As a non-profit organization, the Amy Biehl Foundation recognizes and appreciates the contributions made by local and foreign volunteers and interns. Like ABF employees, the intern and volunteer force consists of people of all ages, backgrounds, races and experiences. Volunteers and interns from all over the world (mainly United States, The Netherlands and Germany) join us in the programs each year. This creates a unique and diverse atmosphere, both in the office and in the schools. Amy Biehl Foundation seeks to utilize the many skills and talents of interns from both South Africa and abroad, in an effort to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. Volunteers and interns are being given a lot of freedom in terms of tasks. Below you will find additional information.

The only difference between volunteers and interns is that interns usually require to work with us fulltime (due to school assignments). Most of our volunteers only work on a part-time basis as a school facilitator in the afternoons (although they can also choose to do additional work in the office).

Below are the various tasks you can get involved with, including intern-specific profiles. As mentioned, you can choose the tasks you feel comfortable with. During the course of your stay, you can also change and perform other duties.

Schools

All our interns and volunteers are involved with the After School programs (take a look at the website for a full overview of these programs). These programs run from Monday to Thursday from 15.00 until 17.00. Classes include:

• Music including Violin, Guitar, Marimba, Choral Singing and Brass
• HIV/AIDS Peer Education & Prevention
• Sport including soccer, netball and hockey
• Computer Literacy
• Filming
• Greening and Environmental
• Youth Reading Role Model Literacy
• Creative Arts including Painting, Beading, Drama, Dance, Kwaito, Modern, Traditional and Ballet

During school holidays, the foundation runs camps and holiday programs. Additionally, there are also regular weekend trips you may want to get involved with (ie hiking with the children).

During the morning hours (9.00 until 13.00) you can choose to do additional work in the office, or you can get involved with daytime projects (ie reading). Again, flexibility is a must. You are being given the space to make your own choices in terms of content. The following tasks are especially interesting for interns.

IT assistant/Design

Preferred study background: IT or Design related

Tasks: Website development, social media (using tools such as Facebook and Twitter), newsletter and brochure design.

Media, Marketing, PR and fundraising

Preferred study background: Media, Communications or Marketing.

Tasks: Use writing skills for newsletter, website updates, event planning, press releases, sponsor, fun run.

Coordinator Assistant

Preferred study background: Communications, Human Resource Management

Tasks: Research on staff communication issues and efficiency, guide and assist program coordinators (basic administration including report writing).

If you are interested in joining the foundation, please send an email to joanna@amybiehl.co.za stating your name, your contact details, the dates which you wish to work with the foundation and the tasks you want to get involved with. We will then send you an email with a registration form.

Picture: Maja (The Netherlands) was a volunteer at the ABF in February 2010 and did Reading and Art classes.

Feedback from volunteers:

“Thank you so much for the privilege of working with you! It was such a pleasure meeting such dedicated, caring individuals. I know the Foundation will continue in its success because of your hard work.  Please feel free to call or email me anytime.  I definitely want to keep in touch!”  Samantha Zirkin

‘I have found my involvement with the Amy Biehl Foundation to have been of immeasurable personal satisfaction and inspiration. The whole experience has shown me the power of Non Profit community work and the potential calibre of people involved with these institutions. I am immensely proud to be involved with such people. The little I may have contributed pales compared to the wealth I have received in return. Thank you for all of your amazing work.’  Jeremy Taylor

‘My time at Amy Biehl has played a large role in what I want to do career-wise and I’m looking to go back in the Fall of 2010 for a Non-Profit Management degree.  When I first moved down to South Africa I did not in any way, shape or form think that the non-profit arena would be a career path for me but I found the work at the Foundation to be extremely meaningful, challenging and fulfilling.  I was also able to see the impact that an exceptional, inspirational manager could have on an organization.  I’ll never forget our first staff meeting on my second or third day where we went around the room discussing what each of the programs had accomplished over the previous three months and not one person had anything to say and to make matters worse we were borderline bankrupt.  At that point I thought I had made a horrible decision to come down to South Africa and wanted to hop on the next plane home.  But sure enough there was a complete turnaround and in a matter of months the Foundation began to flourish, grants and donations began to come through and the entire staff began to work together in ways I didn’t think possible.  I’ll never, as long as I live, forget the transformation that occurred down there and consider my time in South Africa to be my most important.’  Peter Butkus

Accommodation Suggestions

The Amy Biehl Foundation will give advice on accommodation possibilities once a volunteer/intern agreement has been made.

One of the possibilities is Riverview Lodge or Nelly’s Lodge Obs

Please contact us for further advise if required.