What people say about us

What people say about us

Our Tours - Real City Tour

"I found the information on the Real City Tour very informative. I would not have learnt as much from the guide book" Elisabeth from Australia.

"I learned a great deal about the past and the present" David from Britain.

"The highlight of my tour was visiting the townships(visiting a township school),walking around,seeing a wide variety of the city that I wouldn't have probably seen" Donna from USA.

Shebeen Tour

"Without this tour I could never have really visited and understood township life" David from England.

 I have been in Port Elizabeth for two weeks, and have driven around quite a lot, but today instead of merely 'observing' things, I 'saw and understood' them." Oliver from England

"I loved the smiling of the people and the music at the shebeen." Kinet from Belgium

"My overall experience was one that I would definately recommend, and one I will certainly repeat-please!" Lesley of Collingham Newark, Notts

"I feel privileged to have been able to go to Emmanuel and humbled by the experience. I will continue to admire the commitment and tenacity of Calabash and the staff at Emmanuel. Everyday they work miracles in some form." Paul of Newport Pagnell

"I have nothing but praise for the way that the entire volunteer experience was; from initial contact to writing this report I have had openness, excellent communication and explanation. Thank you! I am completely satisfied with the whole volunteering placement and would definitely doing something similar again or even returning to see the progress being made in WB Tshume" Denise of Ross-shire Scotland

"Once in Port Elizabeth I could see how indispensable Calabash is in giving support and advice to both the volunteers and the schools involved.  It was a refreshing thing to see how Calabash works under the professional and inspirational guidance of Paul Miedema and how the community benefits as a result. All members of the Calabash team were very committed as well as being great fun!" Jennifer of Wistation Crewe

"I must add here that all the Calabash staff were unfailingly cheerful and helpful throughout my stay and I grew to rely upon Nelson, Monwabisi and Xolani. Also Bongie and Paul were always available at the end of the phone for any problems." Anne of Landham, Norfolk

"Calabash will visit you on placement every week to ensure things are going OK – Paul and his staff are social entrepreneurs with a high level of integrity and a clear sense of direction – they are interesting and interested and are always there for you. All I can say is that every day of the month exceeded expectations." Eileen of London

"Meeting Paul and the calabash team was when everything really hit home, everything fell into place and I felt very much in safe hands. Paul was very to the point with everything, he was honest and he didn’t mislead in anyway shape or form, which is what I really liked about him and he quickly made me realise what to expect and it allowed me to be able to place my visions and expectations

Being a volunteer is the most life changing experience I have ever been a part of and it’s something I never thought would be possible but I have done it, I would do it again and I will always recommend it as I couldn’t imagine a more fulfilling, well worth, beautiful experience to be a part of and it’s something that will be with me for the rest of my life." Danielle of Crayford Kent

"As always, Paul was honest with us, saying what needed to be said even when it was difficult to hear.  For example, he made it clear from the beginning that the first priority of any volunteer program was that the teachers and learners at A.V. Bukani benefited.  As volunteers, our happiness was not first priority although our satisfaction with the program would always be taken into account.  I think this is so important for volunteers to understand so that they have realistic expectation going in.

Overall, this is an incredibly well-run operation.  From our preparation in the spring to the post-volunteer report, I felt well looked-after and supported.  Both People and Places and Calabash understand the complexities of a volunteer program and were always one step ahead of us so that we felt clear in our goals while guided in the right direction" Sara of Springfield, VA