Program Reviews

My time with SAVE volunteering was amazing. The SAVE program deserves a lot of credit for their work, and especially for making all of us feeling included as volunteers. My project (Sunshine) has given me a lot of inspiration and overall it is a incredible good project. I enjoyed playing with the children everyday and watching them develop and grow in confidence and in English. I really miss seeing them every morning and singing lots of songs with them.

I felt really included and made lots of new friends from all around the world. It was fun to connect with them at dinner about stories of the children. The children were so cool. It was fun to be with the small children in the mornings and teach them english through play and crafts and then to be with the older children in the afternoons learning to surf and skate (sometimes the children taught me).

Over all an amazing experience - I would love to go back.

It's so amazing how happy the kids are. The best thing was in the mornings when kids saw we were coming and they run to the gate and yell "teacher, teacher, teacher..." And the day when we put music on speaker and they love it so much! I will never forget those moments!

Capetown is also very beautiful city, i would recommend it everyone! And Saltycrax and Save people are so amazing and friendly! Everyone should go there and explore this amazing project with amazing people!

Being a volunteer at SAVE in Cape Town was an amazing experince that has changed my perspective regarding my future. When I am done with my travels I was suppose to study English and be a teacher in my home country Denmark and there is nothing worng with that! But now I know that I want to help not just educate kids but teachers too. Being at SAVE and voulenteering in a township and teaching the kids made me evenmore aware of the need for education in all aspectecs of an educational system.
I was only there for 2 weeks but SAVE gave me both a great volunteer and social experience. Staying at Saltycrax made the whole experience that much better and I will recomend it to anyone who is thinking about voulenteering in South Africa!

This was my first time ever doing anything like that, and I didn't expect it to be this incredible. Getting to know these kids was such a privilege; You always see pictures and hear things over the news about the poverty in those areas, but you never really grasp things until you see them with your own eyes. Moreover, you could never even begin to understand the amount of love these kids that live there have to give. These kids, who live in such underprivileged conditions, are the most inspiring people I've ever met. They don't care where you're from, who/what you are, they're gonna run hugging you the minute they see you. I'm never going to forget any of those special, unconditionally loving kids and I hope to see them again soon.
It's been such an overwhelming and humbling experience for me, and it wouldn't have been the same without the amazing people who stand behind this incredible organization. They're always available and are always there to listen to whatever it is you wish to share with them - they make it their goal to grand each and every volunteer the best experience they can get. They make sure the minute you get there that you think of them as family rather than just people you work for. They'll even have a drink (or probably a lot more) with you!
I've met so many incredible people from all around the world - both staff members and fellow volunteers - that have made this experience truly unforgettable. We have gone through so much together, and these are the type of true friendships that distance can't and won't break. We'll always be a part of each other's incredible stories.
Africa is a beautiful place to explore, and I would highly recommend turning your travel experience into one that will impact not only your own life, but many others', and volunteering with SAVE will be the way to do that.

I had 7 amazing weeks with SAVE in Cape Town. All the lovely people i met along my way, including the staff, the other volunteers and the kids we worked with, all made my trip the very best.

My favorite part about the project was seeing how much SAVE helps the children and the community. And getting to know the kinds, and their stories. And seeing that despite horrible experiences in some of the childrens past or present, they were able to smile, laugh and dance. I feel that I learned so much about myself during the project. And I would like to come back one day.

Volunteering with SAVE was an experience of a lifetime. Between the staff, volunteers and children at the sites the memories I made were unforgettable. All of the staff were welcoming and always helping to book adventures. Cape Town is beautiful and full of site seeing.

Working with the children at the creche everyday was more than rewarding. The children were so full of love and laughter it was hard to not fall in love with each and every one of them.

On my last day in Cape Town, I returned to the creche to deliver winter jackets, boots, socks and hats that the staff and volunteers had supplied for the children. The children and their mothers were so excited and happy to have a new set of winter clothes for the harsh cold months that were approaching. I will never forget the smiles and laughter of that day.

