Last week I had the opportunity to do something useful, and give back to the community. I joined a fantastic group of volunteers, onboard the first Cape Town Better SA Volunteer Bus. Our mission was to refurbish a Primary School Library.
Better SA Volunteer Bus
It is almost a year since the launch of the Better SA Volunteer Bus in Johannesburg. Now it’s Cape Towns turn. MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet and Better SA, have brought the ‘Uber of volunteering’ to the Mother City. The Better SA Volunteer Bus initiative aims to boost volunteerism across Cape Town communities. The innovative hop-on hop-off mini-bus seeks to simplify the volunteering process, as well as to provide enriching experiences.
Better SA, a non-profit organisation, specialises in organising, as well as facilitating volunteering in disadvantaged communities. Weekly excursions are arranged, and volunteers set off from various allocated bus hubs.
MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet, South Africa’s largest fundraising programme, who already sponsor a Johannesburg mini-bus, now also sponsor the inaugural Cape Town mini-bus. The Cape Town operation will leave from the Better SA bus stops in Pinelands, every Wednesday and Saturday.
Volunteer opportunities in Cape Town, are at organisations, which are MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet beneficiaries. These include Lucky Lucy Foundation, Soil for Life, ABC for Life, SOS Children’s Village, and many more. New beneficiary organisations and volunteer opportunities are added to the Better SA event calendar on a regular basis.
How It Works
“We’re delighted to build on the success of the MySchool sponsored bus in Johannesburg, by helping Better SA bring volunteer bus service to Cape Town.” Helene Brand, MySchool Marketing and CSI Manager.
The Better SA Hop-on-Hop-off service, in Cape Town, offers volunteer experiences to residents and visitors. Better SA, aim to simplify the volunteer process and provide a rewarding experience. Making this type of experience perfect for those wanting to give back but not knowing where to start.
Better SA has taken all the hassle out of volunteering in Cape Town. All you need to do is book your spot on the bus, and arrive at the bus hub and you are on your way to creating a Better SA. The service is free of charge and co-ordinated from start to finish, allowing you to make the most impact, in the time you have available.
Siyazingisa Primary School
Our volunteer group met at the Pinelands hub for a short briefing, providing us with all the necessary information needed. We were heading off to Siyazingisa Primary School to help renovate their library. All resources we needed to complete the job were already on site, and we wasted no time getting to work.
We were tasked with various jobs which ranged from painting murals to sorting books and arranging the furniture. I decided to paint one of the Dr Seuss murals, and it felt fantastic being creative, especially for such a great cause. Seeing the very excited faces of the kids popping in to check our progress, made it so worthwhile!
Once all the painting and book sorting was completed, we moved the furniture in, and the whole project came together beautifully. Seeing the before photographs, made us all appreciate the difference that we had help make to these young lives.
If you are looking for a way to help and give something back, I would highly recommend booking with Better SA. I love the fact that it is something where the whole family can get involved!
Book Your Spot on The Bus
So what are you waiting for? Book your spot on The Bus and get volunteering! Visit Better SA to review the upcoming calendar of Cape Town events and complete the booking form for the event. The only thing left for you to do is arrive at the bus hub and hop on the bus.
The Hop-on-Hop-off volunteer bus service runs every Wednesday (from 1 pm to 4 pm) and Saturday (from 9 am to 12 pm) from the Better SA hub at Mupine Golf Club, Forest Drive Extension, Pinelands – Old Mutual, Sports Field, Jan Smuts Drive, Pinelands.
MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet
Better SA is also a beneficiary of the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet programme. You can also show your support and help expand the Hop-on-Hop-off service to other parts of the country, by selecting Better SA as your MySchool beneficiary. Visit MySchool to apply for your free MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card, and choose Better SA as your beneficiary. Every time you swipe your card at Woolworths, Engen, Loot.co.za or any other partner store, the participating retailers will donate a percentage of your purchase value, on your behalf, to the beneficiaries you have chosen.
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Hi there,
We love and fully support the work done by BetterSA. As a small environment conservation organization, Bio Moss operates on the principles of preserving nature and we would love to team up with Better SA in “bettering” our country.
Bio Moss Conservation