ll change your way of thinking. You’ll learn about real life, share wonderful moments, meet amazing kids and peoples. “Kindness” will be my word if I have to describe South African peoples in one word. This kind of experience will make you understand how lucky you really are.

Don’t think any more!! Go to MBC and enjoy the best experience of your life!

Nico (volunteer from France)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Beach, Cape Town, Charity, hiking, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg, Soccer, South Africa, Surfing, Volunteer, Youth

May 28 2014

My Time in Cape Town

Volunteering at MBC has been an amazing experience I’m going to remember for ever. I have been able to do so much in the four weeks I have been here and met some really cool people from all over the world. Spending time surfing, playing soccer and hiking with the kids has been so much fun (even when they are being nuisances!).

I have loved getting to the office in the morning and going straight in for a surf. I can feel I have improved since being here and can’t wait to continue at home in the summer. I’m eager to move on to some more advanced waves in other places around the world.

When the kids come for a surf session they absolutely love it. They always say they wish they could stay in the water longer. Some of them are pretty good and the others are really trying to get better.
Soccer is definitely their best sport. Their skills with the ball are amazing!
I love going on hikes at home so going hiking with the kids was really cool. Especially going to the top of a big hill and getting to the very top and revealing an amazing view! They moan at the start but by the time we finish they have been knackered out and had loads of fun exploring caves and anything they find.

If anyone was looking to do some volunteering I would highly recommend MBC to them. A great project in a great place.

Here are a few pictures of my time.

Patrick, volunteer from Wales

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, caves, hiking, Soccer, Surfing

May 28 2014

A Day at the Caves

If there’s one thing to do when you come to South Africa it would definitely be to hike! Take full advantage of the abundance of mountainous regions and breathtaking views this country has to offer. Table Mountain is obviously the most well known elevation in South Africa; however, there are countless other hiking opportunities available with views that are just as stunning and equally awe-inspiring.

This week we took the kids up the Trappieskop trail (which is a part of Table Mountain National Park) to explore some caves! From the start the hike was a very steep one with many boulders to scramble over…talk about an intense leg day…but truthfully the path was one that a beginner hiker could easily conquer. The boys were eager to get to the caves and basically sprinted the entire 45 minutes up. The only time we took a rest was when Frankie found a cockroach and thought it would be fun to give us a little scare by picking it up with his stick!

When we got to the first set of caves, the boys were so excited to start exploring…but our new volunteer leader, Ryan, insisted we keep moving because there were bigger and better cave formations not far away! Once we got to the right set of caves it was a scramble to take out candles and torches and go exploring. The boys had a blast trying to scare one another by blowing their candles out and went deep into the caves, they even used the wax to mark their names on the stone to prove that they had been exploring there. Hiking with the boys is hard work but so much fun we cannot wait to explore new territory with them!!

The Kids Conquering the Cave

-Alisha and Pria (Canada)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, caves, Gapyear, Hike, hiking, Kids, Muizenberg Beach Club, South Africa, surfing south af, Surfing South Africa, Travel, Volunteer, Youth

May 22 2014

Movie Night with MBC

MBC’s motto is “Respect for nature, self and others”, one of the ways MBC promotes the expression of these characteristics among the boys is with the Star Chart program. The Star Chart allows the volunteers to award a star to each child who attends MBC activities and displays good sportsmanship; cooperation; effort; teamwork, and in general, good behaviour. Stars can be taken away for behaviours such as fighting, swearing and poor attitudes.

This past Friday we had the opportunity to take 4 of the kids who achieved the most stars to the cinema to watch the latest installment of The Amazing Spider-Man!! Phila, Themba, Siya, and Frankie were the boys who displayed the most consistent behaviour and had earned the most stars this past month. We picked the boys up at 8:30 and could tell they were excited and ready to go, wearing “special” clothes, accessorized with bright smiles! Phila was decked out in his fresh digs and stylish hat, adorned with a newly pierced ear!! (We soon found out it was only magnetic)

Themba, Siya, Frankie and Phila!

