Program Reviews

I had no idea what to expect when traveling to Xela. When I got here, I was so surprised by the number of people, the colors, the sounds, the smells – it was truly walking in to a different world. I try to keep an open mind solely to have experiences like I did when I first got here. It was amazing. I have to say that this was by far one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. Having the opportunity to utilize my clinical skills to help those who so desperately need it was truly incredible. I was blown away by the kindness and gratitude of the patients that we came into contact with. I would love to return to Xela in the future when I have more experience and more to give, and can speak more Spanish.

From the moment I submitted my application for the Pre Dental Program in Ecuador, to online chats, right before leaving the US, to arriving in Quito. It was extremely helpful to have pictures of my coordinator and host family before hand. It was comforting and stress reducing to have a visual of the first individuals you would meet and count on during your stay.
I was surprised at how quickly my host family felt like my real family. They were very accommodating. I may not have always understood what was said in Spanish but at the same time I was still always apart of family activities and discussions. This is also true with the extended family. Within one week I met extended family from both sides of my host parents and it made this experience even richer.
I had an amazing experience within the short time I was able to volunteer, 4 weeks. I loved basking in the breathtaking scenery. No picture could capture the essence of the mountains in Quito. Even though I wish they could, it made me absorb what I can in the moment.
I just happened to stumble across ABV by diligently searching abroad volunteer programs on the internet. I can now say I found the perfect organization for my first experience abroad.

I had one of the best experiences of my life in Xela Guatemala. I loved helping the people here but more importantly I loved the people. As a nurse, it is so intriguing to see how other healthcare systems operate! It was wonderful to have a skill set to be able to share with them! They were so welcoming of me and let me practice immediately!
My Spanish teacher was incredible and it was so encouraging to be able to communicate more and more.
The shelter was the best of all! It was so wonderful to love on girls who have been wronged! It was amazing to establish real relationships with them. Also, it was great to get to see them open Christmas presents!
My homestay was absolutely wonderful! They were described as wonderful, but I don´t think that does them justice. They were incredibly attentive to any need I had, and genuinely cared about my safety! I felt safe in almost every place in Xela because my coordinators and homestay family advised me where to go! This was a great experience, two thumbs up!

I really enjoyed working with the girls from the orphanage. I worked in both the kitchen and the ceramic classes and it was fun to chat with the girls and I think they also had fun asking me about the United States.
The accommodation was very nice. The local coordinator has a comfortable house. She has a large tv in her family room with lots of movies if you want to watch and relax. The meals were very good, I loved the soups that were served every lunch. I never felt concerned about my safety, even at night. Lunch will be your biggest meal and breakfast and dinner will consist of bread and jam or bread and meat. There was always boiled or bottled water to drink so I didn't have to work about the water quality. Maria Elena is a great host and really wants you to feel comfortable and at home. She is flexible and if you won't be there for a meal it's not a problem.
I also was in Peru over Thanksgiving and Maria Elena surprised me with a Thanksgiving meal, that was so nice of her.

This volunteer trip to Guatemala did certainly opened my eyes to the fact that I am so lucky to have been born into a financially comfortable and healthy family – other people are not so lucky. Because of this I want to continue giving back! This was my second time in Xela with Abroaderview and I have fallen even more in love with this city. From the culture to the friendly people, I will certainly miss it. Our host family kept us very comfortable. I was always warm enough, fed and rested. It was great that they only spoke Spanish because it really helped me improve my own. I will forever be amazed by the warmth and hospitality of these wonderful people. I came here to help them, but they really ended up helping me to be a better person!

I had researched several volunteer organizations before I decided on A Broader View. As I have run an international volunteer organization, I know what a good organization looks like. So, I was a "tough customer".

One of the beauties of A Broader View is that I was able to leave when I wanted; I wasn't tied to particular program dates. This was a distinct advantage for me. They also helped me get an extremely reasonable flight to Quito and very inexpensive travel insurance.

My volunteer jobs were wonderful. The first 6 weeks, I worked with 2-year-olds at a day care center in one of the poorest sections of the city. I am not going to tell you it was an easy transition. The poverty I had to pass every day, the conditions I saw, the real suffering of some of the children and families were all extremely difficult to assimilate. The differences between Euro-American and Ecuadorian cultures are not small. Yet, the children... oh, the children. They captured my heart. I'll never forget the day about 2 weeks after I started, and they were going down for their naps (the time I always left each day). I said goodbye to them as usual, and for the first time, 9 little hands waived from their beds and several voices were saying goodbye ("chao"). One little voice, said, "Chao, Burbuja!" They couldn't yet remember "Barbara", so they called me the closest thing they were familiar with, "bubble". From then on, I was putty in their hands...

