Program Reviews

The Oyster volunteer programme was perfect for me. Once the initial induction, we were left to our own devices, and were given full independence. If something went wrong, we knew who to call and the help was immediate. I had an absolutely fabulous time.

I went in Tanzania this past winter, just to live something special. And I was not disappointed! Africa has to be lived like this. Going for a bit and live day by day with local people. Enjoy the problem with electricity, water, accommodation. And learn how lucky we are.
When I have a problem now, I just shut my eyes and remember myself the happiness from everybody there...
A great experience of life.

Went to Tanzania September 2008.
Based in Arusha a busy town, making money from the safari industry.

We spent a few days in a hotel before we were thrown in to the deap end.
Massive class sizes and minimal resources pushed you to really act on your feet. Was a good challenge.
And living conditions were basic to help you understand how your students are living.
Super cute children who really want to learn.

Had some fantastic trips to the coast/safari/zanzibar.
Swahili was an easy language to get the basics of and people appreciated you trying.

Living and working in Tanzania continues to be one of the most profound and rewarding experiences I have ever had. The depth of the cultural experience is something that cannot be learnt from any text book, you really have to integrate yourself into a community to grasp a world outside of the one you know and understand. Oyster gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and I will be forever grateful to them for this.

This is a fantastic opportunity. I taught 2 classes each day and spent my afternoons volunteering at orphanages & care-homes nearby. The staff were great, pre, post and during the expedition, and the location was perfect. The accommodation, was shabby compared to what we are used to, but safe and secure, and a cut above the local standards. We had a guard and walled garden and we never felt unsafe. The community was warm and welcoming, the schools were so grateful and gave you a free range when it came to running your own lessons.
We made the most of our time by finding some additional projects to get involved in, but your free time is to be spent how you like, however I would definitely recommend asking the Oyster staff for recommendations in the area of good projects to work with.
Arusha is a great city to explore on the weekends!
This trip has improved my CV ten fold and working on a structured project that Oyster offers has enabled me to improve so many skills which were invaluable when it came to securing a grad role in the city.
These three months have been the best three months of my life to date and I would highly recommend anyone considering a trip away to do this project.

My time in Tanzania with Oyster was the most important thing i've ever done in terms of my personal growth - in terms of my personal development (my growth in confidence etc) and my career trajectory, as I am now about to pursue a master's and career in International Development, having spent a year working in the Development sector. All this was inspired by my time in Tanzania, which gave me a love for all things Africa and a desire to work towards helping developing countries improve.

I was based in Sekei in Arusha. I lived in a small house with 3 other volunteers, and our house had no electricity or hot water - the only house not to have electricity out of the 4 host homes. This was often a point for making jokes at our expense but I loved it - it was great for moral all coming together with our headtorches and buying candles, and it creates a great sense of resiliency within you. You genuinely do come to think "Electricity? No big deal". It's easy to charge your phones in town in an internet cafe or somewhere else, or at the other volunteer's houses.

Teaching was incredible. I taught two classes who were all eager to learn, as well as leading after school clubs for activities such as football. It could be disheartening if students couldn't grasp a point I was trying to make but this wasn't very often, and the classes usual teacher would always sit in with me just in case something was lost in translation. I was generally allowed to do as much as i wanted and this made it all the more fulfilling. We also visited several children's homes which was good for when you had day's where you weren't teaching a lot.

Being in a city it was easy to go into town to keep in touch with your family over the internet and buy anything you might need - from goods at the Supermarket "Shoprite" to thigns for your camera - I bought an extra memory card specifically for climbing Kilimanjaro...

... which brings me onto trips and stuff. A fantastic luxury safari is organised for you for a snip of the price of what it normally would be, and it's a trip you'll remember forever, seeing the very elite of sights that Africa has to offer. Simply: do it. You're a numpty if you don't.

Over spring holiday we went to Zanzibar, whcih was great fun and easily organisable. I climbed Kilimanjaro which was arranged through a private company recommended to me - Ajabu Adventures, run by Judith, a lovely dutch lady! If you want to take time out from teaching that's fine - and me and a few others went to Mwanza in Lake Victoria to explore for a week which was really beautiful, and we even stayed on an island on the lake for a night. I've never met anyone else who's done the same.

Social life with your pother volunteers is great - you can visit them on weekends or even midweek in town if you want and go to orphanages together. We went out every thursday to a club called Via Via every thursday where we met volunteers from other agencies which was really fun - obviously if you're not into this sort of thing, you don't have to do it :)

I also had a incident back home which I required support for and the rep was tremendously helpful and supportive for me and helped me through it - and was available whenever I needed her.

