Volunteering with Kids in South Africa

First two weeks have gone really well, I’ve had the chance to not only coach sport but also teach and spend some time in childcare. Definitely starting to settle in a bit more now as it was a little difficult with the most of the other volunteers being a bit younger and Dutch but I think we get some more people joining next week. The volunteering itself and the programme is amazing, the kids are truly inspiring and I’m loving every second I get to spend with them!

The project was amazing. I really liked working with the kids. It is great to have the variety of different ways to help the kids. I did coaching, teaching and childcare and it was nice to see everything so it never gets boring or the same. That was perfect! The Garden Route at the end was the perfect ending. In total I really liked the whole time and it was amazing. Thank you for everything!

Thank you so much for checking in on me. My first week was definitely exceeded my expectation. Everything about being here still feels unreal. I am really enjoying my time here so far. It wasn’t hard to get used to everything as I thought it would be as well as all the people I met, everyone has been really welcoming. Oyster has been very helpful to me throughout this whole process and I felt very well prepared for my trip. Thank you so much for that.

I started off this journey without knowing what to expect but only what I could imagine. As much as Oyster organization could try to help me prepare for the trip, the overall experience definitely exceed my expectations. It was noted that there would be some culture shock, however, after getting through the first day I found myself fitting in very comfortably. Meeting new people, trying new things such as; their common food sheep head also known as smiley (definitely not for everyone, but don't knock it until you try it), some traditional African food, learning their language such as Afrikaans and Xhosa, and so many more. The whole experience taught me so much within the span of 5 weeks, it made me feel grateful for all that I have after seeing how happy the kids were with a little as they do have. The excitement they get just from the simple things really brought me joy. South Africa has so much to offer and I truly wish I had more time to experience everything, but this only means I will have to go back and experience it all. Huge thanks to Oyster Worldwide for allowing me to experience something that will be so memorable.

I had an amazing time in South Africa, working with the children and meeting some wonderful people. I would definitely recommend the experience to anyone wanting to volunteer with children, whilst being able to explore an amazing country.

I went to South Africa with little confidence in myself and came back a whole new person! I loved every part of my stay in Port Elizabeth. Working with the kids in the schools teaching was so rewarding, as well as seeing their skills develop whilst coaching hockey... Their smiles when they achieve something made it all so worthwhile! I loved the accommodation and all living together and going out on weekend excursions such as safari’s and sky diving and many more amazing once in a lifetime experiences! The garden route trip was also fantastic at the end of the 3 months and I even ended up with a commemorative tattoo in Cape Town a few days before I came home. I truly believe i’ve come back a different person and have so many pictures and treasured memories.

I have never been travel the world like a volunteer. But now, I can do it with peace and love. I like children and it is pleasure for me to give my experience for other. I have enough free time, so that's why I want to do something good for this Planet. I sure that this program is a great choice for me :)

My time in South Africa is a time that will live with me forever. It was an amazing experience to the other side of the world to see how they live. The children there are amazing and despite teaching over there being hard, it was a thoroughly rewarding experience. I got to teach maths, english, geography, science and i ended up coaching some hockey as well. I took part in so many things that I had never done before: Skydiving, Safariing, Shark Cage Diving to name but a few and I also got a good taste of african culture, it was awesome!