I had a very bad experience with this company. The place they put us with had no heat, mold, outside doors didn't lock, etc. People where getting sick and asked them to get heaters or wood for the fireplace and they refused. We were also 8 people crammed into a small room. There were numerous other problems and the in-county coordinator essentially did not care about the volunteers. The worst part was the fact that most of the money you pay does not go to the local programs. There was even an article in the local newspaper after a volunteer complained about the large amounts of money not going to the programs. I suggest you look for a non-profit organization or go directly through the local program you are interested in. The local people are so happy to have you there and I had a good experience with the people at the local program. A group of volunteers tried to find out how much of our money went to the local program and we never got a straight answer from i-to-i. It is so sad that the thousands of dollars I paid, I suspect that less than $100 went to the program. Further, they do not provide food, transportation to the local program, etc. Basically, the money you pay to i-to-i is for housing (which could be easily found on your own) and to make money for the company. I also volunteered with a non-profit at Dago Village in Kenya, Village Volunteers, and the experience was so much better and most of the money I paid went directly to the local program. Further, they provided food and transportation while I was in country. I highly recommend volunteering abroad as it is a life-changing experience, but I suggest you go through a non-profit program so your volunteer money can make a difference.
Program:
Volunteer Abroad
Location:
South Africa
Posted:
Aug 23, 2009
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