ISV - Volunteer Projects in South Africa

I had a really great experience with ISV hosting my South Africa trip. This was my first experience traveling abroad and I felt very safe and connected to the other student travelers. I learned SO much and went on so many local (not tourist) experiences. I am grateful that I found this program! My parents felt SO SAFE sending me overseas knowing that ISV has been working with students for years and years. It is a little pricey, but worth the cost!

It sounds cliche to say this experience changed my life, but that is exactly what you should know about this program. Nothing changes your perspective on life quite like living in the middle nowhere, sleeping in dung huts and living cut off from the world for two weeks. South Africa was everything we could have wanted, and ISV ensured that we got the experience we were looking for, while still making a difference.

In my story, I spent two weeks working on a reserve, assessing vegetation and game along with 10 new friends that very quickly became family. We woke up before dawn and watched the sun rise as we headed out to the reserve. We learned about the native wildlife, including birds, vegetation and game, allowing us to collect data that would be put toward the upkeep and assessment of the reserve. The work that we did was incredibly important to both the reserve management and the communities in the area. The work was extremely rewarding, knowing that this would otherwise be paid work, or not done at all, in an area of South Africa where spare money can be spent much more wisely on bettering the lives of the locals.
Apart from our volunteer work, we were able to experience Africa in a way that few travellers can. Our living arrangements, as I said, were handmade dung huts. We cooked all of our meals in cooking groups and finished our nights sitting around the fire, looking up at the milky way perfectly positioned in the sky. In our spare time, our leaders took us on game drives, to visit the neighbouring community, hiking, games, lectures, lessons, playing with the resident dogs/cats, reading in hammocks, drinking tea, journalling and basically enjoying every single second of our African adventure. It was paradise. And if you ask any of the group, 2 weeks was not enough! We could have lived there happily for much longer!
Our leaders were tremendous and saying goodbye at the end of the two weeks was so difficult! ISV does a fantastic job of selecting their leaders. Kirsty, Edward and Norman were all so easy to get along with, very educated in the area we were working in and loved sharing the experience with us. I miss them all!

The two or three weeks after the volunteer experience are optional, but I can guarantee you that if you opt out of the four or five week package you will forever regret it. It is one thing to experience South Africa from the comfort of our village, but don't pass up the opportunity to see Blyde Canyon, Kruger and the Big5, Swaziland culture, coral reefs, markets, mountains and so much more. The second two weeks allow you to extend the group of international best friends you leave with and see more of the beautiful continent we were lucky enough to visit. Again, our tour leader, Tasch, was amazing and was more of a friend to us than anything. And if four weeks doesn't seem like enough time (which I promise you, it is not!), a fifth week in Zambia and Botswana is also offered. I was lucky enough to spend all five weeks in paradise and highly recommend doing so. We camped out in Chobe National Park, lived in and explored an unreal Zambian city, met many locals, bungee jumped off of Victoria Falls Bridge, was swept away by Zambezi rapids and stood in the monsoon mist of Victoria Falls.

I can't say enough good about this experience and about ISV itself. Yes it was costly, an obvious concern for students paying for school fees as well, but it was worth every penny and has opened so many doors to future travelling, work and opportunities. Explaining my overseas adventure in a short review is no easy task, and most of what we saw and felt in South Africa cannot be explained until you jump on a plane and experience it for yourself. But for students that want to find out more about what it is like with ISV, I kept a blog of my stories and adventures and would love to share it with anyone that is considering this experience :

http://acrossthepondandintothewild.tumblr.com

Please don't turn down the opportunity to make lifelong memories and friends!!

