ProWorld Internship in Belize
ProWorld offers interns the opportunity to gain valuable experience overseas working as an intern. You will work with local NGO's and other non-profits in Belize. Interning abroad is not just a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience, but working in developing country gives intern the chance to learn about themselves as they help local communities. Visit the ProWorld website to learn more about interning abroad in Belize.
Five reasons to intern with us!
Reviews
90%Overall
Rating
90%Overall
Rating
This was a well-organised program, which meant we all felt very safe and looked after. I was volunteering in a hospital, and I felt like I was put to good use, thus the trip was worthwhile!
We were staying in a homestay, which was great, we got to eat Belizean food and integrate ourselves into the family. In the evenings and weekends proworld organised cultural and social events for us, so we got to see more to Belize than we otherwise would have, and learn a bit of the history.
This was a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to anyone seeking clinical experience, or just broadening your horizons.
90%Overall
Rating
ProWorld Belize gave me the opportunity to get real hands-on experience in the medical field. From public health ventures to being apart of the emergency room team, the time I spent with ProWorld is something that is invaluable to me. Two thumbs up!
90%Overall
Rating
I had a great time! The workers at ProWorld were very supportive and would help us plan any activities we would want to do outside of the ones ProWorld had for us.
Specifically, I was taking a class at my home university and had to complete a research project. They set me up with people I could interview and told me where I could find the information I was looking for. Also, they would give us suggestions on what tour guides we should use to get the most for our money.
I did have one particular issue with the organization. Their website says that transportation to and from the airport is provided which is misleading. They do pick you up in a van at the airport; however, you must find your own ride back to the airport. You are only given $30 USD ($60Bzd)to do so. This is enough to take a bus from San Ignacio to Belize City and then a cab to the airport. Belize City is not the safest area, and tourists have the tendency to get ripped off the most there. To take a van back it is about $100+Bzd. The van services base the price on how many people they have to take to Belize City that day. They are aware of this issue. I would check with ProWorld to see if they have changed anything, if not I would make sure that you have extra money to return to the airport. I would not let this issue change my mind.
90%Overall
Rating
Over this past summer, I volunteered with ProWorld. They found a great program that suited my interests (TIDE Conservation), arranged a fabulous homestay for me, and helped make sure I was comfortable. It was a huge comfort being connected to other volunteers, and the weekly check-ins were designed to make sure volunteers were having a great time. Although everyone is welcome to volunteer with ProWorld (we had a 12 year old and a 40 year old in my group!), I would probably recommend this program for college aged people. Punta Gorda is such a nice, peaceful town and I can't wait to go back there again.
90%Overall
Rating
My internship in Belize was an incredible experience. My eyes were opened to a culture and way of life that I never knew existed. The experience I had with my host family was irreplaceable. Being set into the home of a Belizean family was the best way to get the whole cultural experience that was waiting for me. The two-week internship that I did at the hospital in San Ignacio exposed me to a different type of healthcare system than the one I'm so accustomed to here in the USA. Although it was difficult to be away from home, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
80%Overall
Rating
My experience in Belize was incredible, and I highly recommend it to others! I loved the warmth and comfort of my homestay family, the support of the citizens and staff, and the incredible opportunities that I was exposed to the hospital. I was able to immerse myself in the culture of the city, and spent quality time in the hospital where I worked. The clinic and outreach work was gratifying and I am grateful that I had such a unique opportunity to affect the lives of others, and gain valuable insight into myself as well.
90%Overall
Rating
They program was amazing and very flexible. It will be exactly what you make of it they are very easy going and helpful if you step and get involved. I was able to volunteer in the hospital 3 times and in the community 2 days. This was a life changing experience.
80%Overall
Rating
I had the chance to intern for a month this past Summer in Punta Gorda, Belize located in the southern district of Toledo. Going through ProWorld allowed for many of the logistics to be taken care of through them and my intitial conversations with ProWorld staff was very thorough and alleviated any initial fears I had. My homestay while there was more than welcoming and the food was reason enough to go there! Upon arrival I was brought to my homestay and the following day the ProWorld contact in Punta Gorda drove me to my internship which had its main offices ten minutes from where I was staying. Each day I would walk there and then would head out into villages in the interior of Belize. Highlights of this experience definitely would be the people, culture, food and scenery. In fact having to choose between venturing towards the Carribean sea or the Maya Mountains proved difficult at times. I definitely suggest going to Cockscomb Wildlife and Jaguar Preserve, but do not walk from where the bus takes you to the entrance..take a taxi!!! The only difficulties for me with this program was adjusting to the change of pace that comes with Belizean culture. I would definitely suggest anyone to fully understand that the work they seek to achieve will not be on the fast paced style that other countries deem necessary. beyond that, if you are looking for great food, people and insanely breathtaking scenery, I highly recommend this program!!
