ISV - Volunteer Projects in the Dominican Republic

Doing a volunteer project with ISV was truly life-changing. While I wasn't sure where I wanted to go at first, I'm so happy I was assigned to work on human development projects in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. Having daily interactions with people who have so little and yet are still happy was incredible. Seeing the children in the Domincan have as much, or more, enjoyment from day-to-day things than people I encounter at home was truly eye-opening; despite not having the luxury of buying toys and gadgets, I rarely heard kids complaining.

Upon returning home I really started to consider how fortunate I am and how important it is to put things into perspective. I hope the families we met during the assignment will remember the experience as fondly as I do.

Spent two weeks in DR. My group ran a 2 week summer program for the kids with different activities each day. Was such a pleasure to work and play with the children. Also spent a good portion of our time building a kindergarten school and making floors for the houses of some of the locals. Lovely people and great food and company. Love the different dances and the spirit of the country

This program does so well because it attracts volunteers who are 150% dedicated to the cause. Not one single moment was wasted. I cannot stress enough how impactful and engaging the entire trip was, from the Spanish lessons in Santiago to the countless smiles I encountered in El Limon. This program changed my life for the better and I plan to eventually work as a program assistant in the future!!!

My first international solo trip was with ISV to the Dominican Republic. This program gave me access to an experience unlike any other. I was able to witness extreme poverty and begin to see how organizations work to address issues related to poverty. This trip was also a great way to meet like-minded people from different countries - my trip was in 2011 and I just went to a wedding of a friend I met and have continued to travel with and keep in contact with.

Overall, the trip was very well organized and the guides we had were amazing and contributed to the experience. Our mentors or team leaders during our projects were also awesome and very easy to relate to.

Based on my other travels overseas since then, this program does seem to be fairly overpriced and the NGO seems to have very high overhead.

One suggestion I have is considering longer term projects...2 weeks was not enough for me and I would have loved to do more before going on the adventure tour.

I had an excellent experience in the Dominican volunteering for ISV. My favorite part was building houses and meeting the people who's lives would be positively changed because of us. I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!

Participating in the ISV program was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I went in thinking I was going leave a positive impact on the children, but it turned out that they were the ones who left a positive impact on me. ISV were incredibly helpful with organizing the entire trip, they kept in contact with me leading up to the date of departure, and they made sure that every day was worth every penny.

Every moment of everyday I think about last summer's volunteer experience in the Dominican Republic. It truly changed my life, and I plan to go back someday and see our the improvements we did at Blue Moon still there with the people.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel with International Student Volunteers (ISV) to the Dominican Republic in 2005. ISV gave me a very unique experience where I was able to impact the lives of local families by volunteering and also travel around the Dominican Republic doing a bunch of different fun adventure activities.

When I arrived with ISV I immediately fell in love with the Dominican Republic. The well trained Tour and Project Leaders who guided my group of 20 students along the way, and the children that we were able to help on a daily basis, made this trip the most memorable of my life. ISV took us whitewater rafting, surfing, snorkeling, rappelling down waterfalls, cliff jumping, canyoning, windsurfing, and exploring the Dominican culture giving me the adventure of a lifetime. The organization and number of activities that were set up for me in just two weeks far exceeded my expectations.

As fun as the adventure tour was, the biggest impact that ISV had on me was during the 2 weeks I spent on my Volunteer Project at Crossroads. Seeing things I would have never imagined and the conditions that people have to live in was a very eye opening experience. I instantly fell in love with the place and people we were helping. Seeing the smiles on the kid’s faces as our old bus pulls up to their village on the dirt roads, with the kids chasing after us to greet us with hugs, climbing all over us as we arrived each morning still brings a smile to my face today. I was able to really connect with the people in the village. The families invited me in their new homes showed off their decorations and home with so much pride and joy. Seeing how grateful they were for what we were doing is one of the biggest rewards I have ever felt. I can’t thank ISV enough for giving me this amazing opportunity and organizing the trip of a lifetime.

We made little mission trips to poor villages giving toiletries, food, milk, and medical treatment for the sick just made me appreciate everything I have so much more. I'll never forget the time I had in the Dominican Republic and the people we were able to help. Their smiles and the joy they shared with me will last forever. As much as we gave to them, from our suitcases full of clothes to the shoes we had on our feet to the houses we helped build giving them running water and electricity for the first time, to teaching the children, it still felt like I was the one they were helping. It gave me a whole new outlook on life and made me appreciate everything I have so much more and gave me a whole new outlook on life.

I have been on other volunteer trips before and nothing comes close to comparing with experience that I had with ISV. ISV’s professionalism and organization in setting up such an amazing program is something I would recommend to anyone who is looking to travel. The friendships I made in the Dominican Republic, the lives I helped change, and the kids hanging all over me with smiles on their faces are things that will always be with me thanks to ISV.