Program Reviews

My experience as a YCI volunteer in Costa Rica has served as one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It was during this time that my passion for youth development was cultivated! I had the chance to work alongside some of the most driven young people.

I recommend YCI to anyone who wants to learn and grow by doing! I had the chance to participate in a dynamic project that allowed me to work with my hands and facilitate learning through engaging in meaningful conversation, about almost anything!

I continue to value my experience as a volunteer and hope that many more people are able to have the opportunity to engage in this kind of learning.

Overall, an amazing experience.

Did I enjoy myself?

Yes. The best part about St. Cuthbert's were the people. I absolutely adored the village and the villagers. I was perfectly suited to this environment because I love children and there was no shortage of their energy and enthusiasm for 5 weeks. I was also very happy to integrate into the culture and found it easy to make friends. The people were so kind and so generous. Often they would invite myself and my volunteer party over for dinner, on a boat ride, or to their farm.

Did I feel leaving I made a difference?

Yes. I was fortunate to be able to utilize my blogging skills and help develop the village blog for high school students by giving a blogging workshop. I also taught grades 1-11 everything from math to social science to travel and tourism and I believe, a lot about life. I had many kids who were attached to me begging me not to go home! I've kept in touch with many and even sent down a care package! I formed many close relationships and had so many people open their hearts up to me, in fact, I even had a baby named after me! It was a very rewarding experience to watch people learn and grown and to develop friendships.

What was the food like?

Coming from Toronto, Ontario, the food lacked diversity. I would have preferred more of the budget allocated to fresh meats and veggies. I was lucky because my field officer, Tygue Legall, was an AMAZING cook. Without him, I don't think I would have been able to eat so well.

Overall, I enjoy Guyanese cooking. A steady diet of fried rice, chow mein, fried chicken, curry, roti, fish etc. Standard food made better by an awesome chef!

Would I go again?

In a heartbeat.

Did the support staff address my needs?

The support staff in Toronto were INCREDIBLE. I especially recognize Heather Auden, Jane Baldwin, and Sarah Vickery for their dedication to the program and to the their positive, supportive spirits. Without hesitation I could ask any one of them for help. They have been amazing pre and post volunteer experience.

The staff in Guyana were much less supportive. I would have liked more structure in orientation and more professional and mature attitudes.

Did I enjoy volunteering abroad?

Yes! I have traveled to over 30 countries and this is in the top 3 of my experiences. It was an amazing was to submerge yourself into culture and experience. To learn and grow as a person and to touch the lives of others.

Would I recommend the program to a friend?

Most definitely.

How did the program change me?

The program showed me how one person can make a difference. That a positive attitude, and friendly demeanor makes all the difference. It helped me develop my entrepreneurial spirit - to build structure when there was none, to connect with people from different walks of life and of all ages, and to appreciate the simple life. I have a new found appreciation for nature and the resilient spirit of mankind.

Did I feel safe?

The majority of the time yes. However the village experiences abuse with alcohol and drunk driving. At night we would not go out to parties as those were said to be unsafe. There were also stories about domestic abuse.

At times I felt unsafe because of that.

Were the program costs appropriate to the work involved?

I feel that costs could have been better allocated. There were no supplies to help us teach and food costs could have been better distributed. The last week we struggled to feed ourselves. As well, there needed to be allocation for mosquito coils because the net and repellent weren't enough.

Was the local community welcoming?

VERY MUCH SO! Almost shocking how open they were but I think we were lucky because there was a Peace Corp volunteer there that had been in the village for a year. She was the icebreaker so to speak.

What would I have done differently?

I would have packed differently. I have since sent in a packing list appropriate for the community. I would have brought more food. And I would have gotten in touch with field staff before the trip.

What do I wish someone had told me before I had left?

I wish someone had told me how attached I would get to the village. By the end, the village felt like my home and I was shocked at my connection to it and the people there. I was very sad to leave.

Did I forget to bring something?

