Facing an Unexpected Natural Disaster, Cross-Continental Solutions Makes Last Minute Arrangements to Provide a Memorable and Worthwhile Volunteer Abroad Experience
Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) August 26, 2015 -- Recently, the mountain nation of Nepal was rocked by several strong earthquakes that left devastating damage in their wake. Nepal is a hot destination for volunteer travel and as such CrossContinental sends many volunteers there each year. One such volunteer was set to arrive only days after the large quakes hit and CrossContinental.org had to scramble to make alternate arrangements to ensure the safety of their volunteer. It was an urgent change for both volunteer and organization, but CrossContinental rose to the challenge and produced a wonderful alternative exceeded the expectations of the volunteer.
-Last Minute Change in Travel Plans...
Kristal Choy, a New York resident, initially joined a summer microfinance program in Nepal and was excited to start her adventure in a foreign land. However, days before her scheduled arrival, the area around Kathmandu where she was set to stay was rocked by extremely devastating earthquakes leaving the area virtually uninhabitable and extremely inhospitable to tourists. Without delay, CrossContinental contacted Kristal with several alternative arrangements. The volunteer was given the option to potentially delay her trip until the risk of aftershocks was reduced, while another option was to keep the start date but change the program location to an unaffected country. Kristal was unable to change her departure date, so she selected a volunteer abroad program in China instead. While she was able to select any country from which CrossContinental operates, she was most attracted to China due to its rich cultural history and close proximity to Nepal which made it easier to change her flight.
-Alternative Volunteer Arrangements...
With only two days' notice, CrossContinental provided Kristal with a well-organized and memorable volunteer abroad program in China. In the attached video (http://youtu.be/WTBmrh5p1E8), Kristal showcases her experience.
Regarding the last minute change of venue, Kristal said, "I have fond memories of the entire experience, especially with how quickly CrossContinental (or Jenn, really) [program coordinator for CrossContinental] put together a schedule out of scratch at the last minute, planned a tour, and even asked her family to house me! just so I’d enjoy my stay in China."
-Reliable and Helpful Support Network...
Kristal also reported that the CrossContinental local coordinators were lovely and helpful and she felt they truly cared about her well-being. Speaking of the host family, she says, "My host family was amazingly warm and treated me like near royalty!" She adds, "I can’t say enough good things about my host family, they really went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, and extremely well fed."
Kristal reminisces on the whole volunteer abroad experience stating, "Overall, my experience was wonderful and I was extremely impressed with how organized CrossContinental is. I felt very well taken care of." She went on about the teaching project in China, "The most rewarding experience was connecting with the kids themselves, the children were eager to learn, eager to talk, and very affectionate. I will miss them. "
-Great Value for One’s Dollar...
In the end, Kristal was impressed with the great value the CrossContinental programs offer given how affordable it is compared to other programs she found. "I worked with another volunteer abroad program (Projects Abroad), which was so much more expensive with no added benefits beyond what I got from CrossContinental. The best things about CrossContinental are their organization, attention to detail, personalized care, and responsiveness. Jenn and the coordinating women in Chengde were always quick to respond to any questions I had and seemingly knew everything that was going on all the time."
Access valuable resources or plan a life-changing trip at https://www.CrossContinental.org.
About CrossContinental.org:
Cross-Continental Solutions provides affordable yet flexible international learning programs, including volunteer abroad, intern abroad, cultural immersion, language study, and gap year programs. A large variety of work placement options are available such as: Teaching, Healthcare, Community Development, Business Coaching, HIV work, Care-giving, Orphanage Work, Journalism, Photography, Wildlife, Agriculture, Environmental Protection, Microfinance, Tourism, Marketing, and more. Programs are available at many locations around the world, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. By living and working side by side with locals, participants gain an exceptional cross-cultural experience and the opportunity to truly make a difference. For more details, visit CrossContinental.org.
Jian Leslie, Cross-Continental Solutions Inc., http://www.crosscontinental.org, +1 604-700-6096, [email protected]
Share this article