Program Reviews

I had a wonderful experience from the beginning to the end with ABV in Cusco, Peru, as well as with support in the United States. I am very grateful for my experience here and wouldn’t change one thing about it. My host house truly felt like home. Everyone was kind and willing to help me in my host family and at the clinic.
The advice I received from the director was invaluable and helped me adjust to life in Cusco. While here I enjoyed going on weekend trips with other volunteers to the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca. In addition, we enjoyed taking free salsa dancing lessons arranged by the ABV coordinator and exploring Cusco.
The house I stayed in was nice. I had a room to myself and there was a shower with warm water. The meals were delicious. Peruvian food is much different than American food, but I was always able to find something that I liked.
While in Cusco and the surrounding areas I was continually surprised by how friendly everyone was, even just the people I sat next to on the bus. In the clinic everyone was very nice. They always took the time to say hi to me and ask me how I was doing.
One of the things I was nervous about was my safety in the country. After arriving my director gave me some tips to stay safe and after getting used to being in Cusco for a few days I felt just as safe here as I do in the United States. Overall I felt like everything was really well organized.

I have to start by saying that my program and trip was amazing, the experience of living in Chile was something everyone should have. I was nervous to travel to La Serena without knowing a soul, but my host family welcomed me and made me feel at home. The work can be difficult and tiring at times, but it is worth the effort. The kids are adorable and it is obvious to see the difference the volunteers make. I did branched out and tried so many new things while there. It was like I went through years’ worth of experiences in six weeks. I did also learned lots.... My Spanish did definitely improved: both my understanding and speaking. I did learned how to navigate through an unfamiliar city at night and ask for help if needed. I did learned how to keep multiple toddlers entertained, if not quiet sometimes. Overall, the last six weeks of my stay was some of the most memorable ones of my life. This trip did heightened my desire to travel more and see the world as well as continue to volunteer and help those who are less fortunate than I am.
The host family exceeded my expectations. The mom, Vilma, was amazing. She was so thoughtful and helpful. She packed my lunch every day and had dinner ready for me when I was hungry. We traded off picking movies to watch together on the weekends and played cards during the week. I never felt unsafe or in danger. Walking to work in the mornings while it was still dark made me a little uncomfortable at first, but I never had any issues. Most people in La Serena were very friendly and helpful. Everyone smiles and says hola as you pass on the sidewalks. The city of La Serena is a good size and offers enough to do to stay occupied on the weekends. I didn’t really go out much on weeknights.
A few days after I arrived in La Serena, I received an email from ABV checking to see how I was settling in. We corresponded a few times. I decided to work at the day-care center for my last two weeks instead of just staying at the orphanage. The staff was very easy to work with to allow me to make that change. Thank you again for everything.

I LOVED my experience in Peru! It was really the people in Peru, including my host family and fellow volunteers, that made my experience. We all get along so well its magical! I have had an amazing time exploring Cusco with them and learning about the public services in the city. If I could I would do it all over again and I would do it with ABV. ABVs design allowed me to personalize my experience so that I could go where and when I wanted to go and I could volunteer in a place that was perfect for me. ABV and Peru were truly magical!

I am very thankful for this whole experience in Uganda as it taught me a lot about myself, and showed me how amazing people are all the way on the other side of the globe. The people I met changed my life for the better which included the natives of Uganda and the other volunteers/tourists I was able to meet. They showed me a different kind of lifestyle that works, but that can be made better as a community as a whole and that there are wonderful people out there doing just that!
I was able to meet and talk with Hydyn and deliver solar lights. Along with his story the actual giving of the solar lights was an amazing experience, the families were so appreciative. When we delivered them in the rural parts where there is no electricity, it was hard to see such living conditions as if you wanted a flashlight you had to walk 10 miles there and 10 miles back, so the people receiving the lights were very thankful and we had a great time making them smile and dancing and hugging. It was a well rounded amazing experience.
ABV USA support was great prior to traveling. ABV was right to cancel our trip to Kenya due to the safety issues at that moment in the country. After canceling the trip they were amazing in working with us on making sure we were still able to go with their program to a different country. ABV was good at answering all of our questions through email with a quick responses.

My health care program in Honduras was so amazing! I made so many great friends and got to do things I never would in the United States. I did over 200 blood pressures, cleaned and dressed wounds, put on casts, removed stitches, put in stitches, watched births, c-sections and surgeries. This program receives many volunteers from A broader view, so we manage to go out on tours on the weekends and do things during the week like bbq, shopping at the market, dancing, and just hanging out on our free time.
I LOVED my host family! They spoke very good English and were very caring. They were always making sure we were okay and had everything we needed. The portions were so big at my host family’s house, but the food was excellent. Expect a lot of beans, rice, and plantains.
I felt very safe in my accommodation and the neighborhood we were in, felt very safe. I recommend anyone that wants to volunteer here to... Just do it!

My time at the Kathmandu orthopedic hospital after the big earthquake was one of the most amazing experience of my life. I gained an emerse amount of experience and applied least 50 casts and 70 slabs to earthquake victims along with doing countless dressings wounds and on multiple occasions removing post operation staples and stitches. I have also met so many amazing people and networked with countless Nepali surgeons at the hospital along with American surgeons here for relief aid. Best of all I was able to observe a hemotriaplasty which was probably the highlight of my trip.
The coordinator was more than accommodating and provided all the information and things I needed to succeed in the program. He showed me how to get to and from the hospital safely using buses and also showed me around the city so that I knew where to visit on my days off.
My accommodations were perfect; my sleeping situation was extremely comfortable. Our meals were always prepared in time and there was more than enough to eat ever time. Security was also very good.

The experience with Broader View was once-in-a-lifetime. The volunteer opportunity was very enriching, and the chance to learn Chile and its people was very special. The teachers at Colegio San Jose not only made me feel useful, but they invited me to their homes and showed me the beautiful scenery of the region. Moreover, the residents of La Serena were very eager to learn about me, just as I was eager to learn about them. Chilean food is among the best in the hemisphere, and the host family mom was always very attentive with the matter. How great an experience it all was.

I’m very glad that I chose this program in Honduras with A Broader View, the location, and to go over Spring Break. A Broader View was a great choice because of large amount of support and information given to me before and during my stay. The location was good because it was close (a short plane trip), good weather, friendly people, and very impactful with its culture and economy. The short time period was a good choice because it allowed me to have enough time to adjust but also ensure that if I did not like the program (since it was my first time traveling abroad for medical volunteering), I would return home soon. I learned a lot in how imperative it is to be able to improvise, think on the spot, communicate in a profession, understand and become integrated within a culture, and analyze a situation to find the underlying problems. I plan to do more of this kind of work once I improve my Spanish and experience.

Wonderful Dentists to work with. Sometimes the water isn't running so the water is collected in buckets under the sink so instruments can be scrubbed before sterilizing. It amazes me how they just go with the flow. Americans could use a little more of that attitude especially from the Northeast.
Many of the problems are the same in the US Preventative care not used so extractions are too common. Sugary drinks and juices and sodas are common causes of dental problems much as in the US.

During my time in Honduras, I volunteered at a public clinic in the town of La Ceiba. The second week I also spent time in the Emergency Department. Most of my time consisted of taking blood pressure, giving shots, and cleaning wounds. I also did whatever other task needed to be done. This trip was life changing. The program itself was very smooth, with no major issues. I was able to focus on giving my time as much as possible. I already knew I wanted to be a doctor and this merely reconfirmed my love of medicine. I was able to see up close the impact that being in medicine could have on the world. Overall, I would not only recommend Honduras, but volunteering through A Broader View.