Communities We Serve

Local Tanzanian Woman with Children

Cross-Cultural Solutions contributes to sustainable community development by collaborating with local initiatives abroad to improve the quality of life of people. CCS directors—who bring an average of 10 years experience in cultural exchange or community development—develop relationships with organizations where skilled and unskilled short-term volunteers can effectively serve. These organizations include hundreds of schools, daycare and community centers, orphanages, hospitals, and clinics that welcome a steady stream of CCS volunteers year-round. CCS works closely with each organization to understand their needs, and ensures volunteers are prepared to support their goals in a culturally-appropriate way. 

Understanding the Needs of the Community

The relationships we develop within the community are essential to the success of our programs for both the community and the volunteers; we call these organizations we serve our Partner Programs. Our in-country staff maintains frequent and open communication with our Partner Programs throughout the year to ensure that volunteers are working effectively and the impact is both positive and meaningful to them. Our staff will visit most Partner Programs weekly and check in with the staff of the organization about once a month. We also conduct an annual survey on the impact of our volunteer work to identify areas of improvement, and hold an annual workshop with all of our Partner Programs in each community to review best practices and cover important topics, such as:

• Designing placements that are as productive as possible
• Managing expectations of volunteer work on both sides
• Communication methods
• Ensuring safety at the Partner Program
• Understanding our volunteers
• Helping volunteers to be productive
• Staying focused on our mission, vision, and values

In addition to checking in with our Partner Programs to ensure the effectiveness of our volunteers, our in-country staff helps to ensure that the organizations are not burdened by the care and logistics of our volunteers. Our Country and Program Directors — in every country where we operate — are experts in cultural exchange and their community’s development needs. For more information on the impact and efficacy of CCS programs, read the Impact Assessment.

Sustainable Projects, Positive Impact

CCS is committed to serving our Partner Programs in sustainable ways that positively affect the community. To ensure that our volunteers are always welcomed for their work, we do not have financial relationships of any sort with Partner Programs. Instead, we keep a singular focus on the effectiveness of our volunteers and matching our volunteers’ skills, interests, and abilities to our various Partner Programs. This creates a meaningful experience for the volunteer, and a positive effect on the Partner Program, the population it serves, and the surrounding community.

In lieu of giving gifts or direct donations, CCS commits to invest in the community in sustainable ways, such as:

• Supporting local vendors in purchases for our Home-Bases (e.g. food, volunteer materials, bedding, etc.)
• Employing an average of 10 in-country staff per site who are from the local region
• Emphasizing cultural activities and introducing local experts to educate volunteers on the issues facing the community
• Guiding volunteers to purchase local goods, and spend responsibly in their free time activities.

In 2010, these responsible investments totaled over 4.5 million dollars to the communities we serve. The continuous, steady cycle of volunteers that CCS provides creates a sustainable, positive effect on the organizations and communities we serve. Learn more about our volunteer impact.