100%Overall
Rating
I volunteered with ProWorld Belize at their site in San Ignacio and it was one of the most life changing experiences of my life. I joined the program a few years out of college, not exactly knowing what I wanted to do and this experience helped me to open up my eyes and really focus in on what was important in my life. I worked on two different projects during my time there - 1. Environmental - I worked on a jaguar project, tracking jaguars in the jungle and studying the importance of a healthy prey/predator ecosystem and then used the information that I found to help others receive a $15,000 grant to help preserve a national park in Belize - it was an amazing and very fulfilling project. 2. I worked at a local nursing home and helped provide physical therapy to the elderly there. That project really helped open my eyes to how well the elderly are treated in Belize and how different nursing homes in Belize are from the United States.
The staff at ProWorld were also awesome as was my homestay family. I loved the experience so much that I have been back 4 times since to visit my friends, check in on my projects and just enjoy the Belizean life. If you want a life changing experience - I would highly recommend ProWorld!
Alumni Interviews
Meet Prabjot Kaur Batth
What originally inspired you to intern in Belize with ProWorld?
Prabjot: My university works with ProWorld through their various Study Abroad programs. In my sophomore year, I decided to go with my school on a spring break study abroad trip to Belize for a Hands-On Health Care project through the service corps. I enjoyed my time and felt I had gained a lot of useful experiences. Learning quickly that ProWorld is an organization that is safe and easy to work with, I decided to go back to Belize through their organization as a Health Intern in the summer of 2011.
Describe your day to day activities as an intern in Belize.
Prabjot: As an intern with ProWorld in Belize, I was able to get a real taste of all things health care. For a couple of weeks, I worked on a public health project, raising awareness about diabetes and healthy food choices. Diabetes screening was also a part of our outreach program as we tested the blood pressure, the blood glucose levels and the BMIs of the patients that came to our clinics. I was also able to bring in my personal dental project where I was able to teach young and old alike proper brushing techniques and hand out dental products like children's toothbrushes, hand-outs on healthy oral hygiene habits, and toothpaste.
I also spent time in the community hospital, called San Ignacio Hospital, to help with the flow of patients in the emergency room and non-emergency clinics. The experience I gained there was like no other. From learning to suture, watching a live birth, and even inserting my first IV, I learned what it really means to work in the medical field.
Being an intern for a month in the country, I was also able to infiltrate the culture as I lived with a Belizean family and met so many kind locals that let me peek into their day to day life. I learned about the typical family structure, the education system, customs and traditions, and even picked up some local lingo they call kriole (a pigeon form) too.
How has this experience impacted your future personally, professionally, and academically?
Prabjot: Before my internship, I had had some experience in the American health care system, as I had volunteered in emergency rooms and clinics. I have been interested in working in the medical field for some time now but not quite sure in which facet. I had been taking part in clinical research at my university and was considering a career in researching new discoveries in the human body. However, my passion always lied within helping the impoverished of the world. I always wanted to help in some way in alleviating the health implications that come with poverty. During my internship, I learned, through talking to many people in the hospitals and public health clinics, what people feel stresses them the most. From affording expensive medication to finding the time to cook balanced meals, that passion to help the needy came back to me.
After my experience, I am now more certain than ever what I want to do. My hope for the future is to work with health administrations in impoverished countries and help provide more efficient and useful health care to their public. Whether it is about connecting the great wealth in western countries with third-world hospitals, or creating better training programs for health care providers in these countries, I will make a positive change! There is nothing I can do to repay ProWorld for this new-found passion and drive to do good in this world from my experience in Belize.
Meet Elsie Storm
Why did you decide to volunteer with ProWorld in Belize?