Just from observing the kids the moment they got into the van to when we finally took our seats at the theatre, we could tell how happy they were to be out on a Friday night watching a movie with Ant, Maddy, and all of the volunteers of MBC. We all had a really fun night and it was a well deserved treat for the boys and all they’ve accomplished over the past few weeks!

SELFIE!!!

-Pria and Alisha (Canada)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, Cinema, Gapyear, Kids, Muizenberg, Reward, South Africa, Surfing South Africa, Travel, Volunteer, Youth

May 20 2014

My first days in Cape Town

My name is Becky and I’m visiting South Africa all the way from Canada. It was a bit of an adventure getting to the bottom of the world but I made it.

I have been with MBC almost a week now and I’m really enjoying life here, time is going by much too quickly. I’ve found that Muizenberg attracts a colourful mix of people including surfers, travelers and locals, which makes for an exciting, happenin place to be. I have only spent a couple of weeks here and already I recognize familiar faces of people around town and in the ocean.

If you’re interested in meeting new people while indulging in some decently priced local food be sure to check out the Friday Night Indoor Market located a couple blocks from the MBC office. Inside the market various food venders and local artisans set up stands to sell their incredible food and handcrafted creations. The market is a really fun place to hang out with the other volunteers after a good week of work and activities. I have been to the market twice since being here and each time I’ve met new people and felt a little bit more a part of the local scene here in Muizenberg.

Red Bus Tour. Waterfront, Cape Town

Before I arrived in Muizenberg I wanted to take a bit of a tour around the city. This being my first time in Cape Town I thought it important to get somewhat acquainted with the place I would be spending over a month in. One of the first things I did when I arrived was take a Red Bus tour. If you’re a fairly confident person and don’t mind riding in a double-decker tour bus packed full of sunburned snap-happy tourists, I would definitely recommend doing the tour. The buses are red, so you can’t miss them! There are a variety of different tours that leave from the Waterfront in town. Taking a tour is not only a great way to see a layout of the city, but the bus stops at a lot of interesting places and it’s no problem to hop off, check something out, and then hop on the next bus.

Godfrey and Yamkela surfing in Muizenberg

The main thing that drew me to Muizenberg and the MBC program was the surf outreach. Since being here I have spent many hours paddling out to the break which is literally right across the parking lot from the office. Even if you’ve never balanced on any kind of board in your life or if you’re actually decent at surfing, these fairly gentle waves are fun for all levels. Of course the point of volunteering with MBC is not just to catch great waves by yourself. Surfing with the kids from the club is a ton of fun and is by far their favorite activity. They are pumped to surf with the volunteers. Even when I’ve been tired and or cold after a morning surf it’s been worth getting back into the water anyways! You won’t regret a surf session with a bunch of high-energy kids that rip in the water. I learnt quickly that the kids are honest and will call it as they see it. Expect a lot of joking around and sarcastic remarks coming your way. If they think you’re doing something weird they’ll let you know! It’s important to develop a thick skin. Surfing is something we do almost every day so embrace the cold water!

Becky Funk (Canada)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg, South Africa, Volunteer

May 19 2014

Alisha’s First Blog!

Hello! My name is Alisha, and I’m a new volunteer at MBC for the month of May. I am very excited to be in South Africa because I’m coming all the way from Toronto, Canada! Since I’ve been here, I’ve felt very comfortable and welcomed by not only the workers and volunteers at MBC, but also the local people in both Fish Hoek and Muizenberg. Volunteering at MBC means a lot to me because it has always been my dream to travel to developing countries and work with children.

I’ve met the children of MBC a couple of times now (surfing, hiking, and playing soccer) and they are full of so much energy and charisma! I can’t wait to do more activities with them, I already feel very attached! I think it’s really amazing that MBC gives these kids the opportunity to effectively utilize their free time after school by playing sports and interacting with volunteers from all over the world, who can be lifelong mentors and role models for them. I can’t wait to spend the next month here at MBC.