I loved traveling to South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique through ISV! It was unique that the volunteers were able to have exciting volunteers projects and experience the adventure tour throughout the month. It was a great way to meet people that you would have never met otherwise as well. Volunteering was definitely a life-changing experience, and it introduced me to new perspectives. I learned a lot as well including topics such as sustainability and climate change. One of my favorite experiences was bungee jumping in Tsitsikamma! It was an activity I would've never thought I would do, but with the support of ISV I tried something new and learned I can actually be an adventurous person. The adventure tour was definitely worth the cost. It was a great opportunity to go to three countries in two weeks with various activities to do. It included activities such as kloofing, caving, elephant encounters, and game drives, etc.. Each activity was lots of fun! It was nice to be guided throughout this traveling experience to ensure you see amazing places and try crazy things. We stayed at amazing accommodations with great service! There were always things to do when we were not doing activities. The food was also amazing! I had never been out of the country before, so this was a great way to introduce me to new things and other cultures.

Africa, the continent of endless possibilities and amazing adventures. As a child, nothing fascinated me more than when Nat. Geo. aired episodes of all the wildlife that engulfed the area, especially the Cheetah. I fell in love with it at first sight; suddenly my little hometown somewhere in the Atlantic was not enough, and would never be. Traveling the world and learning about wildlife and anthropology of the area is also a big part of what I want to do with my life in the grand scheme of it all. So when I heard that I could spend, not two, not four, but five weeks in Southern Africa, I mindlessly signed my name on that piece of paper for International Student Volunteers, called my parents, told them I was going, and began my countdown to the greatest five weeks of my life!

The first two weeks were absolutely phenomenal, it was hard work, but I loved every second of it. Ten volunteers all eager to get their hands dirty and learn about South Africa was all I could ever ask for. We lived in huts made from dung and concrete, deep in the African bush with virtually no sign of civilization, equipped with two bush guides and a project leader. After the first two to three days, we all got used to the sounds, temperature, natural order of things, and each other. We did bird point counts, which involved waking up before the crack of dawn, driving into a protected reserve, listening, watching, and documenting our feathery friends. The hard, yet most exciting part of the volunteer work was doing Vegetation Condition Assessments. Several instruments were assigned to the respective volunteers and we would have to map out a transect line via GPS, and get to certain points on the map, set up a data triangle with ropes and rebar, and conduct a survey on whatever vegetation fell within the data points. Not to mention, we also had free time and my favorite part, the "game drives", where we would enter the reserve and drive around looking for any wildlife that we could spot. The best part about this time were the volunteers; we got so close it was unbelievable. Instead of becoming friends, we became family, staying up late, telling stories of home, eating new foods, playing games, working together, looking out for each other, and most of all sharing in this wonderful experience.

The second two weeks were all about adventure! Transported out of the bush and back into society, and given to a Tour Leader, we didn't really know what to feel but we got introduced to 23 new people with, mostly the same experiences so we got along quickly, and soon, they were family as well. I thought Africa couldn't get any more fun, and then we hit the activities. Now we were learning about the cultural side of Africa, as well as more on wildlife. On top of it all, the views were so unreal that at some points I would shed a tear or two at how beautiful our world is.

The last week was excursion time, we lost 27 family members and picked up one. There were eight of us. We were all mostly good friends already, but became even closer over the last week. We laid back, embraced more activities and spent what seemed like an eternity together. Again, I loved every second of it. After a few more wild nights, eventful mornings, and heartbreaking goodbyes, my trip was over.

Over these 5 weeks I have done; over fifteen game drives on multiple reserves, walked with elephants, cruised many rivers, pet a cheetah, went to rehabilitation centers, hiked up steep terrain, stood on top of countless mountains, saw God's window, kloofed heights of up to 50 feet, cooked a few braais, ate some South African pancakes, visited an orphanage with the most amazing children, entered Kruger National Park, looked at the stars, went extreme caving, went scuba diving, swam with dolphins, surfing, camped out with lions, leopards, baboons, hyenas and other wildlife, ate native food, white water rafted, saw Victoria Falls, touched Zimbabwe, and most of all, had the most fun I've ever had in my entire existence on this gas filled planet somewhere out here in the universe.

