One Heart Source

6 people found this review helpful

I first learned of One Heart Source several years ago when my daughter informed me that she was thinking about volunteering for an organization focused on providing educational enrichment experiences and opportunities for young children from disadvantaged backgrounds. She was especially interested in volunteering at Imizamo Yethu, a township near Cape Town, SA. She is the nomad of the family, however, I was still a little apprehensive. Nevertheless, I thought she should apply for acceptance into the program. She was accepted as a volunteer at the Cape Town location for a four-week session during the summer of 2014. She returned again for a three-month session during the summer of 2015 as a One Fellow in One Heart Source’s leadership series. I visited her on vacation and as a health professional, I spent three wonderful afternoons talking to a group of young school children that had expressed an interest in a career in the health professions. The children were in grade 6 and from the township community. This was one of the more memorable highlights of my trip to South Africa. The children were bright and engaging. They were already thinking about their future. Several wanted to be doctors, a nurse, a physical therapist, and a research scientist. Among the more interesting questions were those about what courses they would need, my age, and what is Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). For me this was a short but very rewarding experience. Volunteers with health profession backgrounds and students pursuing health careers would certainly benefit this One Heart Source program and, in return would derive great personal satisfaction through teaching a group of young children at a critical stage in their development.

4 people found this review helpful

This organization spams universities all over the country with fliers trying to lure students into "volunteering". It is really a scam to separate college students from $2500. Yes, the volunteers are expected to pay for their trip. It is not so much a non-profit as a money-sponging charity. A large portion of the student's money goes to keep the administrators in chardonnay and goat's cheese from Whole Foods. The organization refuses to release statistics about how much of every dollar actually goes to Africa. Don't let them pull your heart strings with advertisements showing sad-faced little children. It's not about the children it's about making the people running the non-profit fatter.

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