Elsie: I initially decided to volunteer abroad because I was at a stage in my life where I was able to take time away from work and didn't have very many commitments tying me down. I had always wanted to volunteer abroad so that I could have an international experience, yet also be of service at the same time. A friend recommended ProWorld to me and as I was browsing through their countries that I could volunteer in, Belize seemed like it would be the best fit for me as I liked that it was English speaking and their projects and staff support seemed like a good fit for what I was looking for.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Elsie: A typical volunteer day consists of me waking up, eating a yummy breakfast made by my host mom Lily (my favorite is when she makes fryjacks with scrambled eggs and beans....YUM!) and then heading to Octavia Waight (the nursing home) for the first part of the day. I start of my day at Octavia Waight by greeting all of the residents and checking in with them and then assisting them with their physical therapy. I have learned most of their therapy routines and I have found that I really enjoy the days where we get to do therapy. After therapy I sometimes help out in the kitchen or the gardens. Everyday around 10:00 a.m. the residents get a snack which consists of fresh papaya, mango, avocado or cashew that they pick from the trees right outside of their kitchen. It is amazing. I am getting so spoiled by all of the fresh fruit here - it tastes so much better than the fruit you get back in the States. After we serve a snack we sometimes play games or I will take some of the residents into the greenhouse to pick spinach and water the plants, or I will just hang out and chat and provide company.
One of my favorite residents is a man named Leo. Leo had a stroke awhile back and the stroke caused him to become blind in both eyes and disabled on the left side of his body. One of Leo's favorite games to play is Bingo; however he obviously can't play it without assistance. So today I told Leo that I would be his "eyes" for him so that he could join in on the Bingo game. We had so much fun playing Bingo together and every time that he would be able to place a playing piece on his game board he would get so excited and would tickle the palm of my hand with his finger - it was so sweet. The people here are great and I think that I am going to be sad to leave them once it's time to go.
When my shift ends at noon, I walk back to my house - sweating like crazy by the time my 10 minute walk is over...lately I have been able to tell how hot it is by how sweaty I get on my walk home...hahaha it's so gross, but I am becoming strangely accustomed to just being sweaty all of the time and I actually don't mind it as much as I thought I would.
At lunch I get an hour break and Lily, Hamid (my host dad) and I all eat lunch together. Then I brave the heat again and walk down the hill to meet Michael at the ProWorld building. Working with Michael is typically the highlight of my day as everyday with him is something different and exciting. As I mentioned before we are doing research on jaguars and the importance of prey/predators in a healthy ecosystem. One of the great things about Michael is that he knows tons of people in Belize, so we are continually meeting with all of these phenomenal people who can give us information on jaguars and their prey. Thus far we have gone to the Belize Zoo to see the jaguars, we have meet with villagers who hunt in the jungle, we went to a butterfly farm and spoke with retired professors who know a ridiculous amount about the jungle, as well as done research of our own and talked with locals who know different things here and there. Soon we are planning on going into the jungle for a few days to see if we can find more evidence to support our research. I'm so excited for that - I love it here, every day is an adventure.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Elsie: When I first went to Belize, I had never really traveled abroad by myself. I was scared and nervous and didn't know what to expect of life outside of the United States. But while in Belize I caught the travel bug and couldn't sit still in the States anymore, so I am now living and working in Mexico. Since then I have also worked and traveled throughout Latin America and plan to continue to travel the world for the rest of my life. I'm sure that I will eventually move back to the U.S. but right now I am really enjoying the adventure that living abroad brings. As a small town girl from the Midwest, my ProWorld experience really opened my eyes to how amazing this world is - I encourage you all to go abroad as it is guaranteed to change your life in one way or another.
Further Info
About ProWorld
ProWorld offers unique intern abroad opportunities to students tied in with community learning projects. ProWorld staff members live in the host communities they serve and are committed to projects that benefit these communities. Most ProWorld employees have volunteered abroad and their experiences have largely impacted the development of ProWorld intern abroad programs.
Gain valuable professional experiences as you intern and volunteer at nonprofits, NGO's and other organizations for 1-6 month-long placements. Explore potential careers, learn about rewarding development work and get valuable practical workplace skills for the future. Programs start at the first of every month and include: customized professional internship placement, homestay living, cultural activities and extensive staff support. Classes for academic credit are available.
All Their Programs
Program Information
Related Programs
-
100% Overall Rating - 2 Reviews
-
100% Overall Rating - 1 Reviews
-
30% Overall Rating - 1 Reviews
-
90% Overall Rating - 1 Reviews
-
0% Overall Rating - 0 Reviews
Belize is such an amazing country and I am so lucky to have spent a month there! I had no idea how diverse it is, in terms of both culture and environment. The program taught me many invaluable lessens about myself and the world around me and definitely changed me for the better. My experience in the hospital in San Ignacio reaffirmed my decision to pursue a career in nursing, and only made me want to participate in more volunteer abroad programs. I made friends from all across the country and was able to explore a completely different country with them. I highly recommend Pro World Belize!