Rainbow Garden Village (RGV)

Three months teaching children in Cape Town

It was always clear to me that I would go abroad for a while after graduating from high school to gain experience and to get to know new cultures. In the end, I spent a total of four months in South Africa (Cape Town) doing voluntary work at an elementary school. During three of those months I was staying in the country with RGV, and the last month I traveled a lot, including a two-week road trip through South Africa with other volunteers that I will probably never forget.

Preparation and arrival
RGV was very supportive and helped me a lot before my stay and answered all my questions without any problems. I felt well prepared and so my flight to South Africa took off at the beginning of October. The transfer at the airport went off without any problems, even though I had to wait a bit (African Time, you have to get used to that). I also had a very warm welcome at the Student House and was immediately embraced by the volunteers there.

My work in the project
It was an incredibly nice time. I liked the work in the project very much. Now and then I would have liked to be given more responsibility. I worked as an "assisting teacher" in a fifth grade class. As soon as the children had questions or couldn't cope with one of their math problems, it was my turn and it was my job to help the children as much as possible and introduce them to the subject matter. A couple of times I even got to take over a lesson or two doing math and geography with the kids. The kids in my class were very lovely, open and interested. In fact, I already miss my class again now.

Extension for two more months
My original plan was to be back home in Germany a few days before Christmas. However, since I enjoyed my time in Cape Town so much and unfortunately it went by way too fast, I decided to extend my stay for another two months. I spoke with the RGV team on site and also sought email contact with the German-speaking staff. I was answered immediately and various suggestions were made. My wishes were taken into account very precisely and so it worked out very well with my extension. I also received my visa within less than three weeks.

My conclusion: A breathtaking and versatile country!
Overall, I enjoyed my stay very much. Cape Town is a beautiful city and South Africa is a breathtaking and diverse country. RGV was a very big help for me with the arrangement and especially with the extension. I made a lot of new and good friends and also got to know very different and interesting people. I will stay in contact with many of them. Various meetings in Germany have already been planned. For everyone who is still thinking about it. Stop thinking about it, just sign up! ;)

Ecological farm community
The work in the project
I spent two months at the Ecological Farm in Ecuador. The experience I made there definitely changed me for the better. I returned home fully motivated and equipped to tackle projects in my local fields that I had been longing for.

Sustainability in everyday life at the ecofarm
I met many visitors during my stay. Even those who stayed only a few days went home with new knowledge.
There is so much going on at the farm in terms of projects or methods of sustainable living that you can learn in a very short time. There is much to do and the owners are happy to help newcomers into the routine.
From the work in the fields to the quiet nights, I got to experience a new way of living. I realized how wonderful it is to simply live sustainably and this project provides the perfect community in which to learn how to do so.

My recommendation
If you want to see excellent examples of ecotourism, organic farming and agro-ecology, this is the place to go. I hope everyone gets a chance to visit it once!

I spent 4 weeks traveling in Ghana, my project was a midwifery internship in the Lekma Hospital.

Accommodation
My accommodation was a Student House where I was immediately welcomed by the other volunteers. In the beginning, I had to ask many questions, but after about 3 days I felt very comfortable and well taken care of for the next 4 weeks. Even if sometimes we had to live without running water or electricity.
There was always a rich breakfast and also the dinner, which was very different from the European dinner but it tasted very good to me. I already miss some dishes very much, for example Red Red.

The internship
On my first day at Lekma Hospital, I got my "duty roster", a different ward every week, and I even got to watch surgeries. I was looking forward to the opportunity to learn about so many different areas.
My duties consisted of noting things down, taking vital signs, bathing babies, and otherwise looking around a lot and having work procedures explained to me by the midwives and nurses.
The hygiene and general condition in the hospital is of course not comparable to what we know from our home country. But I think that this is clear to anyone who travels to a developing country and works so closely with the people there. And you really get used to everything, that became clear to me in Ghana.

My free time
There are so many options for day or weekend trips that I couldn't possibly do them all in 4 weeks. Boti Falls, Ada Foah, Cape Coast, Mole National Park are just a few of many destinations. Nearby beaches and markets are also not to be missed. There is so much to see, so much food to try and you are always guaranteed to find at least one other volunteer who is happy to accompany you. And you are also guaranteed to always find a Trotro that will take you to your desired destination.

Conclusion
My four weeks in Ghana gave me a lot of new impressions and showed me that you can survive without luxury, running water & Co. You could say that you get grounded again.
It was a great experience to get close to a completely different culture, the people, their life and work.

