Various study/volunteer abroad programs.
I'm looking to travel to Africa - specifically Ghana, but I'm pretty open to going most places. I'm thinking either volunteering through
Projects Abroad, or
Original Volunteers. I'm also thinking about studying abroad through CIEE.
Does anyone have any experiences with any of these organizations or any advice, perhaps direct me towards anything helpful? Thanks!
Reply to this Hello Ariathel 😊
I dont have experience with those but I would avoid any organisation which charges u a fee to volunteer. Do those ones charge a fee?
For a better opinion u could try the following expats site.
http://www.expat-blog.com/en/directory/africa/
Mel
Reply to this Hey Mell. Unfortunately, projects abroad does charge, and it's actually quite a lot. Original volunteers only charges 27GBP per week, which I'd say is the least expensive "volunteering" project I've seen to date. CIEE is about 10k per semester, but that's pretty good for a semester abroad program, IMO.
I enjoyed reading the expats blogs, it's nice to get some input as to what it's like there from people who are living there... Thanks!
Reply to this I just got back from a semester in Senegal with CIEE. I have nothing but positive things to say about them. They really made my experience worthwhile, and they took great care of us, planned excellent trips, and my credits transferred back to my university without a problem.
Reply to this Kate -
Thanks, that's a big help! I'm going to make sure they'll transfer for my university, and then probably book a semester :D
Reply to this i think projects abroad are good for young adults (18-20) on summer vacations or if you only have 1 month, they have good networks and would feel safer for students etc. ( I have used them for school students) Also, if you want a project in medical, law or journalism, but they are very expensive and I am sure there are less commercial ways available if you have a bit more time and confidence.
Reply to this You might also want to check out www.idealist.org - it's a website full of listings for non-profit jobs, internships, and volunteer positions, many of which are abroad. I have found internships in Ghana and Nepal through them.
Reply to this Vikky - yeah, I'm not looking for anything of that sort - just a chance to go overseas and possibly do something positive somewhere.
Kate - that website looks awesome - thank you so much for the link!
- Ariathel
Reply to this I have personal projects in Tanzania, Moshi area in student education and teachers' resource centre for this summer (I will be there). I also have contacts for school work in mali and possible Cameroon for next february...
Reply to this Vikky -
I'm not able to do anything until next summer. Do you know of anything available then?
Reply to this hmm, well i will be travelling myself by that point, but will be able to get contact details for people who will be on site. This is for the Moshi project. Email me and I will talk to my contacts if you are interested.
V
Reply to this I would like to volunteer in Tanzania in either November or December 2008 - can anyone help?
Reply to this I am a magazine editor and publisher so I would be able to teach English and basic business skills.
Reply to this Might want to think about Cape Town and UCT (university of cape town) study abroad programs.
Habitat for Humanity international is always looking for volunteers down there and its an amazing city.
Airfare is the most expensive part after that you could easily do several months in Cape Town very inexpensively.
Reply to this Thanks for the help but I am based in South Africa!! I would like to work outside this country.
Reply to this I went to Ghana with a Canadian student organization called Volunteer Abroad. Despite it being quite expensive, it was worth every cent!!!
Reply to this Hello everyone! Next month I'm going to South Africa to participate in this
environmental conservation volunteer project. It's organized by Projects Abroad. I agree that having to pay for voluntary work is a bit of a pain, but I guess having someone organize everything for you makes things a lot easier. As for the company itself - I've heard many positive opinions about them. In fact two of my friends did this
physical therapy intern in Bolivia last summer and they were very happy with it, so hopefully I won't encounter any problems either. I'm so excited about going! :D Has anyone done something similar?
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