All That Goes Behind Creating a Great Volunteer Abroad Experience
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I was on my way to JFK with zero expectations. I was flying to Cape Town for a volunteering trip, and was completely unaware that my entire life was about to change.
It all started when I learned that my friend Beth was planning to volunteer abroad through a placement organization named Volunteering Solutions. She shared the details of the idea with me and I, immediately, understood that this is something which I should be doing as well. We chose the Childcare Social Welfare Project in Cape Town through Volunteering Solutions, and it was one of the best decisions i’ve possibly made so far. Working under the program broadened my mindset and allowed me to find my true passion in life; full credits to Volunteering Solutions who made this entire experience possible.
The whole enrollment process was very organized and VolSol did an amazing job at getting me excited for the trip. Every week my friend and I would send each other pictures of the countdown on our VolSol home page. There was also a payment option through PayPal, so I knew my money was secure.
Upon my arrival in Cape Town, I knew exactly what to expect as far as logistics went. The pre-departure information was thorough and we had an informative orientation on Monday, which gave all of the volunteers clear expectations, as well as a brief history of Cape Town. Cape to Addo was at the orientation with a video of all the possible excursions.
My friend Beth and I chose four epic excursions. We went sky diving, shark cage diving, on an African safari, and on a helicopter ride over Cape Town. These adventures made our trip that much more memorable. The excursions were absolutely unreal and made my trip epic, but the true highlight of my trip was walking into the classroom every morning and seeing a smile on every child’s face. It was the most life changing experience that lead to the realization that helping people is my passion.
Things, however, didn’t ended for me here. This volunteering trip inspired me so much that I decided to take a step further; I decided to work with Volunteering Solutions and understand how exactly do they make this possible for every volunteer.
Before leaving for our project, me and Beth (mostly Beth to be frank) did a lot of research to find out and read about Volunteering Solutions’ reviews. To our satisfaction, what we found was mostly positive stuff. And, after completing our trip, we understood that they were all legitimate Volunteering Solutions reviews.
I went to school for marketing, so I figured working for Volunteering Solutions would be my dream job. I would be able to mix my passion for helping with my education; plus I wanted to, personally, see what goes behind the entire processing of creating such amazing volunteer experiences.
I was flown to India to shadow the sales team for two weeks. Initially, what stood out to me was the hard work that goes into creating a positive experience for the volunteers. The team was very welcoming and truly cares about Volunteering Solutions. They work extremely hard and do not leave the office until every question is responded to and the job is one hundred percent complete. I have never met a group of people who truly care for the company as the Volunteering Solutions members do. The sales team is in constant contact with all potential volunteers and the marketing team is always finding new innovative ways to reach the target market.
If the work aspect of this terrific company wasn’t enough, the peers you will be working with certainly seal the deal. I was given an array of cultural tips to get the most out of my experience in India and most importantly so I felt at home. One of the VolSol team members, Shreya, even invited me over to her house for a yoga session and dinner! I went site seeing to some of the famous sites in Delhi and went to the beautiful Taj Mahal in Agra. My trip to India was amazing in every way possible. I met the incredible Volunteering Solutions team and saw remarkable sites that will forever change my life for the better.
I was not only lucky enough to experience the satisfaction of volunteering but I also got to learn how everything on the back end operated. First, I started out as a volunteer in Cape Town. Next, I joined the VolSol team and flew to India to learn first hand how the business is conducted. And now, all I am looking forward to is more excited days as a member of the organization and helping create great volunteer experiences myself.