I just want to reiterate that I cannot say enough about A Broader View. It is, at least in my experience, one of the best-run volunteer organizations I have ever come into contact with (and remember, I have worked in a few and run an international office of another). I don't believe I could have chosen a better organization or had a better experience.

Thank you to all of you at A Broader View.

I went to Colombia with a broader view in the midst of a breakup hoping to find a distraction, but what I got was much more.
I felt like there were so many elements to the trip. There was the volunteer work at the foundation and my relationships with the ladies who worked there, the mothers and the babies. And although there was a lot of work there was also a LOT of laughter.
There was my home life and my relationship with my host family which was fun and warm.
Then there was my individual exploring which I really enjoyed.
All these elements made for a trip that was truly rich in its blessings.

My local Nepal coordinator and his family were a family to me. Let me tell you a real short story. The family which I came to know in 1st of November 2015 was The father of Mr. Sudhir, his Mother, his Wife Sarita, and little angel Sayon. Let me start by saying how lucky I were to have Baba on holiday back home on my very first week. He works away so I only meet him for a short time but enough time to see what a patient and loving dad he is. Not forget how easily he helped me to fit in as he was using some Arabic words with me. Second family member is Mama whom I have always felt her like my mother; she has been the very caring and loving person of the family. My very favorite is Mrs. Sarita my super women of the family, he has not only be a caring sister but only a very understanding part that I thank God for having her in that house. She was always understood me as I always find troubles explaining what I need to others. Last but not least is my coordinator, Sudhir, was a gene hahahaha. He was always reachable, caring and great support for me. He did organized everything for me perfectly so I never needed to worry about anything else. He was very detailed and the very best coordinator for a first time volunteer.
I would like to thank ABV for giving me this opportunity to explore myself and the world. I would also want to thank my homestay host family for their generous hospitality and care. I sure send my best thanks to my family, friends and colleagues who supported me and encouraged me to go on this trip. Finally, I call all humans out there from different nationalities, you must visit Nepal, there are a lot of people here to help and you could

Chile is a wonderful country and La Serena is a very beautiful city. Downtown is very cute and some days there are artisans tents lined up in the plaza. I never felt unsafe in La Serena or Coquimbo but I always tried to be aware of my surroundings. Everyone I met were very friendly and helpful. People were often intrigued about where I was from and what I was doing in Chile. I met a tia at my orphanage and she made me feel like one of her family. She and her daughters showed me all of the beaches of Coquimbo (they are all very beautiful but COLD in winter!)
The orphanage provided the kids with everything they needed. It was much better kept and supplied then I had expected. My favorite part of the orphanage was the smile on the little kids’ faces when I walked in the door every morning. I worked with the toddlers: four months to two years old.
My host family was fantastic. My home was very comfortable, having warm water and wifi. My host mom and I spent many evenings jogging on the beach or Zumba-ing in the living room. Her food was delicious and the family was always welcoming. I had a “sister” and “brother” at the house who hung out with me and helped me figure things out here in Chile. One of my favorite moments with my host family was watching a U17 soccer world cup game with my host parents – it was Chile versus United States. My host father is very into soccer so he was yelling and shouting at the TV and whenever I watch sporting events I end up doing the same. The house was full of celebrations and frustrations during the course of the game. Chile won in the end but the game was a highlight of my trip and it gave me something to connect with my host dad on.
I really had no problems at all with my host family. The only challenging part was the "Chilenismos/slang" and the difficult Spanish accent (they speak way to fast). I did improved a lot over the two months in Chile.
I would definitely do my whole trip again and not change a thing. My project was rewarding, Vilma was supportive and understanding, and my host family were fantastic. La Serena and Coquimbo were wonderful places to base the program out of because they provided many different opportunities.

I had a great experience volunteering at the orphanage in Belize. I wanted to volunteer at an orphanage to gain a broader perspective of the world, learn about people less fortunate than me, give back to those in need, to get in touch with my feelings, to bond in a strenuous environment with friends, and overall, to connect to and mentor children.
I learned that there are children and people way less fortunate than me that couldn’t be more happy to be alive. Spending time with the kids dancing, playing games, and helping with homework made me really feel like I was making a difference. I laughed a lot with my friends about the things that we sacrificed on the trip. We had no choice but to ‘suck it up’ and deal with the lack of air conditioning, the slim food options, and the limited resources we had. We had fun with it.
Lastly, many times throughout the week, I found myself getting emotional around the kids. I had feelings of appreciation when they were happy with a fun and simple ice cream party. I had feelings of sadness and hurt when I thought about the kids ever being in an environment of abuse and neglect. I had feelings of guilt when I craved air conditioning. Mostly, I had feelings of happiness, love, joy, and cheerfulness when I witnessed the kids smile, laugh, and play.
I enjoyed my experience volunteering at the orphanage. I will miss the kids when we leave, and hope to keep in touch, and possibly come back to see them one day.