Alumni Spotlight: Daniel Sellers

I decided to volunteer abroad with SASTS purely from suggestion from a friend who volunteered a year prior. His experience sounded amazing and all I heard were great things about the program and the volunteers there. The biggest draw for me was being able to stay with a host-family.

There was no such thing as a typical day because everyday was awesome and different! I stayed in the Kayamandi Township, so on a typical day I would walk over to the school I volunteered at, help teach grade 6 whatever subjects they were working on and then afterwards some of the students would come over to my homestay and hangout. We'd do things like play soccer, draw pictures, play games, help them with their homework and occasionally I would take a handful of them out into town.

What made this experience so unique and special was all of the opportunities that was presented to me. Besides teaching five days a week and hanging out with some of the kids everyday, on my free time and weekends I would go out and explore South Africa (Table Mountain, beaches, Long Street, skydiving, boating, etc). What was great about SASTS was that in addition to volunteering, they also wanted you to go out and explore what this beautiful country had to offer. And it's a lot!

I had such a great time and constantly reflect on it here back in the United States. Such a great time in fact, that I am returning next year to check up on my kids I taught and to bring them donations from people who have heard and read about my experience there.