I should have brought shorts. I ended up cutting a pair of pants into shorts. I also only brought sport bras instead of bras. That was a mistake. It was too hot for sport bras! Maybe a tank with built in support would have been best.

Also I would have liked to bring water/hiking shoes. Something that would have been suitable for swamp like terrain.

Did I bring something I didn't need?

No. I needed absolutely everything I brought!

Did I live independently or with a host family?

I lived independently.

What was the social scene like?

We were so busy! We had activities back to back every day! Swimming, cooking, tutoring, hiking, fishing! It was exciting!

"As my time comes to an end here in Morogoro, I am saddened to say goodbye but proud to see the change we have made in the lives of the people we have worked with. As my first development project, this experience helped me dispel myths and stereotypes about international development and Africa. Although this experience has shown me I am maybe not ready for a career in international development, it has also reignited a spark and a drive to follow my true passion of advocacy. Whether that will be advocating for children, women, people living with special needs, visible minorities, LGBT individuals, or any other person or group in need, I know that I will continue to support others in a capacity to help them see the best in themselves and life. Every day is a gift.

My experience here with YCI in Tanzania has been invaluable. To put into words how this experience has and will continue to affect my life and decisions is a very hard thing to do. I started this blog with a famous quote by Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” and now I understand the quote in a whole new meaning.

The people I have met along this part of my journey will forever have an impact on my life as I will continue to reflect on my time here in Morogoro. I have had the privilege of working with some amazing youth during my time here, who want nothing more than to better themselves, their communities, and their country. From the lessons in selflessness of Frankie to the motivational drive for change of my girls’ club in Chamwino, I hope to bring my new found respect and love for life home to Canada and to share it with all of you.

I want to say thank-you to all of you who helped me get here, those who supported me while I was here, and to those of you who will take this opportunity to examine your own life and maybe reflect on just how much we have, and how very little we need. As I say my goodbyes to underprivileged children and youth and I see how happy and grateful they are for how little they have, I am on the brink of tears out of true enlightenment to life and why we exist."

Taken from my blog at www.benjaminintanzania.blogspot.com

My experience in Tanzania, volunteering with YCI was life-changing and enlightening. From the online orientation at home in Canada, to the pre-project learning, to the support traveling to the host country, YCI (Canada) staff were at your assistance,always just a phone call away. The same can be said for the YCI TZ staff.

Living locally with a homestay family truly took my experience to another level of full-immersion into Tanzanian culture and life. Being able to ask our mama questions about culture, politics and livelihoods over dinner was an invaluable addition to my experience. Having that family support overseas allowed me to transition quickly to local life knowing I had a safe home and supportive family to rely on while I was so far away from my own.

While we completed programming with small groups of local youth it was fun and I did get a sense of accomplishment for myself as well as the programs with local youth. I built relationships with youth who lived a world away, in different conditions, speaking a different language and yet so similar to myself. When completing the end of project reports, was when the numbers became apparent and recognizing that through the 40 or so youth that we worked with directly, we had an impact on upwards of 2500-5000 people through in the community as these youth were already spreading and using their new skills and knowledge with regards to HIV/AIDS, WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) and small business skills.

Would I do it again...at the drop of hat. Unfortunately, my life in North America and financial responsibilities may not allow me to volunteer on another project for a while, once that financial freedom is with me, I will find myself, once again meeting those people like myself, in their home countries, passionate to make a difference.

Thank you YCI!

Ben Yurkiw

I recently had the opportunity to spend six weeks at the Ghana YMCA in Accra, where I was working as Marketing and Communications Innovator with Youth Challenge International. I can't say enough good things about my experience; everyone at the Ghana YMCA was exceptionally welcoming, and YCI staff friendly, helpful and professional. I felt completely supported during the duration of my stay, and while only a short placement, learned an incredible amount about the YMCA, partner relations and CIDA programming. Writing with appreciation for what YCI is working to achieve, I would recommend its programs without hesitation. I consider myself very lucky to have participated in the Innovator program.

