Program Reviews

I volunteered with CCS-SA in the Fall of 2011 for 7 weeks. My experience was life changing, enriching, and a lot of fun. CCS operates as a tri-fold program: one part cultural learning activities, one part volunteer program, one part free time/ exploration in the house and regional area. Something that I appreciated most about CCS was their commitment to making volunteers educated and aware of the communities they will be serving in and the region that they are living in so that they have a strong background going into their placements. CCS has a strong commitment to security which made it possible for us as volunteers to work in communities that without the support of local staff with relationships in the community would have been unsafe to travel to. In my time in South Africa I made life-lasting relationships with the house staff, volunteer site staff, and fellow volunteers. Cape Town as a program site city also provides tremendous beauty and lots of activities to do. Wether you are outdoorsy, into the nightlife, or visiting galleries and museums this city has endless adventures to offer. Overall I felt that CCS has a great balance of the three pieces of its program and provides an amazing way to travel and volunteer while absorbing the culture around you. If this organization is a possibility on your list I would strongly recommend it!

I found the whole experience with Cross Cultural Solutions one of the most impactfule experiences of my life. I didn't know what to expect, but found myself part of a wonderful mix of friends that became my family for the time I was there. While we were free to enjoy food from local restaurants, there was always good, healthy, safe and delicious foods served family style with people who's conversations and company I miss to this day. A typical day started at 8:00 am, and allowed us volunteer at community based organizations (My placement was a senior center, which both needed the help we provided, and provided the learning and perspective that I found most moving) that serve those with great needs, and little to no resources. Whether it was helping with preparing food, or cleaning, or spending time serving, we were busy, happy and part of a greater experience than I thought I would have. Later in the day we learned about the history and culture of those we were serving.
I came back changed, and I can't exactly say how, but I can say it has and continues to be one of the most impactful and wonderful experiences I have had. Our living quarters were clean, safe and afforded all our basic needs, but were not a "five star hotel" I highly recommend this for those who have a desire to serve others, and want to safely explore and experience another country where life for so many is afforded only a fraction of the opportunity I have at times taken for granted.

I have volunteered five times with CCS in Guatemala. This last time I worked at a soup kitchen, a home for elderly women, an orphanage for wheel bound children and assisted a nun with her English.

Everyone is so appreciative of the little work that we do. You get to meet wonderful people, contribute in a small way to improving the life situation of the people served.

The staff at the home base (cooks, housekeepers, guards and administrative staff) quickly become family. Local sites of cultural interest are visited during the week and on weekends you are free to visit surrounding areas on your own.

I had three places on my bucket list, in order: India, China, Africa. I had traveled a lot in my life, lived abroad in Europe for school, and been to Japan, Korea, and Taiwan for business. Yet India seemed another planet, and I did not feel I could go alone. I had just a few weeks to give, but I wanted to quickly delve deep and understand the country. A volunteer vacation seemed the perfect choice.

After much research, I settled on Cross Cultural Solutions. I’m so glad I did. CCS provides as much or as little support as you need. The key difference is the “cultural” part. CCS places major emphasis on having face-to-face interaction with locals, so all the volunteer jobs are putting you in those situations, rather than working side by side with other volunteers only. I loved it. Also, CCS is highly sensitive to the local community, so healthy rules prevent us from upsetting the local economic ecosystems – for example, we’re not allowed to give gifts or money to those we help, for many good reasons. Other organizations aren’t always so farsighted and responsible.

They pick you up at the airport and provide local housing, commensurate with how the locals live. They have a cook that provides all meals that are good, safe, and also localized. And the staff goes out of its way to be helpful. They provide cultural training, like language lessons, teaching cricket, cooking classes, and there are field trips, all to give you a deep understanding of the local culture. And we’re encouraged and supported to go out exploring on our own.

