Nourish

Last year I spent two months at Nourish Eco Village. This year I came back for one more month. The place, the people, the work, and the culture - my volunteering experience left me with an expanded horizon, a new family, a filled heart, and a longing to come back. Volunteering at Nourish Eco Village is for people who do not just want to do one thing. The work you will find here is multidimensional: you will spend time at the crèche, at the sewing centre, on the farm, and at the after-school programme. At each station you will meet lovely co-workers that will eventually become warmhearted friends. I enjoyed the work at the crèche and at the after-school programme the most. At the crèche, you play with the younger kids, you support the teachers during the lessons or give lessons yourself if you want to. I created an interactive school book during my stay last year. To see the sparkle in the kids eyes will fill your heart. At the after-school programme you learn to appreciate the contact with the older kids. You get to teach them in the field of environmental education, but more importantly: you get to talk to them and view their perspective on life. You feel a new sense of gratitude acknowledging how positive and cheerful these kids from the village are. You do not just see a different culture - you get to be part of one. You feel welcomed by a positive, uplifting, and loving community. This cultural immersion, this newly won gratitude, and this connection with the local kids is what i am the most proud of and thankful for. It will never let me forget my time here - and it will always make me come back. My highlight last year was a field trip to Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in South Africa, with the after-school programme, the so called “Green Kidz”. It was an amazing feeling to sponsor this trip and see the kids interest and excitement. During my stay I met a handful of international volunteers. We had a lot of fun living and working together and going on trips on the weekends. We went to the Kruger and visited the Blyde River Canyon, the third largest canyon in the world. But there is so much more to do and see around here at Nourish. As a volunteer, you will meet lovely coordinators that will take good care of you. Especially in the beginning, when you might sense a slight cultural shock, it is essential to have this caring surrounding. If you want to do good, be part of a loving community and enjoy the beauty of the South African spirit - Nourish is the right place for you. Keep an open mind and, more importantly, keep an open heart, and you will see - we are all family. “I am because you are.” The spirit of Ubuntu - this is what you will find here at Nourish.

As an Australian, coming to South Africa was a bit of an outlandish idea. I came to South Africa on exchange during school and ever since wanted to come back for another trip to volunteer more. I did my research and found a few places to volunteer at around Africa but Nourish stood out to me. From the first phone call with Loren to being greeted on arrival by all the staff, I felt very welcomed and safe. My experience at Nourish will be one I can never forget and am extremely grateful for all the staff at Nourish for making this opportunity come true for me. Highly recommend volunteering at Nourish, it was awesome!

Fantastic experience - travelling from Australia to South Africa was well worth it purely for Nourish. Staff were great - professional and fun. Shout out Donald, the volunteer supervisor - our time would not have been the same without you. Meeting volunteers from diverse backgrounds was awesome, and the activities Nourish provided/organised (such as horse ride safari, weekly town trips, and a weekend at Kruger) were unforgettable (and stress free!). Our volunteering time was spent with the green kids afterschool program, on-site crèche, local outreach, and harvesting/planting chilies on the farm. Our stay at Shik Shack (Nourish backpackers) was wayyy too short - will be back in the future and hopefully for a longer time :)