This country is so beautiful and there is so much I want to see and do while I’m here. I recently got the opportunity to hike up Table Mountain with my fellow MBC volunteer Pria Lattar, and we abseiled halfway down! It was the most humbling yet terrifying experience of my life. It was fantastic and I absolutely recommend it to all prospective volunteers!

Hiking Table Mountain!

Alisha Romain, Canada

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: #volunteers, Abseil, Canada, Cape Town, Children, Club, dreams, Dreams to Reality, fun, Hike, Kids, Muizenberg, Muizenberg Beach Club, South Africa, Sports, Surfing, Surfing South Africa, Volunteer

May 16 2014

First Impressions: Muizenberg and Meeting the MBC Boys!

This is my first time in South Africa and the first lesson I have learned is to not let anyone’s opinions deter you from travelling to this beautiful country. Muizenberg is the epitome of a beach town; the views of the ocean and mountains are fantastic and the people are chill and friendly. My first week here has already flown by far too quickly…Each day I’m beyond excited to surf and meet the boys for their Muizenberg Beach Club activities. The boys have such amazing spirits and seeing them laugh and play gives me hope that the MBC is truly making a positive impact on their lives. It is such an inspiring feeling to know that you have the potential to change someone’s life for the better and helping to keep at-risk youth away from gangs, violence and trouble is truly rewarding, just being around the boys is so much fun, their laughter is contagious and each day is something new. I am so excited to be spending my time here with MBC, I cannot wait to have more adventures and spend more time getting to know the kids.

A misty mountain top view of Muizenberg!

-Pria (Canada)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Beach, Cape Town, Charity, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg, Surfing, Travel, Volunteer, Youth

May 12 2014

First day at MBC!!!

Hello! We are Nico from France and Jasper from the Netherlands. Nico studies Marketing and Communication at the ISC in Paris and is here to volunteer for 2 months. Jasper studies International Marketing Management in Utrecht and is here to do his month internship. We are both really looking forward to our time here.

On Tuesday it was our first day at the office. We started the day with a surfing lesson with Alfonso! He is a really good coach, such a nice guy and he made our first surfing experience in South Africa really enjoyable! The waves were perfect for learning to surf and both the weather and the wonderful view looked like paradise! We had a really good time and it’s just the beginning!!!

During our surf lesson we met another volunteer, Ailsa. She is really aware of and involved in MBC projects and it was really cool for us to speak with her. She took time to answer our questions about the kids and the project. The more she spoke, the more excited we were to meet the kids!!

Ailsa and Jasper

Nick, who was the kids’ surf coach 2 years ago, happened to be visiting Muizenberg from England. He decided to stop by and come with us to pick up the children. When they saw the bus coming they were really happy to see us! They jumped on the bus and started their show!! They are so funny!! To see the huge smiles on their faces for the first time was really special!! Everybody should live such a moment one time in their life! It took a couple of minutes for the kids to recognize Nick since he had cut off the dreads that he used to have, but eventually they did. They were really happy to see him again! Phila kept saying, ‘This is so awesome, man. This is so awesome.’

For me (Jasper) personally the bus ride was a funny experience. After the question ‘Am I a girl?’, an interrogation started about why I had long hair if I wasn’t a girl! The interrogation ended with 5 kids pulling my blond hair.

There is a rule on the bus which says that the kids must speak English at all times so that everyone can understand each other. When one of the kids screamed something in Afrikaans Ailsa wanted to know what they meant. Because Afrikaans and Dutch are so similar, I (Jasper) was able to tell her. The kids were stunned – how did I know? After enjoying their stunned faces I told them that Afrikaans is derived primarily from Dutch. The kids didn’t believe me so they asked what my name is in Afrikaans – when I could answer them, they were even more surprised!

I (Jasper) had only learned how to surf that morning so I was hesitating whether or not to join the kids in the sea. I had been told by Ailsa that they always like it if volunteers join them in the sea, so in I went! Despite the fact that the weather wasn’t that great, Siya, Phila, Yamkela, Frankie, Asi and I went into the sea. The kids are actually quite good at surfing. And just by looking at their faces you can see that they also really enjoy it!

