Volunteer: Eli Sands
Program Site: Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Year: 2008
From: New York City
Eli Sands found great success in the fast-paced world of theater and fashion as a freelance stagehand, and found a surplus of money and time in 2008. He made the decision to take a hiatus from his professional life by volunteering with CCS in Tanzania for six weeks.
Eli had never traveled outside the U.S., but he knew he wanted to be more than a tourist. He wanted to entrench himself in a community and culture. He found that he was able to do that and much more through his time with CCS. What he didn’t expect was to become so close to the in-country staff or the teachers he worked with as a volunteer. Eli visited the teachers’ homes, and truly became their friends. He watched two other CCS groups come through the Home-Base and was able to serve as a voice of experience to the new volunteers.
Eli’s six-week hiatus required a sacrifice on his part, but he claims that it gave back tenfold, and would love to experience a volunteer program again.
