Accommodation: 'Volunteer bubble' versus authentic experience
Many organisations provide accommodation where volunteers live together.
This accommodation is usually simple, but offers basic facilities such as shared bedrooms, bathrooms and sometimes common rooms. In some areas it is also possible to stay in student residences or youth hostels with shared facilities.
This type of accommodation is often cheaper and easier to organise for projects, but may not offer privacy and can create a kind of ‘volunteer bubble’. It’s great to be in a place with like-minded people, but then again, you could just be travelling around like a backpacker. But you have chosen to volunteer.
COACH ABROAD always tries to find a host family for you to stay with.
These are usually private rooms in a house or apartment. This is a great way for you to immerse yourself in the local culture and really get to know life in another country.
Living with a host family is an important part of your experience of another country and culture. By living where you help, you can better understand the challenges and peculiarities. You become part of the community. This helps you to integrate and strengthens your intercultural skills in the long term. At the same time, you support local families with extra income.
However, the expectations of the accommodation, the environment or the life during the stay can be very different from the reality. Both negative and positive.
They may be exaggerated, unrealistic or idealistic, or even frightening or oppressive. This can be an obstacle both in your family life and in your work with children and young people. Accommodation and food can be a personal challenge as they are often basic and not up to the standards you may be used to in your home country.
To ensure that your expectations don’t become disappointments or even excessive demands, we would like to point out a few things that you may encounter during your trip.
It is important that you are aware of these in advance and prepare yourself for them. It is not a matter of comparing or evaluating the positive and negative aspects of living with a host family, but of being aware of possible circumstances and backgrounds, creating understanding and also managing your own expectations.
Close to reality: knowledge of external living conditions
Supporting sports projects in disadvantaged areas also means living where the project is located and where the help is needed.
This may be in a deprived area of a city or town, but also in rural villages and remote communities. Of course, every neighbourhood has a direct impact on the lives of its inhabitants.
The type of housing is also different, such as the type of construction or the size and facilities of a house, shack or apartment. This may be due to the security situation in the neighbourhood, financial possibilities, or simply the climatic conditions of the region. In principle, it is no different from anywhere else in the world.
However, your individual wishes and ideas are personal and often shaped by holidays and travel.
Of course, Instagram and the like also play a formative role in making certain places appear in a certain light. Which often does not correspond to reality. So do your research, but also let it come to you.
City, countryside, river: the many faces of a region
Whether in the countryside or in a city, the conditions are not only different due to the different climate, flora and fauna, but the social conditions can also be different.
A city – anywhere in the world – generally has a better infrastructure. In the countryside, even in Europe, you often have to wait hours for a bus or take a moped to get to the next village. This is also the case in other countries.
Living conditions within a region or place – Cape Town, for example – can be very different.
Everyone knows the modern city with its nature, beautiful beaches, hip nightlife and great restaurants. It is a magnet for millions of visitors every year. But even here, the image and perception of the city is largely shaped by tourists who have never really been ‘everywhere’, but have only visited the classically beautiful things in the city and its surroundings.
However, the city has many faces and, above all, many different residential areas, from affluent neighbourhoods, green villa districts and small suburbs to large townships such as Khayelitsha or Mitchell’s Plain. Even within a city, the accommodation and environment for you as a sports trainer can be very different depending on the project location.
Life in poor neighbourhoods – not only in South Africa – is generally very different from the more touristy places.
There is a wide range of living conditions, from kilometre-long clusters of corrugated iron shacks to more modern houses and apartments. However, a majority are still characterised by poverty, crime, dilapidated infrastructure and a lack of communal facilities.
This is also reflected in the size of the house, apartment or room. Most houses are small, a mixture of stone and corrugated iron, and are inhabited by several family members. This means that living with your host family will be different from what you are used to. You will see each other more often, spend more time together and be more involved in family life.
The structure of these neighbourhoods also means that public transport is less frequent and larger shopping facilities such as supermarkets or pharmacies are further away than in the city itself. There may also be very limited or no opportunities for leisure activities in the neighbourhood. There are, however, cultural activities such as music, art and restaurants. But perhaps not in the way you are used to.
In a rural environment, homestay accommodation can be very different.
Whether in South Africa, Kenya or Tanzania. Agricultural work may also be part of the community life and form the basis of the home and farm. Livestock work may also be part of the experience.