DO IT!

I've been involved with SAVE since 2012 and keep coming back. I've seen the impact over years and it's amazing to be part of it. My favourite experience is of a blind girl with a mental disability. When we were there the first time she was just sitting in her wheelchair but it was on breaks. We learned her to use her wheelchair and she could ride on the playground. The next time we started to learn her to stand up and now every chance she gets she is standing near the bed. All by herself! Now it's about strenghtening her legs so she can learn to walk. That's what volunteering is about; making a difference, step by step!

Volunteering isn’t new to me. I’ve taught kids English in Peru, built schools, coached a disabled children's soccer team, and trained veteran service dogs in the States. So working with adults on a business skills development project in Cape Town for five weeks seemed like a great next feat. Well three months later, the only thing that got me to leave South Africa was the expiration date on my visa. Just like several of my fellow volunteers, I was hooked.

The reason is simple, SAVE is so much more than a South African Volunteer Experience.

Every individual arrives at a volunteer programme with entirely unique attitudes and expectations, not to mention diverse backgrounds, cultures, opinions and pasts. And so what you gain is far beyond just the inevitable perspective shift and humbling awareness you get from living and working in an impoverished area. It's about learning to live with these people from all over the world, learning to cook with them, converse with them, supporting those who are vulnerable, sharing your views and in turn, being accepting of theirs, all while making a tangible difference in peoples' lives together.

Every morning we got up for breakfast together, and when I say ‘together’, I mean the 30+ volunteers from all programmes, project leaders, staff, managers and even local kids—everyone around the table just enjoying each other’s company, laughing, and getting ready for another day of challenging yet incredibly rewarding work. After breakfast we all went to our respective projects; I worked on building a web site for the locals to sell their authentic handmade products on, while my friends set out to teach at the township preschool, or work with the kids in the local disabled educare centre, while others headed to the beach to give some surf lessons. At the end of the day we would come back together to relax by the pool and share stories from the day, or those who still had some energy would head into the city, hike Lion's Head or Table Mountain. SAVE fosters an environment with the perfect combination of 'work hard, play hard' while simultaneously emulating and instilling in every team member the fact that we all have a common core mission and ultimate purpose for being there: to make a difference. So quite simply, SAVE is so much more than a volunteer experience because it's also a family.

In addition to being a part of this family, we got to see and experience the beautiful country of South Africa. We were always encouraged to spend our weekends exploring, whether it be on a two day safari with the world’s highest bungee jump, a wine tour through the Western Cape’s beautiful vineyards, or a surf outing to Muisenberg. It's this holistic aspect to the experience that makes it great--and any person from any age group on any project they choose, is bound to return home with lifelong friends, feeling more confident, less stressed, well-traveled, truly purposeful, and sharply aware of the world we live in.

Hey my Name is Line and I have been working with children from a settlement not far from Cape Town for 2 months now, as their teacher.
These kids that I have had the pleasure of getting to know, have not had an easy start in life. Save Volunteering wants to change that buy giving them the opportunity to get a break from home, and an education, so that they can think have a better life thank the one they would otherwise be destined for.
Getting to know these children has been so much fun!! They are happy and want to be around you. They want to play with you but also Learn from you. They are amazing, all of them....
If you don't want to be a teacher all day,Save has a variety of programs that offer you alternate activities, like surfing and skateboarding, to do in the afternoon after project.
Save is a good choice if you want to be a volunteer! Hard work doing the day and being social with the others volunteer from around the work doing the evenings.

My 6 week contract quickly turned into 6 months in South Africa, including extending my stay with SAVE by 2.5 months. The SAVE team really creates a family with volunteers and makes you feel a part of something bigger. This was easily the most fun 6 months of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Upon return, I even redirected my career path career path to be more in line with my experiences in South Africa. It was a truly magical time, and I have lifelong friends and memories to show for it.