Siya!

Surfing was the plan for the afternoon but I (Nico) caught a stupid cold during my journey to South Africa so I decided to stay on the beach with Ailsa,Yanga, Siminkiwe, Godfrey and Mike. When I asked Mike why he didn’t want to surf, he answered me, ‘I am a soccer player, man!’ It was so funny and I was glad to hear that! I planned to take pictures during the afternoon but the kids were really excited by the fact that I liked soccer so we started to play on the beach and it might sound weird but it was maybe one of the most wonderful days of my life! Playing soccer on the beach with the kids smiling was really cool!! I will never forget this day!

Yanga, Siminkiwe, Mike, Godefrey and Ailsa

By Jasper, volunteer from Holland, and Nico, volunteer from France

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Beach, Cape Town, Charity, Dreams to Reality, fun, Funny, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg Beach Club, Soccer, South Africa, Surf, Surfing, Travel, Volunteer, Youth

May 9 2014

GO STORMERS

As well as being busy during the week with MBC, I have done so much at the weekends during my time here in Cape Town. One thing I was keen to do here was see a rugby game. South Africa has produced some of the best players in the world, won two world cups and their rivalry with the All Blacks is the fiercest in rugby history. I really like watching rugby at home and it is such a huge thing here that I thought it would be awesome to watch a local team.

The Rugby Union league here is Super Rugby, the biggest in the southern hemisphere. Fifteen teams from three countries – South Africa, Australia and New Zealand – take part in the league. I went online and found that Cape Town Stormers were playing Highlanders at their home stadium Newlands.

We got the train to Newlands Stadium. Walking up to the stadium was a really cool moment because I watched the movie ‘Invictus’ just before I came out to SA. In the movie the Springboks drive up to the stadium and I said when I watched it that I’d love to see a game at Newlands.

Newlands Stadium!

There was a fantastic atmosphere outside the stadium. There were so many people, all in Stormers shirts and buzzing about the game. The Castle brewery is next to the stadium so they had set up an outdoor bar in a park. It was a really great location because we could see the mountains whilst we enjoyed a beer before the game.

The Castle outdoor pub

The game started at 3pm and I found it so bizarre and also funny how many people were still casually finding their seats after kick-off. People talked a lot and weren’t really concentrating unless we were just about to score a try. They also made a lot of noise when the kicker was getting ready. I found this so strange, because supporters in England, as well as having fun, take it really seriously. Everyone is in their seats by kick off. They watch the play intently and respect the players when they need to be quiet. I was chatting to a South African supporter who also told me that people here always lose interest in a team when they aren’t doing well, but when they start to win games, suddenly everyone is a fan. I found this funny too, because rugby and football fans I know at home, support and adore their teams regardless of how well they’re doing. However, I wasn’t at all surprised, I learnt very quickly that people here are very very chilled about life!

A sea of blue flags in the Stormers stand!

Stormers had been doing fairly badly, leaving them 15th in the league…out of 15! So we were pretty much prepared to see them lose, but with a try won within the first minute of the game, things were looking good! The Stormers stayed ahead for almost the entire game. Things got close but really exciting towards the end, with Highlanders almost scoring a try in the last few minutes, but Stormers won the game 29-28.

Myself & Stormers player Jurie van Vuuren!

It was so great to be cheering in the stands with all the local supporters, for the team of the city I have grown to love so much over the past month. I am so happy to have been able to see a game whilst I’m here. I spent the day with two of my housemates who’s last day it was, so I’m really grateful to have this awesome memory with them.

Outside Newlands Stadium with my housemates Nils & Charlotte

By Ailsa, Volunteer from England

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, dhlstormers, Gapyear, MBC, Muizenberg Beach Club, newlands, rugby, South Africa, springboks, stadium, stormers, Travel, Volunteer, westernprovence, wprugby

Apr 23 2014

MBC Conquer Table Mountain!

