A little about the program itself: StayAfrica was founded in 1972. Volunteers can choose the field they would like to work in: education (preschool and school), environmental protection, animal rescue, social work, medicine, sports camps, or community organizations. The duration is from 2 to 12 weeks.

At the airport, I was met by a driver who took me to the volunteer house. It is a one-story building, but quite large, with separate rooms for guys and girls. There are several kitchens, a living room, and a private courtyard where everyone sunbathed during the day and hung out in the evenings; the bathrooms are shared. There, I was met by Papa Noel (that's what we called the house manager), a wonderful person with whom I had heartfelt conversations. The house itself is located in a safe and quiet area, but it was always noisy at our place, as the guys threw parties every evening. I quickly got to know the other volunteers; they are all very sweet and always ready to help. On the first day, I was scared and nervous, but I quickly got used to the environment. I lived with 5 girls in one room, but everyone was friendly, and there were no quarrels or conflicts the whole time. The volunteers were from all over the world, but mostly from Germany. I was the only one from Russia.

I arrived there on Friday, and on Monday, all the newcomers had an orientation day. At the meeting, we met Kevin, the project coordinator. He explained what our work involves, warned us about theft, told funny stories that had happened to volunteers, and gave safety tips and just various life hacks.