Program Reviews

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.

Arrival at the project
I spent November and December 2021 at the animal welfare project in Bilbao. My arrival went as I planned it without any problems. I took the flight from Munich to Bilbao and met José at the airport. We went to the accommodation together by bus.

My tasks in the project
On two to three days per week we worked for about three hours in the shelter, a mixture of animal shelter and day care for dogs. The operator Marco mostly took care of the tasks like feeding the animals and cleaning the shelters himself, we volunteers were primarily there to give the dogs a good time.
We went for walks with them, cuddled them and played with them. Despite the rainy weather, it was always a really nice time with the dogs, who were always very happy about our visit. We had a lot of fun and quickly made many four-legged friends.
Once a week we had the opportunity to help in a rescue center for cats. The station is located in Bilbao and we could reach it by metro. There we helped to clean the shelters of the cats and to give them medicine. In addition, of course, there was no shortage of playing and petting.

My accommodation
As already mentioned, I lived in a shared apartment with eight other young women. The most beautiful thing was that completely diverse nationalities met: USA, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Bolivia, France and Germany. I lived in a room with three other girls. It was definitely big enough for us all.
The apartment was located very central and we reached the language school within ten minutes by foot. We had our Spanish classes there. It was also very near to the old town or the shopping area of Bilbao. Right next to the house you can find numerous supermarkets as well as pharmacies, bakeries and cafes.

Food in Bilbao
There are plenty of food options in Bilbao, especially if you like to try Pintxos (small meal - similar to tapas). Unfortunately, vegetarians often have little choice when eating out and have to resort to either tortillas or desserts. If you are unsure whether something is vegetarian, it is better to ask, because it usually contains meat or fish. Apart from Spanish specialties, there are numerous international restaurants so that everybody could find something to eat.

Free time and activities
The language classes were always from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and after that we were mostly with the dogs or the cats. Sometimes the projects were cancelled because of the rain, so we had the afternoon off.
However, the language school always offered activities, so we went wine tasting, ice skating, or tried churros con chocolate, for example. This was great to get to know more people and was a lot of fun.
We definitely had enough free time to explore the city and relax.
On a Sunday, I took a day trip to San Sebastián. It takes about two hours by bus, but the prices are very affordable. The city is really beautiful and definitely worth a visit when being in Bilbao.

My departure
Everything worked out wonderfully on the way back despite the pandemic. I went to the airport with another volunteer and flew directly to Munich. Looking back, the best part was definitely the time with the dogs! It was a great project and I would definitely do it again!

I participated in this project for about three months and it was a fantastic time!
We worked five days a week, four hours a day and it was very varied work. We renovated a house, helped farmers to harvest tomatoes and potatoes, took care of the lovely children, worked in the garden, etc. There was never a dull day!
In my free time, I was able to take the bus or hitchhike to various beautiful places nearby and actually travel anywhere in Slovenia on the weekends. Even weekend trips to Croatia or Italy were no exception.
In the site:
Petra and Yanis are very hospitable and really try their best to make you feel at home. They really cater to the variety of people that are there and try to make our time and theirs as fruitful as possible.
I can't wait to come back here again!

My time as RGV Volunteer in Asia
I made my decision to travel to Nepal at the beginning of my studies, when I was thinking about what I could do during my first semester break. I wanted to travel, but I also wanted to do something meaningful and get to know a foreign culture better. I chose Nepal because I was excited to discover a new continent and the project at the elephant dung paper mill sounded very interesting.

My journey to Nepal
Hot, colorful, crowded and impressive. That's how I would describe my first impressions of the capital, Kathmandu. After going through the visa process and also picking up my suitcase after a long time of waiting, I met a RGV employee outside the airport holding up a sign with my name on it. It went directly off, into the city traffic of Katmandu. The streets were crowded, everyone was honking incessantly, and as I looked out the window I could see monkeys, cows, and countless mopeds.

My work in the project in Chitwan
At the beginning, the other volunteers showed me the surroundings and the hotel, so I quickly found my way around by myself. The next day I started working in the "Elephantdung Paper Shop & Museum". We worked from Sunday to Friday, since Saturday is the only weekend. Our main task was to paint the different paper products. There are books in different sizes, pen cups, postcards and picture frames - which are then all sold to tourists. After a few weeks, we were given the task to go out in the mornings and evenings with a vendor's tray and sell at the bus stop and at Sunset Point (a popular point for tourists) to increase the income. We attracted a lot of attention, were partly photographed, often approached and constantly looked at.
At work, we could get a good impression of the mentality of the Nepali people, who see everything much more relaxed and laid back. We volunteers opened the store in the morning and started to work, the other employees appeared only 1-2 hours later and sometimes not at all. I could not see a duty roster or structure of work distribution.

Festivals and holidays in Nepal
During my 5 weeks in Sauraha I had the chance to experience many festivities. There are altogether much more holidays than in Germany, almost every week something is celebrated. On my first day there was a food festival where I ate a Nepalese veggie burger and saw elephants for the first time: 5 at once! Later there was a holiday in honor of the goddess Shiva, International Women's Day and the Holi Festival. The latter was especially nice to experience. Over two days, festivities took place. A water and color battle was held at the hotel with loud music, with staff, volunteers, guests and anyone else who wanted to join in. Also in town everyone wished you "Happy Holi" and everyone danced in the streets and celebrated.
On another weekend, we were allowed to go to a wedding. This was a very interesting experience. We were served tons of food and then danced outside all evening to loud music. It was a lot of fun because everyone was very open and we just all danced together.

