For some people the objection seems to be that insurance is a bit of a rip off. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Your investment is very little and in return you get thousands of dollars of cover. So maybe you don’t need it – let’s hope so – but what if you do?

We take care of our visitors volunteering in Africa as much as we possibly can. We pride ourselves on it. Unfortunately we can’t control the company who provides your flights. What happens if they go bust? Who gets you home? Who provides somewhere for you to sleep while alternative travel arrangements are made?

No travel insurance = no flights and no bed!

Now maybe it’s an unlikely scenario. After all, travel companies don’t go bust every week. That’s true, but it seems all too frequent that we hear of one that has. Do you really want to take the risk for the sake of a few dollars?

Of course getting to Africa and back isn’t the only thing covered. We have to be realistic. While volunteering Africa isn’t a dangerous thing to do, sometimes people are unlucky enough to stumble and break bones in their own homes. We hope it never happens to anyone who volunteers in Africa, but however remote the possibility you need to know you would be taken care of properly. It’s why we insist on a “get you home” policy when you volunteer in Africa with us.

You also need to check everything that you are covered for. Read your policy carefully. If you are taking advantage of all that volunteering in Africa has to offer, including things like bungee jumping at Victoria Falls or white water rafting down the Zambezi, you want to know that your travel insurance doesn’t have one of those clauses that says you are OK as long as you aren’t enjoying yourself .

Any volunteer organization will have a preferred provider and we’re no different. World Nomads have many years experience and specialist knowledge so they’re the people we suggest to all our volunteers. Whether it’s volunteering Africa or just Disneyland, they are the people we recommend. Full details here.

If you think “volunteering Africa” then one of the things that’s probably going to come to mind is being out in the wild – or at the very least somewhere where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of your normal life.

What’s more, you probably can’t get a phone signal in the African bush and there certainly won’t be an internet connection so nobody is going to bug you for a few weeks. For some it’s a very exciting thought.

Of course for some it’s a nightmare idea! Many people would be lost without their daily intake of Facebook or texting!

The fact is somewhere between the two extremes. If you’re out on a lion walk then you probably won’t get a signal. However, depending on your service provider and the deal you have you might well have access once you get back to your overnight accommodation. If you’re helping orphans in the slums of Cape Town you’re not likely to find somewhere to charge a laptop but in Cape Town itself you will find internet cafés so you can catch up if you want to or need to.

Modern communications are necessary for your volunteer project to work efficiently. We would also never leave you without any means of staying in touch with people. You may not be able to pick up your emails 24/7 but equally if you need to telephone home – or they need to contact you – a message can always get through.

You could look at volunteering Africa in some ways as the best of both worlds. You are safe and secure in the knowledge that you can make a call if you need to. On the other hand, if there are people that you would rather not talk to for a while you have a useful excuse – just tell them you can’t get a signal, they probably don’t know any better!

On the other hand, and as part of the same trip, you can do volunteer work with lions, photographing African wildlife, teaching and nursing support with orphans, any number of things that will make a real difference to people’s lives. Everything you do will have a positive impact. For young people who want excitement and adventure but who also want to give something back, there’s probably nowhere to compare with Africa.

But quite often the TV is filled with different kinds of images. War, rioting, racially motivated attacks. Not to mention the reputation of some African cities as just plain dangerous places to be.

It is, quite rightly, a concern. Not only for a teen volunteering in Africa but also for parents and family who can, understandably, have a very negative vision of what’s going on.

So what’s the truth behind the headlines? Is volunteering in Africa safe?

Sadly we have heard stories of one gap year organization leaving a teen volunteer at the airport in Africa with nothing more than instructions to make their own way to the project. A dreadful scenario, particularly as this person had never been to Africa before. At Coltgap we would never do that. We meet every volunteer (of whatever age) at the airport.

In fact we instruct people not to find their own way to us, not to get a taxi, not to walk, not to accept the help of strangers. The safety of our volunteers is an absolute priority and a member of project staff always collects you from the airport and takes you to your accommodation.

We completely understand parental concerns – we’re parents too!

If you look through our volunteer options you’ll note we don’t take anyone under 17 – and quite often 18 – so really we’re working with young adults. Still, we’re as happy to discuss things with parents as we are with potential volunteers themselves. Although we don’t publish a phone number on the blog that doesn’t mean we don’t want to talk to you. If you or any member of your family wants to talk to someone just drop us a note with your number and we’ll give you a call.

But what about the general safety of a teen volunteering in Africa?

Well we’re not going to deny that there are parts of Nairobi, Cape Town or any other large African city that are less safe than we might like. Just like there are dangerous parts of London, New York, Paris, Munich…

But it’s a problem of cities, not of Africa, and if you are aware of it then common sense tells you to be careful. We don’t leave it to common sense though because sometimes when we’re on vacation we’re not as sensible as we ought to be (which is as true of people in their forties and fifties as it is of teen volunteers!).

Volunteers are not only met at the airport they are taken care of all the time. Each day a member of staff will take you to your volunteer project and collect you. Other volunteer leaders will be with you through the day. There’s an initial induction chat about your project when you arrive and regular briefings. Accommodation is always in a secure area.

But it’s not a prison and we are not guards.

You are volunteering but you are also going to want to relax and let your hair down. Don’t we all! If you are volunteering in Cape Town we expect that you’ll want to visit the city at night, just as you would any major cosmopolitan, multi-cultural city anywhere in the world. Same for Nairobi or wherever else you go.

We’ll always advise you which areas to avoid and things not to do – like never changing currency in the street for example. You might get a tempting rate… or you might be being set up for a mugging!

Bottom line? Nowhere in the world is absolutely safe. Sadly bad things happen in your own town, not just Africa. At Coltgap we have an enviable reputation and an absolute commitment to volunteer safety. Any teen volunteering in Africa with us is as safe as they would be at home.