Hey! I’m Ailsa and I’m a new volunteer for MBC. I’m from Southampton on the south coast of England. I am already in love with South Africa and am having an awesome time at MBC.

Last Friday was a really special day for MBC, as it was the day that we conquered Table Mountain!

We told the kids when we saw them during the week that we would be climbing the infamous peak on the coming Friday to watch the sun set from the summit. Ant decided that we were going to do India Venster…the most technical and challenging route.

The day of the hike was nothing short of a heatwave. In the heat of the afternoon Ant, Paul, Will, Anna, Saskia and I drove to pick up the boys in Steenberg. Ant lined them all up before they got in the bus to make sure everyone was dressed appropriately and had plenty of water. All the boys had come prepared, ready and raring to go! Everyone then piled into the bus and we headed into the city.

This was the first time I had actually been into the city and the view from the road was something else. The sky scrapers of Cape Town looked incredible against the backdrop of the sea in the afternoon sun, but Table Mountain dominated the landscape, standing tall above the city.

Table Mountain from the bus – you can just see the cable station at the top!

Chatting to the boys, I discovered that none of them had ever been to Table Mountain before, not even with school. Naively, I was really surprised because they live so close. I realised that I take for granted that as well my education, my schools enriched my life with so many great experiences. Just getting kids to school for an education a challenge here, let alone planning school trips. The boys’ families don’t have the means and aren’t in a situation where they can take the kids on days out like this. Without MBC, the boys would never get to fully experience and appreciate the beautiful landscape of their home city.

We arrived at Table Mountain full of energy and excited to get going. Ant handed out apples for some natural energy and gave us all some tips on how to hike effectively.

Getting ready to set off!

Our climb began at the cable station, with a steep path than ran underneath the cable cars. This first section took us up the grassy mountainside to where the steeper terrain began. It was only about a 15 minute section but we were all extremely hot and out of breath. It was at this point that we realised this was really going to be tough! We rested in the shade before starting the main hike.

Phila, Yamkela, Kiyaam, Will and Frankie, resting and rehydrating in the shade

From here the hike got progressively steeper and more technical. But as we climbed higher, the breeze was cooler and the view was even more stunning. There was a mixture of steep rocky paths, scrambles and a couple of climbing sections. The most difficult sections had metal bars and chains drilled into the rocks to grab onto. We rested often to drink water and catch our breath. Although it is a difficult route, I know I speak for everyone when I say I didn’t feel unsafe at any point because we were all helping and looking out for each other.

Saskia and Will checking out the view

The boys really gave it their all and almost all of them made it to the summit for sunset. Myself and Anna didn’t quite make it but we stood on the edge of the path, on the side of the mountain and watched sun set gently over Camps Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It was a really special moment.

Me & Anna at sunset

Reaching the summit just as the sun set

After the sun had set, we finished the last bit of the hike and met everyone else at the viewing point at the top of the mountain. There was such a buzz and a great atmosphere between everyone. We all felt so proud of ourselves and of each other. It got dark quickly and soon the lights of the city were sparkling. We were just in time to catch the last cable car down the mountain. We took a few minutes at the bottom to reflect on what we had achieved and take in the view one last time, before all jumping in the bus and heading back to Steenberg.

The amazing view of Cape Town from the top!

Having only just arrived, I’m still getting to know the boys but I was genuinely so impressed by their positive attitude, maturity and teamwork throughout the climb. They looked out for each other and helped each other up difficult sections, whilst still having a laugh as they went. They are so fun and positive which made me relax when parts of the climb were difficult. It was such a great experience and a privilege to do this climb with MBC!

Incredibly, Saskia managed to do the majority of the climb one handed, whilst using the other to film with her GoPro camera. We’ve made a video of our memorable Table Mountain climb, which you can check out here!

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, climbing, gopro, hiking, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg, Muizenberg Beach Club, outdoors, South Africa, sunset, Surfing, Tablemountain, Volunteer

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