What I'm trying to say is get out there, live the life you want, never settle. I love all the people that I got the pleasure of meeting over this time in Africa. The natives, the volunteers, the project, tour, and excursion leaders, the places, and the animals have been more than I could ever have asked for.

Cheers to Masebe, Zingela, Ikhaya, and St. Lucia. I love you all.
Oh, and the countries: South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe (technically).

It's never goodbye, only goodnight. Until next time. ISV SA - 2016.

I really loved my ISV experience! I was extremely impressed with the leaders (shoutout to Courtney and Tasch) and all the activities provided. I truly did have more adventures than I ever imagined in just one month! I was also extremely impressed by the incorporation of sustainability/building a greener planet into the program without feeling like it was being shoved down your throat. My only complaint with ISV was the price. I felt like there were too many hidden costs in the program. Between the optional activities package (which EVERYONE does and you'd be stupid not to do), the Mozambique VISA, the extra food for the first two weeks, the overpriced group airfare (which I didn't do), and all the little extra things you buy for the packing list, it did add up. Be prepared for that, but overall, I don't regret a thing and I'm SO glad I did it! I will treasure that experience for the rest of my life.

This experience offered by ISV was an amazing opportunity for a student to get out of the comfort zone and travel to a completely new continent in the safest and most well planned way possible. For me, it was definitely one of the best experiences I have had and possibly will ever have.

I participated in the one month program. The first two weeks of the experience were spent in Cintsa, East London where our team of 12 worked on the refurbishment of the Cefani Primary School. The work itself involved plenty of scraping and painting but was not too tedious and was extremely enjoyable. The two weeks were also filled with team bonding activities, a few hikes, some cliff jumping (also known as kloofing) and plenty of cultural immersion. We even learnt some basic Xhosa which was the local language. The highlight for me was the kids who dropped by everyday. To see the smiles on their faces and the constant joy that they had was very uplifting and heartwarming.

The next two weeks were spent on tour where we got to do so many amazing activities! These included (but were not limited to) caving, diving, more kloofing, visits to reserves and of course the Kruger National park. I personally enjoyed the caving in Swaziland where we crawled around on our hands and knees in a granite cave.

Through the entire process ISV were completely supportive and helpful, answering all questions we had. We had two amazing leaders (shoutout to Kieran and Tasch!) for the project and tour who guided us and took care of us so well. No doubt they enhanced the overall experience!

Overall the experience was excellent and I would strongly encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and join one of the programs run! I am very sure you will love it as much as I did!

This month was the most impactful experience of my life and Southern Africa will forever hold a very special place in my heart. The first 2 weeks were spent working with cheetahs, wild dogs, meerkats, hyenas, and vultures. The food at our accommodation and throughout the trip was absolutely delicious and really helped immerse us in the culture. The second 2 weeks were non-stop adventure and breathtaking views. From the white sandy beaches of Mozambique to the top of the Magaliesberg Mountains, each day held a new experience that would push our limits. Our leader for both the volunteering part and the adventure tour made sure every moment was filled with laughter, fun, and excitement. There is no other group you could go on a adventure like this with. No other place offers trips with nearly as much as we got to do and in such a short time span at such a reasonable price. ISV is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Overall, the experience was more that I ever could have imagined. Being able to make a difference everyday at the Cheetah Center was so rewarding! We could tell we were helping accomplish a lot of things that they wouldn't have gotten to do without the extra help! And having the chance to be next to so many beautiful animals constantly, including on the adventure tour, was so magical! I have dreamed of those animals being so close since I was tiny, so being immersed in the environment as a whole was dream like. The adrenaline pumping experiences of the adventure tour are some I will never be able to forget! I truly got to see South Africa while doing these things, and I am so grateful I got to immerse myself as much as I did! On both the project and the adventure tour, we had AMAZING tour leaders! Graeme Hillary, Kelly Gowar, and Courtney Moxley all helped to make our experience that much more personable and enjoyable!