YOUR HOSTS
Peter and Daphne’ Morkel have become the South African parents to hundreds of international volunteers, many of whom have returned repeatedly to volunteer.
How our journey began
Our journey began in 1997, when Peter Kleinsmidt, father of Daphne Morkel and father-in-law to Peter Morkel, built and bequeathed a building to the people of Kleinskool for the purpose of uplifting the people of the local community. The vision of the Kleinsmidt and Morkel family was bigger than just a building where social development programmes would be run – it was meant to be a beacon of hope and a place of refuge for all who sought services there.
Since the day the centre opened, thousands of destitute, poverty stricken families and individuals have been served meals there, health care services have been provided free of charge to hundreds every week, and many have been through empowering skills development and income generation programmes to help them out of the poverty trap. Many lives have been impacted through the programmes that are run at Kleinskool, and this was just the beginning – the planting of the seed for Hope Volunteer Programme.
Reaching out, changing lives. One life at a time.
Our lives were forever changed when we experienced a heart-wrenching two years of fostering a little boy abandoned by his parents. His story has a happy ending – after finding a permanent home with a loving family, he has grown up to be a successful, grounded young man. With these experiences etched within us, it was confirmed: we were meant to be a part of changing lives for the better. Sadly however, we have also seen over the years how too many life-stories become never-ending tales of despair when there are not enough hands and hearts reaching out to help.We realised that the world needs many more people – volunteers – to help bring a change to that! We are privileged to partner with the StichtingThamsanqa.nl.
PETER & DAPHNE' MORKEL
Your Hosts
Reaching out, changing lives –
one life at a time
Ensuring the best fit for everyone. Linking people and project.
Through our involvement with different projects in the townships of Port Elizabeth and with international sending organisations over the years, we noticed a need for a service that links volunteers with the appropriate projects. Getting the right fit between volunteers and projects is so important to making the experience a positive one for the people receiving help, the project staff as well as volunteers. HVP has therefore identified and responded to the needs of international volunteer placement organisations and academic institutions to ensure that their placements are relevant to students’ and volunteers’ studies, skills, experience and/or area of work. At the same time, projects get the volunteers who can best make a positive difference in the lives of the people whom they serve.
We know where the need is and take you there.
We have been personally involved in supporting each of the projects we partner with, and have long-standing relationships that span 10+ years. We have deep-seated knowledge and experience of the work they are involved in, as well as their needs, and therefore we can confidently ensure that you will be placed where you can make a significant difference to the lives of the poor and needy.
Helping you make the greatest impact.
Having been involved in the Kleinskool programmes as well as projects based in various townships of Port Elizabeth, we understand the desperate levels of need experienced in these areas. We have seen that it is better for volunteers to spend their time, effort and resources with communities who really need it, rather than add more support to those who don’t. It has been our experience that the smaller, struggling and lesser-known projects are often forgotten by placement organizations, while bigger and better funded projects get top priority. Yet it is in the smaller projects that the biggest difference can be made, and where the impact is felt long after the volunteer has left. The local community never fails to leave an impact on our volunteers’ hearts as well, and many have said that this is a life-changing experience. Out of hundreds of humble moments of helping those who have nothing, one grasps the true meaning of “it is better to give than to receive”.
Why was the website started?
After receiving several requests from past volunteers, students and interns as well as the projects we support, a decision was taken to place all of our information in one, easily accessible place – this website!
Here you will find information about who we are, what we do, how we do it, and how to get involved. Most of all, we hope that you will be inspired by the extraordinary impact that ordinary, every-day people (just like you) are making in the lives of South Africa’s poor and destitute.
Our Partners
Happydale School
Algoa Park
Happy Feet
Daycare Centre
Thamsanqa Foster Homes
Motherwell
Under The Tree
Motherwell
Tinker Tots Creche'
Motherwell
Lelethu Baby Haven
Algoa Park
Cheshire Home
Cleary Park
Ubomi Obutsha Centre
Kwazakhele
Candice Morkel
Senior Technical M&E Specialist
Wits/CLEAR-Anglophone Africa