Volunteer
So you have decided to come to Bethany Home as a volunteer!!
Behaviour Expectations
Volunteering at Bethany Home can be a wonderful experience, but there are some things that should be kept in mind. It is very important to remember you will face cultural differences, and as a guest in this country, you need to be sensitive to these. Bethany is situated in a rural area, and dress code is important. Dress modestly and sensibly - upper arms and midriff covered, no shorts above the knee. In the swimming pool however, dark coloured shorts and T-shirts should be worn.
Bethany is a "dry" community, so no alcohol is to be consumed on the property - or in the local town. Those who wish to drink may do so away from the local area of Bethany. Staff and other volunteers are always willing to answer questions and to ask is better than to learn from making a mistake.
Accommodation
At Bethany Home the typical accommodation is dorm style, with the men's dorm downstairs, the women's upstairs. Both upstairs and downstairs have shared bathrooms and kitchen. Some volunteers have boarded at a group home for either part of their time at Bethany, or all of their time. This only happens after discussion and approval by the Director.
Bethany Home tries to be as flexible as possible regarding accommodation, for example marital status is taken into consideration. It is best to assume that you will be in dormitory accommodation.
Food
Lunch is provided during the 5 weekdays and some general ingredients (bread and spreads) are provided from the kitchen for breakfast. Aside from this the visitors provide their own meals. There are many local food places averaging about 3-5 RM for a meal.
Recommended Research
You will experience wonderful things as you interact with the amazing special people. These people are unique and their special needs can't be generalised. But it does help to have an idea of what a particular person's diagnosis means. So apart from reading the Volunteers Guide it will be useful to have a basic understanding of the following conditions:
- Epilepsy
- Down's Syndrome
- Autism
- Cerebral Palsy
- Learning Disability/Slow Learner
- Any combination of these
Once you have arrived at Bethany Home there is also a volunteer's book which is very useful to read. Ask another volunteer for the current location of this book.