2010: get ready to volunteer
16 January 2008Many ordinary South Africans will be able to get directly involved in the organisation of the 2010 Fifa World Cup through a volunteer programme set to be launched later this year.
Under the programme thousands of volunteers will be recruited for the Fifa 2009 Confederations Cup and the World Cup the following year, says Onke Mjo, the volunteer programme manager of the 2010 Fifa World CupLocal Organising Committee (LOC).
"There was brief programme in Durban during November's 2010 Preliminary Draw. However, there will be a worldwide launch of the programme in March or May 2008 where an application process will be opened, followed by comprehensive training."
For the Preliminary Draw, 220 volunteers applied for the 25 media volunteer positions. The applicants were mostly professionals, students and unemployed youths.
The LOC plans to recruit ordinary people and specialists in various fields to work as volunteers. There are also plans to use disabled people. The specialists will include medical practitioners, translators, people from the legal fraternity and information technology experts.
General volunteers will fulfil important representative roles for the LOC in areas such as liaison, accreditation, spectator services, fan parks, transport, drivers, hospitality and logistics.
Only one national volunteer programme will be rolled out by the 2010 LOC to all the official host cities and any other official pre-event host. All the host cities will have host city ambassadors who will provide as information and support to all visitors and spectators.
According to the LOC, about 6 000 volunteers will be needed for the Confederations Cup and 15 000 for the World Cup. By the end of the application process for the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, some 50 000 people had put their names forward for the volunteer programme.
To qualify as a volunteer, you must be at least 18 years old by March 2009 for the Confederations Cup, and by March 2010 for the World Cup. One of the sponsors of the World Cup will be responsible for recruiting and placing all the ball boys and girls, flag bearers and player guides under the age of 18.
You must also live in the respective host city - Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Pretoria, Nelspruit or Rustenburg.
The volunteer programme is an opportunity for South Africans to participate in the World Cup by offering their time and services for free to the LOC. There will be no pay for these services, Mjo reiterates.
"A travel allowance, however, will be given to all volunteers. Other benefits will include tournament training, an opportunity to participate in the world's largest sporting event, acknowledgement in the 2010 Fifa World Cup brochure, invaluable work experience and an official World Cup volunteer uniform."
Mjo says the most important thing the LOC will be looking for in volunteers is a commitment to helping the committee successfully host the World Cup. "The World Cup will call on us to step beyond our boundaries and experience and cater to the whole world. Volunteers will be crucial to that process."
Mjo says volunteers will be drawn from South Africa and from the rest of the continent and the world.
Source: City of Johannesburg