It has always been a dream of mine to support a project and help children who are not lucky enough to grow up as well as we did.
I always thought that I would have to take some time off and quit my job to realize this dream. In addition to that, I always told myself: "This is only for students or pupils after school - you are too old for this! Both turned out to be a clear mistake.
At the beginning, an acquaintance made me aware that there are aid projects that can be covered even with 4 weeks of vacation. And so I rummaged on the Internet and came across RGV relatively quickly. Among many other providers, this organization immediately struck me very positively, because it appealed to all age groups and also seemed very professional. After I had read up on the homepage, had the information material sent to me by RGV and had also personally talked with the organization, it was clear to me - I have the possibility to realize my dream here.
Fortunately, my bosses immediately agreed to my request for an unpaid leave, so everything went smoothly. Thanks to the great organization of the RGV team, my desired destination and my wish to work with children were secured, my flights were booked and I was provided with the most important information.
In June I was already on my way! The first days in Zanzibar were really quiet and there was nothing to do due to Ramadan and the African mentality. Nevertheless, I was able to visit the kindergarten/school and make contact with the director. Then it was also quickly clear - there is a lot to do!
So we started the very next day: Making plans - what could possibly be changed, buying paint to make the rooms more child-friendly, organizing helpers to help us with remodeling the garden, starting an appeal for donations to organize money for doors and windows, plastering, painting etc. In the following 5 weeks we were able to move and change a lot and the time flew by.
From 7 -11 o’clock in the morning I was allowed to help organize the lessons together with the other volunteers.
In the kindergarten, which is kind of a preschool, we did not play as we usually do in our kindergartens in Europe, because there aren’t enough toys or space. Here, we rather sing and repeat after the teacher, but we also teach English and math.
If we couldn't help with the lessons, we helped with cooking the daily porridge, which often was the only warm meal for a day for many children. We also used our time to paint the rooms and made everything a bit nicer and more child-friendly. It was incredibly nice to see how content and happy the children already were without owning anything.
Summing up, the interaction with the children gave me a lot of joy.

Accommodation in the host family
During my stay I lived with a local family, which was arranged for me by RGV.
I simply wanted to get to know the African daily life.
However, I still had contact with the other volunteers in the Student House and was able to do a lot with them in my free time. In the evenings and on weekends, I also enjoyed talking to my family and being involved in their lives.
Of course, the living situation is not comparable to European standards, and you have to get used to this "simple life". However, one gets a new perspective on everything and is also rewarded with endless hospitality from the locals.
As a conclusion I can therefore only say that I recommend volunteer work to anyone who wants to take a time out and combine it with a meaningful project. These kind of a breaks bring a lot of experience and also an infinite satisfaction for one's heart. The different perspective that I got there makes it much easier for me now in everyday life, because I see many things more relaxed. And yes - one learns to appreciate again how well we are doing.

I volunteered at Juana de Aza from August 2019 to February 2020. My main responsibility was to take care of the children who were all between zero and three years old. since I worked in the morning shift from 9 to 3. I quickly learned to love Juana de Aza! What made it special were the people there - the children with their mothers. Although it took some time to break the ice, once the children started knowing and trusting me, and once the mothers started chatting to me, I was excited every morning to go to work and often stayed until night to tuck the children in. I loved how vibrant the women’s house was, despite everyone’s past and hardships. I loved coming to work in the morning and knowing that the children were excited to see me.
I even loved doing the dishes after lunch because that gave me the chance to chat to the mothers. With time, I was also given more freedom. We started doing crafts with the children, teaching the older one’s how to braid bracelets, or taking them on walks around the city center; I accompanied the mothers to go grocery shopping as well as to the doctor and had the opportunity to teach them a bit of English.
All in all, Juana de Aza was the highlight of my stay in Latin America. To me, the bonds I have managed to build to both the children and the moms are sacred. Nothing can top the moments when you talk to the mothers and it feels like you’re talking to a friend – just light hearted and untroubled -, when children jump into your arms or when your favourite child falls asleep on your lap. Some of the established bonds are still so deeply important to me that I have been determined to return to Peru since I have left to continue to be a part of the mother’s and children’s lives.

Although Juana de Aza was what made my stay in Cusco so very memorable, this is not to say that I did not fall in love with the country of Peru. Cusco, first and foremost, is a beautiful city. Surrounded by mountains and characterized by its beautiful history and architecture, I could not have picked a better city. Because I stayed with a host family I never felt alone and always had someone to turn to for advice. This was especially important to me during times such as Christmas – instead of celebrating Christmas by myself and missing my family I was able to experience a typically Peruvian Christmas. It also helped me to get to know a lot of Peruvian traditions, such as the tradition of wearing yellow underwear on new year’s for good luck. My host family was a vital part of me feeling safe and comfortable in Peru, but I quickly found that it was easy as well to meet locals as well as international volunteers and travelers. Cusco was the perfect city for a volunteer – there were many cafes and restaurants as well as clubs and a vibrant dancing scene. I would always recommend to start dancing Bachata or Salsa as this was the easiest way for me to meet people. Further, Cusco has a perfect location for weekend or day trips, including Machu Picchu or the Rainbow Mountains.

My stay in Cusco was everything – not only did working at the women’s house reshape my plans for the future, but I have also fallen in love with Peruvian people, culture and nature.