My Nonprofit Reviews

My experience at Cross-Cultural Solutions was unforgettable. As a young professional I got a job out of college as a Marketing Coordinator for a jazz/blues/classical/world music record label called Telarc/Heads Up records in Cleveland, Ohio. After 2 years I was laid off in February '09, along with half of my colleagues due to the poor economy. I searched for jobs aggressively, sending out 25 resumes a week. I was always interested in African culture with my music degree in college and my work with African artists like "Ladysmith Black Mambazo", "Zap Mama", and "Oliver Mtukudzi". This combination made me want to experience the culture of Africa first hand. I decided to research volunteer programs and found Cross-Cultural Solutions. Compared to all of the organizations I researched, I found CCS to be the most credible and accessible. Their staff is extremely helpful as all of their Program-Enrollment Managers are there to assist you with any questions you have about safety, program structure, and preparation. That personal attention is not something you get with any volunteer organization. I chose to do my volunteer project in Cape Town, South Africa for 10-weeks. While in Cape Town, I also got an opportunity to volunteer at their Robertson program for 2 weeks in between. As a volunteer in Cape Town I worked with a music & drama group called Siyaya. This was one of the many self-sustaining programs at the JL Zwane Community Center in a township called Guguletu. Siyaya was a group of young adults between the ages of 18-26 that worked as professional musicians. I worked with them 5 days a week teaching, vocal technique, new musical repertoire, and helped market the group to acquire more performing opportunities. The group mainly performed at local township health clinics that treated HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis patients. Many of the patients sit in rooms for hours waiting to see a doctor. At the clinics Siyaya would perform music and drama that promoted HIV/AIDS education in a fun and entertaining way. It was an amazing experience to watch the faces of the patients light up as these young musicians performed their hearts out. In Robertson, South Africa I worked at a primary school called "De Villiers" teaching typing and other basic computer skills to children who barely knew how to use a computer. This experience was really uplifting as every day I could see their typing skills improve and was able to create a typing packet that would help them continue practicing after I was gone. During the 10 weeks I volunteered I wasn't able to build a school, feed an entire village, or anything out of the ordinary, but I was able to make subtle impacts. I'd like to think that I inspired new members of Siyaya to become leaders. I challenged veterans of the group to enhance their craft to become the best musicians possible. In Robertson, I saw children improve their typing skills dramatically as they looked up to me with much gratitude. I also spent time outside my regular placement hours with my supervisors. The supervising teacher at "De Villiars" primary school took me around the township in Robertson and gave me a great insight to their culture. I was able to meet his family and gain understanding of how people live in South Africa. In Cape Town I got to know all my students on a personal level and see them perform in functions outside of the health clinics. In my opinion so many perspective volunteers make the wrong choice in volunteering by thinking they are going to change the world. Since African countries became independent from colonial rule, starting with Ghana in 1951, Western Governments have poured more than $300 Billion dollars in aid, which is significantly more of an investment than in any other continent. In the present day, Africa still remains the most poverty-stricken continent in the world. I'm not saying that organizations that work towards providing financial and material support don't help, but I think with living in a society that is so economically dependent on everything, we need to focus more on alternative forms of relief. Organizations like Cross-Cultural Solutions do that in the way they make volunteering more about the experience and cultural-exchange. In my opinion that is the most important contribution that any short-term volunteer can make. I really believe that everyone should experience going to a third world country in some point in their life. Not only does it open your eyes to the hardships that people face all over the world, but to interact with the people is to get an inside understanding of their culture. In that regard, you are able to develop perspective and bring back an insight to the world that you can share with the people around you. Pat, I think your references maybe skewed. I know for a fact that no CCS recruiter makes commission or any additional bonuses for each volunteer they enroll. I have spoken with several different program-enrollment managers and they all encouraged me to talk to anyone of them if I had questions or was ready to enroll. Yes, the programs are expensive, but believe me, that money is well spent in terms of making volunteering accessible for everyone. Every program site has reasonable accommodations. In Cape Town we lived in a middle-class neighborhood called Rosebank outside of The University of Cape Town. We lived in a house that could fit 25 people in rooms that were very college-dorm like, with both bunk, single beds, and modest closet space. Nothing really like a 5 star hotel, but comfortable housing that makes a great home away from home. Outside of volunteer work you also have cultural immersion programs that give volunteers the opportunity to take language lessons, tour historic sites and museums, and have speakers come in to talk to you about the culture and history of the country. In terms of the program cost it might not seem accessible to everyone, but it's possible with how much support CCS gives you to fundraise for your program. With the support of CCS I was able to fundraise for my entire volunteer program through community outreach efforts towards my local church, e-mail, online-networking, and hosting a local charity event. I think it's possible for anyone to volunteer through programs like Cross-Cultural Solutions. I invite you to check out my blog if you want to get a better insight to the Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer experience and or feel free to contact me if you have any questions. www.kevintacklessouthafrica.blogspot.com

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