All in all, a wonderful experience and it was pretty much my favourite thing I;ve ever done. If I hadn't, I would absolutely not be the person I am now and would not have done the things I have done or be going on to do what i'm doing now. Couldn't recommend Oyster Highly enough!

It is great to see this company on here. It has been quite a while since I made the plunge and traveled to Nepal with Oyster Worldwide; 6 and a half years, in fact. I went back in 2008 and since then it has utterly and completely changed my life. Along with finishing my degree, I have not stopped travelling since. I am now an English teacher in Kyrgyzstan which would have been an inconceivable notion to me back in 2007. I have lived in countries as far reaching and varied as Australia, Korea, Georgia, India and Spain. And none of this would have been at all possible without the care, support and great time that was offered to me by Oyster Worldwide.

Nepal still ranks as one of the most awe-inspiring, shocking, beautiful and, most importantly, damn good fun places I have been to. However, it is the village that will melt your heart. It won't be the bustle of Kathmandu or the peaks of the Himalayas-although, these are some of the best sites you will see, anywhere- it will be the family you stay with, the kids you teach and the village you eventually call home.

This experience will offer you the adventure and adrenaline you have been looking for while providing an incredible safety net that will always be there.

Miss this opportunity at your peril!

Sean.

I arrived in Brasov on the 4th of July 2014 and was to stay for four weeks. My first weekend was relaxing but by no means is that a reflection of how many things there are to see and visit while you are in Romania. I managed to fit in visited the city of Sighisoara, Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress, Peles Castle, I climbed 7 Ladders Canyon and took a tour of Brasov.
The beginning of a work week begins on a Monday and continues through to Friday, allowing plenty of time for fitting in all these activities on the weekends but also meaning you get to spend a lot of time with the main reason you will be travelling to Brasov, the bears.

The bear sanctuary is nothing short of amazing, a great set up, lovely staff, beautiful surroundings and at the time of my visit, 81 gorgeous bears. The bears are a mixture of characters and you have plenty of time to grow attached to them all.
Jobs vary from food preparation, painting fences, raking and helping out around the sanctuary, but also 'free time,' for wandering around and watching the bears, scattered amongst the work. Don't get me wrong sometimes the work does get very repetitive and you do get tired, but it doesn't change just how amazing the experience is and how grateful you will inevitably be by the end of it all. Don't go expecting not to get dirty, sweaty and gross because that is definitely part of the experience. If you are on food prep by yourself, like I was for my first week, I would recommend some form of music to pass the time. Once you have someone with you it is a completely different story, it is also awesome to be able to share the experience with someone else who loves the bears just as much as you do, someone that will also no doubt become you friend.

The apartment is located in a great spot, only streets from the main square and road, the local supermarket and plenty of places to visit as a tourist. Not a minutes went by that I didn't feel a hundred percent safe, comfortable or at home. With everything that is considered essential within walking distance the small completely gorgeous and picturesque section of the Brasov offers complete independence.

I will greatly miss Brasov, my temporary home, my amazing room-mates who I look forward to seeing again somewhere down the track, and the more than accommodating Razvan the Oyster Rep, who went above and beyond. These guys help to make this experience what it was and so much more, I went for the bears but I had a better time in Romania than I could ever have imagined because of the family I feel like I made and the lifelong friends I will have. A massive thanks to Oyster Worldwide for providing me with the time of my life!

My first time travelling alone, I was a mixed bag of nerves and excitement. Throughout the whole experience I was supported by Oyster staff, who gave me a lot of vital information to prepare myself. I also found researching about the Rehabilitation centre useful to develop my understanding. I was greeted at the airport by one of the lead volunteers, and I was made to feel very welcome upon arrival. Everyday the home cooked food and family atmosphere really makes you feel at home. Every week there are trips to the local supermarket where you can buy your own snacks/other bits if you wish, as well as other trips to sign up for - Kruger park was amazing!! Personal hygiene is a must, as you do deal with cleaning up poop and on my experience, a lot of people became ill. The tap water may be safe to drink for some, however when I came home I had to go on a 2 week course of antibiotics. The experience was amazing and something I will never forget.

I spent two weeks at Riverside and even though it has been several years since I've been there, I fiercely miss Riverside and yearn to return. The experiences and memories I was blessed there with will forever remain and exist in my mind, heart, and soul.