In Dharamsala, my job was teaching English to elementary school kids in a remote hilltop school - the school had no electricity or plumbing, just cement floors, wall and ceiling. No desks, kids sat on the floor. And they didn't speak ANY English. I was thrown in with them, and I had no experience teaching. But, it was a fabulous experience! Talk about getting to know the country quickly, as a local, not a tourist. In the evenings, there was time to roam up to Mcloud Gange, where the Tibetan community has its center in exile.

What's one thing I wish I'd known before going? Luckily, I heard this from other volunteers before going on my first CCS volunteer trip to India - you are somewhat left to your own devices in your volunteer gig. So you have to do your own preparation. CCS works hard to secure volunteer spots, but they may change at the last minute. The staff can't be up to speed on all the jobs and train you much, so as the other volunteers attest, you do your best based on your own skills and wits that you bring. It's fine. In India, my job was teaching kids, and I had never done that before. I don't think I was very good, but the kids and teacher seemed to love my efforts and I learned so much. In China, where I went a year later, teaching the teachers was simple - they just wanted conversation, so the prep materials I'd brought weren't needed. Talk to previous volunteers before you go. CCS will connect you with them.

I plan to go to Tanzania or South Africa with CCS soon. This is really an outstanding program. I can’t say enough about it.

I had to opportunity to intern abroad in San Carlos, Costa Rica and it was the most amazing experience in my life. As an Intern, you have the chance to earn school credit and travel to a foreign country to gain hands on experience in your profession of choice. What could be better than that!! When I first arrived, the staff promptly and properly greeted me at the airport. A plus!! The staff was very organized and friendly. (They spoke English but would practice Spanish with you if you wanted). A Plus!! Also, food was ready for me to eat!!! A Plus. Being an intern is different then just being a volunteer. As an intern, there are goals that you must meet with your professor as well as goals to meet with CCS. A staff member would meet with me one on one and help me discuss what I wanted to benefit from this experience. We came up with a list of goals that I had to accomplish each week and activities that I had to do each week as well. So not only do you volunteer at your placements but you also have the chance to immerse yourself in the community.
This was a daily schedule for me.
Wake up and get ready (includes eating)- 7-8
Volunteer placement- 8-11:30
Lunch- 12-1
Tuesday and Thursday cultural activities- visit a dairy farm, visit a cocoa plantation, Volcano etc
Monday, Wednesday- 3-4 Spanish Classes *for those that know Spanish they had free time or plan a trip for that day
Free time- After 4 (gym, stores, dance classes, etc)
Weekends- Surfing in Jaco, La Fortuna etc.
I loved the flexibility of this program. They never forced us to do anything and they were open to suggestions and ideas for trips.

Back to Interning, the staff does not just place you in a volunteer setting and you have to fend for yourself. They stay with you until you are comfortable. They introduce you and help them get to know you (especially if you don’t speak Spanish). Being an intern sets you apart from just volunteering, it becomes a second home to you. *If you are not comfortable with your placement, the staff will help you, no biggie. I interned at a nursing home and special education school. I was going to school to be a physical therapist. They allowed me build rapport with the patients so they listened to what I had to say. I loved it. The freedom to help patients hands on that speak a completely different language than me!! It was a thrill. The food is amazing, the staff is friendly and organized, and the placements helped me figure out what I wanted to do in life. This experience has given me a different perspective on life and how I have the ability to help people in the U.S and even in San Carlos one day. I would not trade this experience for the world.

The CCS staff in Lima was supportive and fun. I worked with an elderly community center, Los Martincitos, in the shantytowns. In addition to spending time with the folks and cooking traditional Peruvian meals, the highlight of the experience was going on house visits with Sister Jacqui. These firsthand experiences with the families who lived in Villa el Salvador gave me and my fellow volunteers deep insight into the community and everyday life. The program also had sun social activities with the group and I formed a couple friends for life! We had time to travel to Ica and Huacachina on the weekend and I traveled to Cusco/Machu Picchu after the program. A great program for those looking for something short where meals, lodging, placement, etc. are taken care of.

Imagine a 60+Dad, 50+Mom, 20, 18 and 14 year old kids working and living together for a solid week! It was our family's volunteer experience of a life time. The idea of doing something positive, together made this family vacation a most special memory.

