The CCS Brazil program changed my life, period. I volunteered with them for 3 months and it was the most amazing experience in my life. I couldn't imagine my life, now, without having gone through this experience. The staff in the house are not just "staff" they become your family while you're there. They take care of you as if you were family. The program is well organized and they work day and night ensuring that you have a beautiful and safe experience. This is true from the moment they pick you up from the airport to the moment you are dropped off. CCS helps you become immersed into the local culture. They offer you Portuguese, dance and history lessons. The staff also provides you with very local events/attractions and places for you to visit. After a while, you almost start feeling like a local and speaking the language. This program deserves more than 10 stars!
Cross-Cultural Solutions
As an international volunteer with Cross-Cultural Solutions, you're making a meaningful contribution, working side-by-side with local people and sharing in the goals of a community that warmly welcomes you. You're experiencing another culture like never before and really getting to know its people. You'll gain new perspectives and insight into the culture and yourself. It's an exciting and personally inspiring experience, and you'll develop memories that will be with you forever.
The CCS program in Brazil is fabulous, from the staff, to the placement, to the country. I can truly say that I am richer and wiser person having experienced this program. It is something that I will recommend to any friends and family. Thank you for 30 days of wonder and discovery about myself and the world.
I spent 4 weeks during the summer of 2012 in Bagamoyo, Tanzania with CCS. I am still trying to figure out how to describe my time there. It was fun, enriching, rewarding, challenging, motivating, awesome. I was placed at a local primary school and taught English to 10 and 11 year olds. They were so welcoming and so much fun. The in-country staff is outstanding and supported us in so many ways. They were friendly and caring and definitely created a home away from home. The programming included awesome events, guest speakers, and field trips. CCS provides a well-rounded experience. I thought I was traveling as a volunteer, but the CCS program was much more than that. I have learned so much about the country of Tanzania and its people. I would highly recommend volunteering with CCS.
I have traveled to 3 countries with CCS and I enjoyed all of my experiences. Last summer I was fortunate enough to travel to Salvador, Brazil with CCS for 3 weeks and I truly enjoyed the experience. The program has many components including volunteering, cultural experiences and free time all of which were packed with new information and new experiences which gave me a deeper understanding of the culture and way of life. I was able to spend my mornings with the most amazing loving children playing games and having fun. Materials and guidance were provided but volunteers were also given freedom to plan activities and able to bring creativity to their volunteer placement. The staff in Brazil was always very helpful answering all questions and giving guidance to explore their beautiful country. They made it feel like I had a family away from home. Salvador was a very special city to see and had so many places to go out and explore. We were able to spend our free time at the beaches, museums, zoos, ice cream or acai places as well as traveling to surrounding islands. Like any other volunteering abroad experience this one brought me out of my comfort zone and challenged me in many ways such as learning a new language, currency, city, culture, living environment and meeting new people. I had to adapt to my new environment in Brazil to truly get the most out of the experience and it was worth it. I left with new friends, an understanding of a different culture, a knowing that I was able to volunteer and work with some of the most special children in the world and I will always remember their smiles.
I participated volunteer program in Salvador-Brazil, Nov 2011. It was the best Life time experience I ever had!!! From the first moment when driver Ivan picked me up at the airport, I had a good feeling, that this experience will be great! … when I came to Home Base at the midnight, and Nando showed me around and gave me dinner, instantly I felt I was at home :-)…I was the first volunteer from Lilly group…Next day, I was introduced to the CCS Management and staff …Vini, Lulu, Maria, Viviene, Jo … from the first day, they showed kindness and help like they are our family :-) …Introducing meeting for our placement held by Vini was extremely helpful, and feedback sessions from our first day was really valuable….during entire stay, Vini and other stuff were really supportive, teaching us about life in Brazil, helping us in how to fit in and learning about people and country...My overall experience from the placement at Children Orphanage, was exactly what I was expecting to be…What was amazing is that children needed care, love, hug, kisses, compassion and they were happy only if you were willing to show those feelings or play with them …and the stuff at the placement were happy to have at least 2 more hands to help with regular everyday tasks (playing, feeding, cleaning, washing and taking care of children/babies)…they just needed few moments of rest … I enjoyed just being with the babies and the kids :-) …I would be most happy if I would have hands like octopus and having a chance to carry all of them around the place …I really felt a connection with all of them :-) …The extremely additional value to the program was learning in during after working hours about the country, culture, history, politics, laws, etc …we would never learn so much about the people and country if we would came as tourists! …I was very said that my program lasted only for a 2 weeks :-( …My opinion is that you should participate program for at least 4 weeks!!! …The entire organization was really amazing: every minute was very well planned, working at the placement, support in understanding your work, functioning at the Home-Base, learning classes during after working hours, free time for weekend entertainment….In addition, valuable experience was that during your stay, you share your life/home with other people/colleagues from the program in Home-base, who also came from different countries and cultures…So you have additional value of learning other cultures as well! …My only recommendation for improving the program would be, that working hours at the placement increase to at least 6 hours at the placement (or even 8 hours per day) for the volunteers who stays only 2 weeks in the program…in that way we would more feel that we contributed enough to the local community!!!
I recommend the program to ALL future volunteers and wish them all the best! …And I will apply for the next one very soon :-)
I send my warmest regards to CCS staff in Brazil, and to all people/collegause I met during my stay:-)
