Lalela is an award-winning, registered Non-Profit Organisation (NPO 090608).

We provide an educational arts programme to at-risk children from the age of six to 18 across Southern Africa. We start by developing children’s imagination and continue to connect the arts to everything important in a child’s life, from core academics to critical life-skills. We not only provide a safe space for children in the hours after school and during school holidays, but also help them to navigate the challenges they face in their communities and in their schools. All of this is achieved through our unique curricula, which combine arts and life skills in a way that children find fun and engaging.

Our head office is in Hout Bay, Cape Town, where we work closely with the two surrounding communities: Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg. We also have programmes in Masiphumelele (near Fish Hoek in Cape Town), and in Bonteheuwel and Philippi Village in the Cape Flats. In the Cape Winelands we provide a programme at Boschendal, while we reach children from Cape Town’s inner city through our programme at Zeitz MOCAA museum at the V&A Waterfront. In Johannesburg we are based at our own Lalela Centre for Arts and Innovation in Maboneng District.

We also operate in Zimbabwe and Uganda through our partnerships with Zara Centre and Hope North respectively.

Whether it’s a one-time gift or a recurring donation, every contribution we receive goes directly towards providing Lalela’s life-changing educational arts programme to at-risk children in Southern Africa. Please click here to access the various options to make your donation.

We are always grateful to receive donations of art materials for the learners in our after-school art workshops to use. As our art material needs are quite specific, however, please enquire with our team about how you might best assist. Please send a message via the Contact page, and we will get back to you with materials lists, or with an answer to your question.

Lalela offers three different options for volunteers.

Holiday Programme Volunteers:
These volunteers assist Lalela facilitators during Holiday Programme sessions. These sessions take place during the three main South African school holidays (either March/April, June/July or December). We receive large groups of children during the Holiday Programme, so Holiday Programme Volunteers usually work in teams to support facilitators, who otherwise would not be able to accommodate such large groups. We require Holiday Programme Volunteers to be available preferably for at least two weeks, and to attend our compulsory Holiday Programme training day.

Classroom Volunteers:
Classroom Volunteers are assigned a dedicated facilitator and class/classes, who they will assist for at least four weeks during the school term. Classroom Volunteers usually work one-on-one with their dedicated facilitator and get to know that facilitator’s class very well.

Office Volunteers:
Office Volunteers do not attend classes or work with children, but rather spend their time at the Lalela office. The minimum requirement for Office Volunteers is four weeks of availability. An Office Volunteer will be assigned tasks based on their interests and skills. Some of the areas where we require the help of Office Volunteers are administration and data capture, planning and logistics (events included), social media and SEO, and journalism and writing.

Lalela volunteers must be 18 years or older and emotionally mature enough to work with at-risk children. A good understanding of the English language is required. You do not need to be an artist to be a Lalela volunteer, but an interest in art is a definite plus. We also accept volunteers who are interested in poetry, music, dance and theatre.

We are relatively flexible and are willing to negotiate a part-time schedule with volunteers where required. Should you need to work half-days, please note that our classes take place in the afternoons from 14:00, so you will not be able to work “mornings only” unless you are an Office Volunteer.

Lalela volunteers are not paid a stipend. There is also no payment required to participate in Lalela’s volunteer programme. We do, however, accept and appreciate donations from volunteers, should you want to contribute further to our programme.