Our assignment with a group of seven others, was to paint an orphanage for young boys temporarily removed from problematic family situations in a rural area of Costa Rica. Of course, the painting was interspersed with impromptu soccer games, guitar music and lots of hugs from the little ones.

The CCS base house, with its caring and warm staff helped us feel right at home at the end of each volunteer afternoon of work. We enjoyed many activities with the other volunteers-- exploring the town of San Carlos,evening at the hot springs, a farm and local family visit and of course, Spanish lessons and dancing.

Our CCS cooks prepared the freshest of food with many colorful local fruits and vegetables from the markets. It was a wonderful week and one that our family will long remember.

A close friend and I went to Guatemala with CCS in the summer of 2009 as health interns in the four week program. At the time I was a Pre-Nursing major (now I am in nursing school) and I wanted to get experience in health care outside of the United States. As soon as your register, CCS is constantly preparing you for the trip with online tutorials and preparation packages. I understand safety is a concern, but CCS and the Guatemalan home base staff make sure that you are taken care off. Off the plane you are met with the home base driver with a large CCS sign and other people in the program are most likely arriving when you are. Arriving at the home base, which is completely walled and gated off from the street, you immediately feel at home with an open arm welcome from the Guatemalan director, Virginia. During my stay she was like a second mother. She actually lives right next door to the home base so whatever happens she'll be there. According to your interest you indicated while registering, you get placed in an in city location for the weekday mornings as a volunteer. I was a health intern so I was placed in a public health clinic in the center of Guatemala City. My weekday schedule consisted of everyone getting into the van and getting dropped of at their placement, getting picked up before lunch, and after lunch at the home base, we would have some program that would further expose us to Guatemalan culture. These after lunch programs consist of field trips to museums, salsa lessons at the house, Spanish lessons, etc.

What I appreciated most about volunteering with CCS is that you get an equal balance of volunteer work and play time. I loved my volunteer placement. I was able to do things, give injections, perform papsmears, and so many other medical tasks, that my education would not allow me to do yet in the States. It gave me such confidence and experience that upon entering nursing school, I knew what I was doing. Aside from placement, the whole weekend is for you to plan. You can decide to go anywhere and Virginia can help you get there. During my stay, I went to Tikal and saw the famous temples, went ziplining through the jungles, spent a few nights in Antigua, went to the beaches of Montevideo, climbed an active volcano, and saw many other places in Guatemala. You get the opportunity to do the tourist attractions as well as give back to their community. Of course when you travel as a tourist, certain precautions need to be taken but they are no different than traveling in any other country. Volunteering with CCS has made such a lasting impression on my life. Three years later, I find myself still reflecting on my experiences and thinking of a time when I can go back.

Wonderful opportunity to push my own envelope of experiences! The CCS home base in Rabat was an experience in and of itself. Truly warm and welcoming staff and program managers. The age range and nationalities of the volunteers in the program was wonderfully diverse and provided many 'down time' opportunities for establishing new friendships among the volunteers.

My assignment for the two weeks was teaching English to adults at a local foundation. Lots of preparation each day for the class as it seemed to attract new students all the time, but I had plenty of support from the program manager when needed . I so enjoyed my students -we even met on the one day a week that the facility was closed -- sitting outside having a informal discussions in some French, some English, some Arabic while we poured over maps of the US and magazines I had brought.

The food was so fresh and so beautifully presented by our CCS home base cooks and they opened the kitchen to us to teach us how to make several of the special dishes and pastries.

Because of the orientation to the country and culture while at the program, I felt well prepared to journey across the country via Marrakesh by myself to spend my last few days in Morocco in the beautiful coastal town of Essaouira!

My summer in Bangkok, Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions was the best decision I ever made in my life. I met amazing friends, and I learned life lessons.

I volunteered at a daycare center with three year-olds and I also volunteered in a hospital.

Highlights included the staff, the house, the city, and the social activities.

The only difficulty was the language barrier, but what a great experience!