I have recently returned from four weeks of volunteering with i-to-i in Xi’an China doing the Community work with children project. The project was not what I expected. When I first booked the project I was under the impression that it would be at an orphanage, as this is what it said on the website when I first booked it(October). I did, however, notice a few changes on the website but it still said under the description that we would be placed at an orphanage. However, when I arrived at the project, this was not the case. We were placed at a school/centre for autistic children; “Intelligence Island” Straight away, I started having my doubts. Obviously it wasn’t an orphanage; many of the parents came with the children and stayed all day. I, as well as the other volunteers were very disappointed about this as we had specifically booked the trip as we thought it would be at an orphanage. If we had wanted to go to a school we would have booked the teaching project. With the parents there the children did not need the attention as the parent was with them . When the website had been updated it said we would be at different projects so we thought we might be able to change. However, when we asked we were told we would be at the same project the whole time, but our role would slightly change. I asked about the Starfish orphanage which had featured in our orientation video but we were told that had closed down, as the owner had died. I would have thought they could have had the initiative to remove this from the video or at least tell us about this. We also contacted the i-to-i office base but they simply said they couldn’t do anything about it, it would have to be the in country team.

We were told we would be placed at the project which we were most needed at but that certainly could not have been the case. There were some classes where there was no parents which was slightly better but not much. In many of the classes we basically had to sit at the back of the classroom and couldn’t do anything. With the parents there, I didn’t really feel needed. Sometimes, there was far more adults than children so there was nothing for us to do. I was hoping that it would get better as they had said our role would change and we would get one child and the parents would leave, but this was not the case. When we actually got to play and help with the children it felt like such a novelty and we took full advantage of this whenever we could.

In many of the classes the children had to sit at the wall with the hands behind their back to discipline them, and we simply had to watch. This was extremely distressing. Sometimes we were given basic activities to do with the children but this got worse during the trip. By the third week, we were often told to sit at the back of the class to not distract the children, and were told we couldn’t attend one class, as we were making one child too distracted, and had to go to classes where we simply sat and watched the class being taught. This was very upsetting, as this was one of the classes for the no-parent children class, where we actually felt slightly more needed. On two occasions we were told to do art, which was fine, until we realised there was no children with us, we had to do the drawing! The centre simply couldn’t accommodate for volunteers. It was made obvious by some of the staff that we were not wanted . We were told that we were there to give the centre some Western influence, but this was rejected. The project was sometimes very emotionally challenging and hard. We would sometimes be sitting at the back of the class with tears in our eyes.

One of the volunteers who was booked for the exact same time as myself, disliked the project so much, she arranged to transfer to a teaching project for the second week then leave.

We spoke with the main i-to-i office who completely denied that the website had said anything about an orphanage when we had first been booking it. Really, it had been false advertising. We also arranged to have a meeting with our in country co-ordinater and she seemed completely surprised that we thought we would be going to an orphanage and said the website had been changed a year ago. However, this was not the case, as the website still said about an orphanage when I, and the fellow volunteers booked it. We were told we could do the teaching project instead, or could teach English to the guides at the terracotta warriors. This wasn’t really ideal as this is not I had in mind for volunteering. It was clear that we really wanted to go to an orphanage so the in country co-ordinator said she would try and arrange for us to go for a visit one day. We still pressed that we wanted to go there the whole trip but she said she would see what they said. I continued to go to the project for the next two weeks, and during the second week was told that the orphanage was actually a foster home and our project leader would be visiting there. They sounded very positive about it so I was very hopeful. After the second week, we had thought we would change project but were told we would not know until halfway through the week. Then, we were told this would not be possible any more as the foster home was too busy to accommodate volunteers at this point, which was very frustrating as the team had seemed so optimistic prior to this. We also found out that the reason we couldn’t volunteer at the orphanage any more was because i-to-i had had a dispute with the orphanage, which they had failed to mention before. We asked if the municipal orphanage would be an option. The team said this could be a lengthy process and the orphanage was 2 and a half hours away, but they would try. At this point, I was very disappointed as even if I did get to change, the majority of my trip would have been at a project that I was not very happy with. I basically accepted that I was not going to be able to change and continued at the project. A fellow volunteer, who was staying a week longer than me was given the option to go to an orphanage for one day, but decided not to go as one day was not really worth it. She was so unhappy that she decided not to go in for her last week volunteering. This was my second last day, so just wasn’t good enough for me either.

The website had said that books and resources were needed for the project so I had brought lots, but they really weren’t suitable. I eventually did give them to the project but felt they would have been much more needed at an orphanage.

Another point to mention was the break in the middle of the day. From 12 to 2, all the staff and parents went to sleep, so there was nothing for us to do, and was a waste.

There were two interns there who sometimes prevented us from volunteering.

I had expected very strict discipline, but it was still upsetting that we couldn’t really do anything about it. Children were often hit, and were left to sit in their clothes if they wet themselves. We had to take the initiative to change the children, as otherwise, I’m quite sure they would have been left. I think the staff were aware that we completely disagreed but not did not accommodate our “Western influences” which we were told we were there for.

We eventually had a confrontation with the staff, who said we had to be more interactive in class. This was very annoying as this is what we had been trying to do but we had been pushed away by some of the staff, who did not even acknowledge us or even told us to be quiet.

When I booked the project I was told that by paying to volunteer, some of the money would be given to the project, but I can almost guarantee this wasn’t true. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure where all the money went, apart from i-to-i’s pockets.

I did have an amazing time in China, despite the project not being what I intended. However, the project was what I was there for. The accommodation was very good, and I think the in country team did try to help us, as I can understand that they would not be aware of what we had initially been told. Also, the in country team were very good for helping us with other issues such as transport to tourist locations and booking tickets etc. They were very friendly and did make us feel welcome. The other volunteers were so lovely and without them I don’t think I could have done it, as I came by myself and if I had arrived to find the project was bad and the other volunteers were not nice, it would have been awful. We had great fun and I have some amazing memories with them. It has, overall, been an amazing experience going to China, but most of this is from factors not connected to i-to-i. The kids at the project were so great and I was crying saying goodbye to one of them, it definitely wasn’t them that made the project bad. I am still glad I did it and persevered with it, it was very emotionally challenging and eye-opening. It was rewarding, but not in the way I thought. However, I am very disappointed that I didn’t get to go to an orphanage.

Quite frankly, I want a refund as I did not receive what my contract suggested, and did not get what I booked for. I’m not quite sure what all the money went towards and think it is unjust that you should have to pay so much money to volunteer.

I wouldn’t recommend i-to-i as they gave false information, and do not give you your money’s worth, whilst the company itself are receiving the majority of the profit.