Everyday life and my free time
After a few days of settling in, everyday life quickly returned. In the mornings, the volunteers had breakfast together in the hotel, where we could make our own toast and sometimes, when there were many guests, we were lucky enough to eat buffet breakfast. During our lunch break, we usually ate Dal Bhat. Some days we would go to our "regular" place, a small food stall whose nice owner knew us all. There we had samosas, chow mein (fried noodles with vegetables) and momos (steamed dumplings with vegetable filling and sauce).
In the afternoons we often went for walks, away from the tourist center and towards the smaller villages where there was a lot to see. We often did small errands, bought fruit or strolled through the small stores in Sauraha.
On the weekends, we volunteers usually did something together. I did a jeep safari into the jungle and a jungle walk. You could see rhinos, deer, crocodiles, wild boars, peacocks and many other birds. Also a canoe trip on the river which is the border to the national park was very interesting and a relaxing nature experience.

My conclusion about my time in Nepal
All in all, I was very enthusiastic about the country Nepal with its culture, its landscape and its people. The mentality is hospitable, open, relaxed, helpful and you always feel welcome. In general, I had the feeling that the Nepali people are always happy and friendly and infect you with it. The joy of life and living in the moment is something that greatly enriched the stay in Nepal. The time in Nepal was never boring, because there was always something to do and there were many different opportunities to do something and get to know the country.

Namibia, Windhoek
In September my friend and I went to Namibia for 9 weeks. It was a really unforgettable time.
We were accommodated in the Student House in Windhoek-West, together with other volunteers and local students.
The number of volunteers varied between 7 and 17 people, so we were never alone. We also got in contact with the students very quickly, because most of them were very open and wanted to talk to everyone. Living together worked out great.
We were accommodated in a double room where we shared the shower and toilet with the room next to us. The kitchen and living room were perfectly fine and we sat there in the evening all together and ate, made music or relaxed…

At the Boomerang Kindergarten Project
My friend and I worked at the Boomerang Kindergarten in Goreangab, a neighborhood in Katutura.
In the beginning we were the only volunteers together with 3 other kindergarten teachers.
Our working times were always from 7-14 o'clock. We played with the children, did projects or learned to write their names with them. In our kindergarten, the children also ate lunch, which was cooked by a kindergarten teacher.
Working with the children was really fun! In addition, it really made you a bit proud when you saw that a child improved its English or became more extroverted thanks to us.

Free time and excursions
One was never really bored. In the evenings we cooked together and went out relatively often.
On weekends we often did excursions. I can only recommend this. We rented one or two cars, packed tents and food and went out - for example to Etosha Park, Swakopmund, Waterberg, Erindi and a farm in Gobabis.
All of the trips were really worth the money in their own way and wonderful experiences. Whether skydiving or the view on the Waterberg!
When we stayed at the Student House on weekends, we explored the city, went shopping or even to the Oktoberfest in Windhoek (there was only one beer tent, but it was super fun).
It is also highly recommended to go to church with the locals or to have dinner with the cab driver Matthew Kapana.

Conclusion
The 9 weeks in Namibia went by way too fast and I really would have loved to stay there even longer. I had a wonderful and unforgettable time. We met many great people who became good friends during this time. By living together with the locals, the teachers in the kindergarten and our cab driver Matthew, we also had the chance to get to know the Namibian culture very well.

Arrival at the project
I spent November and December 2021 at the animal welfare project in Bilbao. My arrival went as I planned it without any problems. I took the flight from Munich to Bilbao and met José at the airport. We went to the accommodation together by bus.

My tasks in the project
On two to three days per week we worked for about three hours in the shelter, a mixture of animal shelter and day care for dogs. The operator Marco mostly took care of the tasks like feeding the animals and cleaning the shelters himself, we volunteers were primarily there to give the dogs a good time.
We went for walks with them, cuddled them and played with them. Despite the rainy weather, it was always a really nice time with the dogs, who were always very happy about our visit. We had a lot of fun and quickly made many four-legged friends.
Once a week we had the opportunity to help in a rescue center for cats. The station is located in Bilbao and we could reach it by metro. There we helped to clean the shelters of the cats and to give them medicine. In addition, of course, there was no shortage of playing and petting.

My accommodation
As already mentioned, I lived in a shared apartment with eight other young women. The most beautiful thing was that completely diverse nationalities met: USA, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Bolivia, France and Germany. I lived in a room with three other girls. It was definitely big enough for us all.
The apartment was located very central and we reached the language school within ten minutes by foot. We had our Spanish classes there. It was also very near to the old town or the shopping area of Bilbao. Right next to the house you can find numerous supermarkets as well as pharmacies, bakeries and cafes.

Food in Bilbao
There are plenty of food options in Bilbao, especially if you like to try Pintxos (small meal - similar to tapas). Unfortunately, vegetarians often have little choice when eating out and have to resort to either tortillas or desserts. If you are unsure whether something is vegetarian, it is better to ask, because it usually contains meat or fish. Apart from Spanish specialties, there are numerous international restaurants so that everybody could find something to eat.

Free time and activities
The language classes were always from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and after that we were mostly with the dogs or the cats. Sometimes the projects were cancelled because of the rain, so we had the afternoon off.
However, the language school always offered activities, so we went wine tasting, ice skating, or tried churros con chocolate, for example. This was great to get to know more people and was a lot of fun.
We definitely had enough free time to explore the city and relax.
On a Sunday, I took a day trip to San Sebastián. It takes about two hours by bus, but the prices are very affordable. The city is really beautiful and definitely worth a visit when being in Bilbao.

My departure
Everything worked out wonderfully on the way back despite the pandemic. I went to the airport with another volunteer and flew directly to Munich. Looking back, the best part was definitely the time with the dogs! It was a great project and I would definitely do it again!