South Africa Testimonies

Name: Aneeta Permau

Was the office staff at Global Crossroad courteous and helpful?

Very helpful and courteous. Welcoming.

Did you receive your airport pick-up?

Yes, it was helpful, especially being in a new and different country

Did you enjoy your volunteer project?

Yes, very much. It was the most rewarding experience of my life. It was great meeting all those wonderful and loving children.

 

Did you enjoy your overall experience?

I enjoyed the volunteer experience and my home-stay family (whom I miss).

If you had any questions or concerns did your coordinator address them?

Yes. They answered all my many queries. I was always assured and put at ease. The staff is efficient, but mostly, loving.

Would you recommend future volunteers go to South Africa and participate in the same HIV program that you did?

Yes. The people are amazing. The family i stayed with is loving and welcoming. the program was very rewarding. It was an eye-opening experience!

Do you have any comments or suggestions?

It was an amazing experience working with children and with people who have hiv. They are all very loving people who have a bit of 'bad luck'. My favorite times were making the children sandwiches for their lunch and knowing how much they all appreciated the lunch provided. I also loved and miss playing games with children. Watching them process card games and chess games. They are all so smart!!! Even though some of us didn't speak the same language, we all communicated very well. Most of all, i miss saying hello to the kids, gathering together, singing, talking about my home and their homes, and hugging them all. They are more loving than what they really portray. It taught me not to judge a book by its cover, and that a simple hug is the easiest sign of affection that can break a lot of barriers. It was amazing spending time with the children and i miss it everyday.

Keep up the amazing work!

Wonderful Time in South Africa

Orientation

The orientation was helpful and informative without being overwhelming. Thank you Simon, for the warm reception at the airport, you made me Feel immediately comfortable, and bringing Nikki with you also put me at ease. The orientation made me feel aware of my surroundings and sensitive to the circumstances in South Africa.

 

Host Family

My Host Family is awesome. They are probably the main reason I would Like to stay longer if only I could. They have brought me into their home, their school, their church, and their community. I'm so lucky to be staying with such a pleasant family who has done nothing but make me feel right at home.

 

Project Placement

From the project outline I received from Global Crossroad, I was under The impression that I would be working at an orphanage, but I didn't have Any other details. As it turned out, I was volunteering at a school. I do enjoy helping the kids at the school and getting to know the educators there, they have taught me so much about life hear and reminded how blessed I am to have the education that I have. So, while I can't complain a bit about the placement, it is not at all what I expected from the details I received before my arrival which may be disconcerting to some future volunteers should they end up in the same situation. Also, I worry that I have not helped the school as much as they have helped me. Part of this is due to the fact that I am here for such a limited time that I have not been available for more training. Overall, I have greatly enjoyed my placement thus far and will always remember my time spent at Reiger Park.

 

Overall

This has been an awesome experience. My only issue lies in the scheduling. From the beginning it was unclear what I would actually see during my stay and while I was hear there was constant confusion over which times meetings would be held and tours would start. Of course, that has also afforded great possibilities as I have had flexibility in arranging visits to such great places as the Pilansberg reserve, but it has made planning with other volunteers and my host family difficult. This organization offers a great opportunity that I would not trade in.

SARAH ROBERT