South Africa - Teach, Surf and Skate in Cape Town

I think what I will remember the most is the last day I had at the school I was working at because I bought lunch for the kids and it was very fulfilling to see something I did make them so happy. I also felt like that the connection between me and the kids was at it's peak on that day and I just had a lot of fun with the kids that day in general.

My most memorable experience at the Teach, Surf and Skate program was working with the teachers and schools, getting to know all the kids and doing crafts with them and seeing them enjoy those activities that we plan.

The most memorable part of my volunteer experience in Cape Town was definitely in the teaching, surf and skate project, when I was able to teach a young girl who had never been in the water before, how to swim.

The most memorable experience from my program was the multiples days when we were with the kids at school and when we were teaching them some stuff! I also really enjoyed when we were surfing and boxing with the kids. The volunteers were very nice too. Cape Town was amazingly beautiful.

I came to meet people from all over the world. Some of them I can truly call best friends. Furthermore, I came to experience the hospitality and kindness of the people in the townships in south-Africa.

I bragged about GoEco to the volunteers because many of the other volunteers registered through different travel organizations. I am an indecisive person and when I initially filled out the application on GoEco I was hesitant but figured I would at least fill out the application, but when I saw you had to put a deposit down, I reconsidered my decision to apply and really had to think about if this is what I really wanted. The next day someone called me from GoEco and stated they saw my application and was wondering if I was still interested and wanted to pay my deposit. They answered all of my questions and cleared my hesitation immediately. I paid my deposit during the phone call without spending days, months trying to decide what I should do. Without that phone call I am not sure if I would have gone on the trip. GoEco helped me step out of my comfort zone by initiating the decision to travel. I thank all of the staff for their help during the registration process. The staff, volunteers, and children in the creche were unforgettable. Everyone I met was wonderful and welcoming and passionate about helping the community. We felt like a family that I have known my entire life. I will never forget the people I met and hope to go back and/or visit the friends I met in different countries.

My favorite moment of the project was giving out coats and boots to the children living in Scandal settlement during Winter Hope. It was such a heartwarming and humbling experience to see children get so excited to have clothes to wear during the wintertime. I enjoyed meeting new people from diverse environments and working with the children

I enjoyed meeting new people from diverse environments and working with the children. My favorite moment of the project was giving out coats and boots to the children living in Scandal settlement during Winter Hope. It was such a heartwarming and humbling experience to see children get so excited to have clothes to wear during the wintertime.

There were so many things I enjoyed about the project, but 2 stick out. 1. The impact I was able to have on the children in the township 2. The amazing friends I was able to make who were from all over the world My experience was absolutely amazing! It was definitely the best trip I have taken so far in my life. The volunteering experience was incredibly rewarding. Being able to help teach 3-6 year old children english and see the progress each week was a true blessing. Also, helping the 13-15 year old kids learn how to surf and stay out of trouble was a lot of fun and satisfying as well. In addition to volunteering, I was able to go surfing a ton, explore Cape Town very thoroughly, and do some awesome adventures to other parts of South Africa on the weekends. This trip was so great and everything I could have asked for.

I thoroughly enjoyed the program I participated in! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys working outdoors and with children. For myself, it was a great chance for me to get more comfortable with children as I did not have much previous experience. The people you will meet are amazing beyond words and could really use your help. I sincerely feel I had an impact on the program and the children. Definitely consider the Teach Children to Surf Program!

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My stay in Cape Town was very inspiring and definitely something I would recommend. I worked in a school located in the Dunoon Township just a couple of minutes of driving from where we stayed. Even though the facilities of my school were quite impressive and better than I had expected, there was unfortunately not a single teacher to take care of the children. What that meant was that we, the volunteers, were the ones responsible for all the teaching. What sounds intimidating at first actually was really rewarding as I really felt like making a difference and helping the community by providing those children with some new knowledge. Furthermore, I was once again surprised by how many great people you meet when traveling. No matter if staff or volunteer, every one seemed to be open and nice. I also felt quite safe all throughout my stay, even though South Africa is certainly different from Europe when it comes to that. All in all, this was definitely not my last volunteering stay and I would like to do it again with goEco when the time comes.

I booked the volunteer experience through Goeco, otherwise I think that I would never had found this program. They helped me with every step of my journey to Cape Town, and I really appreciated that. Once I got there, I enjoyed every aspect of the experience. It's wonderful to share the volunteer house with other guys. It's definitely not a five-star hotel, the food is not the best, but you'll have the opportunity to buy stuff in the local supermarkets and eat out in the many restaurants/bars in the neightborhood. The house were the volunteers live is located in Blouberstrand, a really paceful and quiet area a few minutes by walk from the beach, where you can enjoy the best view of the Table Mountain. Don't go there and expect to surf every day, as sometimes the sea is too flat or wavy. It will be amazing everyday. Working with the kids in the school of Elundini might be tough, but extremely rewarding. I meet some great people there. Andrea

I did the “South Africa - Teach Children and Surf in Cape Town” with GoEco and it was the most amazing trip of my life! I spent my mornings in a township teaching 3-5 year olds how to speak english and spent my afternoons surfing and helping 12-14 year olds learn how to surf. The hostel SaltyCrax and volunteer organization SAVE that GoEco paired me up with was top notch and full of extremely awesome and helpful people. I felt very welcome, was able to settle in from day 1, and truly felt like Cape Town was my home for the 6 weeks I was there. In addition to the volunteering and doing other activities in the Cape Town area, we had the weekends free to ourselves to explore. I went on a tour of the Eastern Cape and got to see a bunch of other amazing towns and areas of South Africa and even got to surf in the Indian Ocean at Jeffreys Bay! I know I would not have had as awesome and fun filled a trip if I didn’t book with GoEco, so I truly recommend them for any and all volunteer trips abroad! David Kolakowski

My daughter and I signed up for this program even though we only had 1 week available to work it and GoEco/SAVE was very accommodating to allow us to do it. The housing was fine, nothing special but we felt very safe and secure there -- which is all we needed in housing. While the provided dinners were great, the breakfasts and lunches were someone mediocre, so my daughter and I found ourselves eating out, which we didn't consider a problem at all as we got to explore the area. This isn't a resort they're running there, so while you'll be taken care of, you won't be pampered. But if you're truly going there to help others (as we were), then you'll be fine and probably get a better experience then you expect. We did! The people who run the program on-scene there are awesome and you'll be with others who really have their hearts in the right place -- helping underprivileged kids grow, develop, and have meaningful experiences. Don't go there expecting to surf/teach-surfing each day. There are several worthwhile projects going on that you may find yourself "volunteered" for. We were hoping to be able to spend time teaching kids to surf, but we never got the opportunity. We did, however, work in a township with preschool kids, teach swimming lessons, teach computers skills to kids, and do some general repairs to their supplies. Sometimes volunteers need to be flexible and go where they're needed. That's what happened with us. You'll have plenty of time to do your own thing -- hike, surf, shop, look at penguins, etc. We had a good time and would probably use GoEco for our next adventure into Africa.