The Most Affordable Volunteer in South Africa - 25K happy Volunteers Since 2006

I am applying to Physician Assistant school and wanted to have a better perspective of global healthcare. I fell in love with medicine while volunteering in Cape Town, South Africa. There, I was fortunate enough to volunteer at Green Point Clinic, where I was able to gain more than just the skills to diagnose and treat patients; I left feeling reassured that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Tasting the rawness of medicine from rotating between the different fast-paced environments, seeing a patient’s face light up, and having them even wish me luck on my future career, has made this journey worthwhile. I found joy in serving others, interacting with patients, and in helping them with their conditions. The PAs and nurses welcomed me apart of their team and communication to direct patients to diagnosis and treatment options. Being exposed to this environment has given me a better perspective on healthcare. Experiencing this rich cultural immersion has allowed me to be a witness of the plight and struggles of these developing countries. I became apart of their community, and they have enabled me to have personal growth from being a volunteer. In this journey abroad, I was able to reflect on wanting to show my gratitude towards the healthcare community since I was given a second chance at life from my open-heart surgery. One of the moments which have been the greatest things I have been able to cross off my bucket list has been hiking Lion's head because before my heart surgery, this would have been impossible. I had the privilege to visit the Sacred Heart Museum where the first human heart transplant took place. I fell in love with this country from its beauty in the mountains to the views of the sea, and the food. I have traveled as a mission trip volunteer before to many countries, but South Africa is the place where I have wanted to stay forever. I cried leaving because I felt that I have experienced a peace of heaven in this beautiful land. I have to return soon.

During this summer break I decided to give something back to the community by volunteering to Teach English in South Africa. I was very much optimistic about my decision from the start.

Pre-Departure process was handled very professionally by IFRE. I was greeted at the airport and taken to a Hostel by the country coordinator. She was very Professional. She frankly mentioned all the difficulties I might face before the start of my project. She also provided me solutions to avoid such difficulties. The school was outside the boundaries of Cape Town. I used the Uber Cab Service to get to the project. I liked this because I also got a chance to analyze and witness the area from the hostel to the school. I taught grade seven students. They all were very nice and comforting to me. My responsibility also included assisting with the local teachers. I found this very challenging in the beginning. As the days went by and as I started socializing everything felt great.

The country coordinator was always a phone call away. She would take care of any hurdles on my way.