Crossing Countries: Challenging Boundaries, Changing Lives.

Crossing Countries provides a unique, individualised opportunity for disabled and nondisabled people to volunteer overseas together and they are looking for volunteers for future trips to Durban, South Africa.

In 2014, a team of six people, including two wheelchair users and a blind person, travelled to Durban and volunteered in township crèches, with children who had been victims of sexual abuse, on maternity wards with new mums and gave presentations in schools to disabled learners as well as to students at a township high school. On a trip to the Phoenix Settlement, our volunteers were interviewed with Mahatma Ghandi’s granddaughter, who said she was honoured to learn of such a worthwhile project. Our volunteers also made the newspapers, when Agata, who is blind, went surfing and Jude, a wheelchair user who thought she would never be able to be on a beach again, swam in the Indian Ocean.

In 2015 the team faced a different set of challenges as none of the members looked disabled, this sparked many conversations about hidden disabilities. They facilitated the creation of an outdoor art instillation/ learning space using recycled objects at a rural school and held workshops in art, drama and study skills in townships and special needs schools. They played with the kids in a township crèche and visited a school for children with learning disabilities and their affiliated residential welfare centre… these will be two placements continued for 2016.

Crossing Countries tag line ‘Challenging Boundaries, Changing lives’ epitomises the volunteers experiences. They seek to raise awareness of everyone’s value to society and to empower people to be more than they thought they could be. They challenge social perceptions and labels and show that everyone is equal; that everyone faces challenges, that everyone has the ability to support each other. They challenge their own personal boundaries and overcome fears.

Feedback from previous travellers highlights the difference already made…

‘’Two weeks of pondering the heart of African lives, changed something in my own life… ‘’

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’I may look like I am a normal person, but mentally I believe I was disabled. I had a stereotype… I believed there were things which were just made for white people. That was my barrier… I challenged my boundaries and I am so grateful about that.’’

‘‘Without Crossing Countries I wouldn’t have got my new job’’

Of the eight people who have been on a Crossing Countries trip two are returning this year and another two plan to return in 2017. They all have used the experience to further their academic or employment prospects and feel more confident and aware of cultural differences.

Email us or fill in the application on our website if you would like to go on an adventure and have an experience that will change your life.

If you would like to support us in any other way or just want to give us some feedback please email us at - cctravellers.edinburgh@outlook.com

And check us out at… http://crossingcountries.org www.facebook.com/crossingcountries

@CC_Travellers

Crossing Countries tag line ‘Challenging Boundaries, Changing lives’ epitomises the volunteers experiences. They seek to raise awareness of everyone’s value to society and to empower people to be more than they thought they could be.