Since 2003, Pasture Valley has welcomed men and women from the US, UK, Ghana, Norway, and elsewhere throughout the world as both short- and long-term volunteers. We are looking for responsible individuals or married couples with strong Christian values, a love for children, and a desire to help. Because of the wide range of activities in which Pasture Valley is involved, we accept volunteers with a wide range of skills, interests and experiences: everything from small business management to preschool to construction or maintenance.

Additionally, Pasture Valley is involved with a number of organizations that provide home-based care and palliative care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, run support groups for people affected by HIV, provide trainings on HIV/AIDS and related health issues, do HIV testing and counseling, and conduct outreach activities to help impoverished families meet their needs for food, clothes, children’s school fees, and other basic needs. Volunteers with interest or prior experience in HIV or other health-related fields may be able to assist, on a part-time basis, with one or more of these projects.

Currently, Pasture Valley is working with a local NGO working to provide skills training in traditional and non-traditional handicrafts as well as business skills to women who have been abused, abandoned, widowed or otherwise affected by HIV. The project aims to provide useful experience, a reliable income and social support for all women involved, as well as acting as a forum to discuss key issues of HIV/AIDS prevention and other health issues. For this project, Pasture Valley is seeking volunteers with skills or experience in business, marketing, arts and crafts, skills training, grant-writing, or health education. If you are interested in assisting with this project, please specify your skills and experience on your application.

Prospective volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and proficient in English. Pasture Valley accepts applications from individuals of either gender, as well as married couples. While individuals are certainly welcome, preference is given to married couples. Because the majority of volunteers work with the children’s home, it is important that they have a love of children and Christian values.

Prospective volunteers must be patient, open-minded and respectful of other cultures, as culture and tradition are very highly valued in Swaziland. All volunteers will experience a certain amount of culture shock in adjusting to the living conditions and prevalence of poverty in Swaziland, the limited availability of modern conveniences such as internet, language differences, the fluid concept of time, unpredictable public transportation and any number of other cultural factors, in addition to homesickness. In particular, female volunteers may be irritated by gender inequalities, sexual harassment, or the cultural norms that require women to dress more conservatively than in their home country. Prior to their arrival, all volunteers will be given an orientation packet that provides a more detailed introduction to Swazi culture, siSwati language and other important information.

There is no fee for volunteering at Pasture Valley. However, volunteers will be expected to finance their own flights to and from Swaziland, their own meals and incidental expenses while in Swaziland, as well as all medical expenses (immunizations, etc.) and visa fees incurred by the volunteer. It is essential that you arrange adequate health insurance to cover any accident or illness for the duration of your stay. A contribution towards accommodation electrical/heating costs would be appreciated. 

If you would like to volunteer at Pasture Valley, whether for one month or up to one year, please take a look at the information that we require. Additionally, we ask that applicants submit an updated résumé or CV and at least two references. 

Please note: For most countries (but not all), no visa is required to enter either South Africa or Eswatini. It is important to check this and other requirements before arranging to travel. (For example, South africa will require you to ahve a number of blank pages in your passport and that your passport is not close to expiring.) If you wish to stay for more than three months you will need to obtain a work permit from the Eswatini Department of Home Affairs, which will be arranged upon your arrival.