I spent 7 months as an intern for YCI in 2011, I was based in Zanzibar which was a wonderful experience. Zanzibar is an exceptional place, mixing Swahili traditions with Muslim customs.

I worked with a local HIV/AIDS umbrella organization which gave me the chance to meet a lot of interesting people and work with different types of NGOs around the island.

I volunteered with YCI in Guyana for three months, January to April 2012. Overall, I most definitely enjoyed myself – sure, there were ups and downs but that is the same for anywhere. There were many things I learned while I was at my placement in an Amerindian village. For example, I learned how to be around children and not run screaming from them. I also learned that I quite enjoy classroom teaching… for teenagers, that is. I still don’t like children THAT much! I’ve also experienced firsthand the difference between general volunteering and sustainable development work (my favorite adage is “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and he feeds himself for a lifetime). I also realized that small villages are just as bad/hilarious as a soap opera. And that you only really start to truly get to know a place, its hidden corners, and its people if you are there for more than a couple months. I discovered new reserves of patience and diplomacy as well as that there are spiders and there are SPIDERS. I learned how to teach people of a different culture and life experience as well as that you definitely cannot think that development work and social work are even remotely the same thing.

The work that I did for the three months included teaching literature at the high school (gr 7-9), working in the library, and giving workshops (study/test taking skills, dental hygiene, nutrition, water conservation). It was pretty incredible to be involved in all of these things and I definitely felt that I was able to contribute my knowledge and skills to my students and other people of the village.

In Guyana, you are technically not representing YCI – you are working for a local NGO called Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG). They are the one to organize you upon arrival, provide your food (but take advantage of the yummy local food!), your main point of contact in-country. The staff at YCI are an awesome bunch of people and they do an excellent job in guiding you through the pre-departure process of the project. As for the staff at YCG, I was not 100% happy with them but they were adequate. In the village itself, my group lived together in a house with a local staff member from YCG. While support exists, it really is up to each volunteer group to introduce themselves to the village, to sniff out projects, and all round figure out how to live for the next little while. Sounds daunting, but it definitely forces you to develop all sorts of skills such as adaptability and initiative.

YCI has an alumni program for new volunteers to take advantage of – pre-departure, you can ask them all sorts of questions. Alumni can give you firsthand knowledge and help you to prepare for your trip much more than YCI staff (based in Canada) can (staff can give you the basics and generalities but for the specifics, as an alumnus!). YCI also has many ways for alumni to stay involved with them upon your return home which is pretty great especially if you want to continue building your international development experience for your resume/school/etc.

All in all, great community, great country, tons to do (especially if you like nature), great project. I definitely recommend YCI and I most certainly will be returning to explore more of this great country!

I really enjoyed my time in Ghana with YCI, and nearly two years later, often think about my experience and how it has shaped me.

From project implementation to experiencing a new culture, YCI Ghana provided a wide range of experiences.

The project allowed me to use the skills I gained in my education and to apply them in a very practical sense. Giving me the experience that was necessary to gain meaningful employment in a field that I am passionate about.

Through the support of the country staff, I was able to feel comfortable in a new culture, and felt that I had the tools I needed for success. While our group did have the support of YCI staff, we also were able to run the project under our own initiative.

I really enjoyed my experience volunteering in Ghana, it was a unique opportunity to work with and learn from my Ghanaian peers.

I have volunteered with YCI in Ghana twice now, in 2010 and 2012. Both times, I enjoyed myself while gaining practical work experience in the field of international development.

What's not to love about Ghana, from the music to the dancing and beautiful beaches! Combine this with facilitating daily workshops on health, environment, or your field of expertise, to local peer mentors and school children and leave feeling rewarded and wanting more!

I had an amazing experience volunteering in Ghana with Youth Challenge International. YCI had phenomenal support staff, both Canadian and Ghanaian, that couldn't have been more helpful. YCI provided support for all logistics, including accomodation, so that my arrival in Ghana was smooth and stress-free. The placement at a local NGO provided interesting work, and YCI supported the work I did at the partner organization. I would highly recommend others to participate in YCIs programmes.