VIDA
Programs and Reviews
Volunteer abroad with VIDA in Central America! With VIDA, you have the opportunity to gain experience in three main fields: medicine, dental health, and veterinary medicine. As a volunteer with VIDA, you will work with local professionals in these fields in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Working with coordinators from the field, VIDA volunteers work to set up mobile clinics to provide easily accessible services to the people and animals of communities in need. Whether you are an aspiring health-care profession or just have a passion for helping others, VIDA will provide you with a meaningful service-learning experience.
Programs Abroad
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Reviews
100%Overall
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100%Overall
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The trip was a fantastic, life changing experience :) Got to try new food, make new friends and experience how people live in Nicaragua by living with homestays. I learned quite a lot from others, the vets, and from my own mistakes. Will definitely come back again in the future!
Critical Feedback:
Staff was great! Gio was an awesome tour guide :)
Just wish the trip would be a little cheaper so it could be more affordable for everyone !
100%Overall
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I thought this trip was fantastic. overall definitely a great experience that is making me want to come back every year! At first, I was a bit skeptical of the minimal amount of review for the clinic days and the homestays. But it turned out that we had more than enough help from the staff that it was a smooth transition.
Critical Feedback:
I would make it so we had 3 clinic sites of small animal and 3 clinic sites of large animal.
100%Overall
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This experience offered by VIDA really was a great one, that allowed me to learn while also teaching individuals from the region where the clinic was held. I will most definitely consider coming back next year for a second time.
Critical Feedback:
Mandatory Spanish class.
80%Overall
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It was a great learning experience. The veterinarians were very helpful and explained everything very well. We were exposed to multitude of animals and were able to watch and assist in many spays and neuters.
Critical Feedback:
I would like to have had the chance to participate in a greater variety of fun activities, perhaps some which actually involved animals, such as visiting an animal sanctuary or rainforest.
Alumni Interviews
Staff Interview
Meet Marla Abstetar, Community Manager at VIDA
GO: Tell us a little about VIDA and your role at the company.
Marla: VIDA is a 501c3 nonprofit from Minnesota, USA. We work with volunteers from around the world to bring medical, dental and veterinary care to low resource communities in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. At VIDA, I am the Community Manager, so I am in charge of managing our website, blog, newsletters, Facebook, Twitter and online profiles. This helps us get the word out about VIDA and find more volunteers so we can continue to spread to more communities throughout Central America and help those in need.
GO: How did you get involved in the volunteer industry?
Marla: Volunteering has always been an important part of my life. I am originally from Wisconsin, but moved to Costa Rica 7 years ago. Here, I didn't have many opportunities to do volunteer work, as I was going to school full time. When I graduated from college and was offered a job with VIDA in 2010, I knew that I had found the perfect organization to work for. VIDA has given me the opportunity to help those in need, and also travel throughout Central America while meeting amazing volunteers from around the world.
GO: What makes VIDA unique?
Marla: VIDA offers life changing experiences to those who are interested in studying medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine. We offer hands-on service learning opportunities in a controlled environment where students can learn from local doctors and help communities in need; but we also let the volunteers have fun outside the clinics! All VIDA Adventures include sight-seeing and cultural activities such as tours of historic cities, whitewater rafting, hospital visits, canopy tours, visits to historic buildings, etc., which let the volunteers learn and see more about the countries they visit.
GO: In your experience, what characteristics make a good international volunteer?
Marla: A good international volunteer is someone who wants to take time out of their schedule to help those in need. A great international volunteer is someone who travels with an open mind, is prepared for anything to happen, and learns from every experience they face. International travel will open your heart and mind to many new experiences, and if you come prepared to accept and learn from these situations, you will get much more from your travels!
GO: How do you ensure your programs are sustainable and mutually beneficial for you, the community, and the volunteers?
Marla: VIDA's main goal is to help the communities in Central America receive the medical, dental and veterinary attention they deserve. In order to obtain this goal, volunteers pay a fee to attend the trips. This fee goes towards paying for their accommodations while on the trip, but also pay for the staff, medications and equipment we need in order to run the clinics. In the future, we hope to apply for and receive grants within the US to be able to purchase more equipment in order to help more communities in need.
Never though I would get so much hands on experience and have the chance to help so many animals in need. Absolutely amazing experience!
I definitely learned a lot. The vets were amazing, really took the time to explain everything and make sure we had a chance to learn and try everything we wanted to.
We were given the opportunity to carry out consults, give vaccines, prep for surgery (inserting catheters, endotracheal tubes under vet supervision), and even assist during surgery while the vets explained exactly what was going on.
It was also really great to be able to interact with the people. Staying with our homestay families and seeing how different their lives are was really an eye opener! I could not have asked for a better "mom" in the homestays!
Overall wonderful experience. You won't regret it if you choose VIDA!!
Critical Feedback:
I would love to have had more large animal days on the vet trip