In many rural areas, the way of life is not very different from the way of life in the city. Infrastructure such as public transport, shopping facilities and leisure activities may not be as well developed or available. So get involved in local life. What does your host family do in their free time, are there sports and leisure activities outside your project, what is the daily routine like? Get active and explore your surroundings.
Construction plan: The influence of climate, flora and fauna on accommodation
Depending on the region, the climate or the flora and fauna can also determine the type of accommodation.
For example, the climate determines the way a house is built. In arid regions, fewer windows may be installed to keep rooms cool in the heat, but vents still need to provide a comfortable flow of air. Rooms may therefore be darker. And, depending on the culture and economic possibilities, clay and straw can be used for building.
Not only in nature, but also in the house itself, the fauna can be determined by the region and the climate. The gecko on the wall can become an everyday sight, as can the spider above the bed or the cockroach under the fridge. This has nothing to do with a lack of hygiene in the household, but is due to external circumstances. However, you should be prepared for this and not blame the host family. The projects are located in a variety of places and each location, whether rural or urban, is different.
But it’s not just the climate, flora and fauna that determine the local conditions. The social environment and individual opportunities also play a role. It is difficult to generalise.
As a volunteer you also have an influence on how you perceive local life and how it affects your experience.
Luxury goods: About Heating and Air Conditioning
As described in the section on construction, houses or accommodation can be adapted depending on the country, region and also the family’s economic possibilities.
Nevertheless, you may find yourself sweating or freezing in a hot summer, a humid autumn or a cold winter. Especially in the cold season, you can’t just turn up the heating like you’re used to at home. This is because the heaters – if they exist at all – are either portable electric heaters or independent heaters powered by gas cylinders. This means that often only one room is heated.
You have to be prepared for it to get cold in your own room, or for the wind to blow through cracks in windows and doors. A simple hot water bottle from the supermarket can work wonders, as can a trekking scarf and a pair of thick socks.
In a hot or rainy summer, on the other hand, heat and humidity can literally stand in the room. Depending on how the room is ventilated, damp rooms can make clothes or mattresses smell musty or mouldy. This can also lead to mould growth. Try to ventilate as much as possible or use a fan.
BUT: If you use electrical appliances such as fans or electric heaters, think about the electricity consumption and additional costs for your host family and adjust or avoid their use. If your room is damp and your host family can’t do anything about it, you can look for salt-based dehumidifiers in supermarkets or DIY stores. They will absorb the moisture in the room and you can simply dispose of the water later.
Being able to ‚smell each other‘: Odours and odour formation in accommodation
It’s important to be sensitive.
You are a guest in someone else’s home, so there may be odours that are normal for your host family or your environment, but which are completely new to you and may be pleasant or unpleasant. From mothballs, incense and animal odours to cooking smells, these odours can be very different in nature.
If you do feel disturbed by an odour, try to approach the problem in a sensitive way. It’s important not to make demands, as you are still a guest and you don’t want to upset your family.
However, you don’t have to put up with everything if you secretly feel uncomfortable. It’s best to contact your project mentor first and ask how you should behave. There is probably a solution to every problem, and some things are just a matter of getting used to them.
And as for your sweaty sneakers after a day of training, your host family will appreciate it if they are not in the living room of your accommodation.
Being able to ‚smell each other‘ is not just an expression of mutual sympathy, but should be practised by both sides.
This includes a certain amount of hygiene after a hot day or after sports training. Of course, there should always be a balance between cleanliness and wasting water. Regular cleaning and changing of sportswear also contributes to a pleasant atmosphere.
Tip for humid seasons or regions: See if you can dry your (sports) clothes in the sun as often as possible instead of hanging them up indoors. Sportswear and shoes that you wear every day should be treated accordingly to reduce unpleasant odours.
You can also use drying agents such as silica gel or activated charcoal to absorb excess moisture. Regularly washing your clothes with a disinfectant will also help to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Better informed: Prepare for your sports adventure abroad
Once you have decided on a project, it is important to find out about the local conditions.
Fortunately, Maps and Streetviews make this easy and give you a visual impression of the area. This applies not only to the city, but also to the surrounding countryside.
As far as the exact accommodation and room is concerned, we try to give you as much information as possible in advance. This is because, for various reasons, the host family may only be selected by the project at relatively short notice.
However, even though each host family may have a different social background and economic means, they will try to make your stay as comfortable and familiar as possible.
More on the topic:
From water supply and waste disposal to internet and public transport – the external circumstances of life in a host family can depend on various factors. Expectations and reality: Municipal and private basic services