Volunteer in Mexico: Most Affordable & Real Impact!

UBELONG is a very motivated organization whose goals are to help you make a difference in the lives of the people in the communities they serve. I have made life long friends with my students that I taught, the other volunteers, locals, and the support staff. I seriously do not want to leave, but I know that I will return. This community has become my home all thanks to the direction of UBELONG. They want your input on how the volunteer projects should be. It is a collaborative effort and I have really enjoyed working with them all. Also Merida is located in an amazing location in the Yucatán. There is so much to do in the city, and it is just a four hour bus ride from places like Tulum and Holbox. Take advantage of it all! There is a lot of free time and a lot to see. The hostel where we stay is also incredible, safe, and has a really great environment. I wish I could stay longer and continue with my students and this program. I can not recommend it enough! Check out their website for more information. Thanks UBELONG for the best summer of my life!

I loved the fact that we could experience the culture more fully than any other traveller, while helping to improve and support the country. We got to be great friends with the children and got a unique understanding of the culture. We also were able to freely explore the country during the free time, which allowed us to see many interesting and unique sites.

The volunteer program of Ubelong in Merida, Mexico was a gateway not only to make a difference to the society, but also to create world-class friendships.

I live in NYC and I am a CPA and a Level II CFA. Coming from a finance background and living in an illusion that I know it all, I realized that this program opened completely new doors that I was oblivious to.

I did not know any Spanish, a limitation that made me nervous about the program in the beginning. However, your first interaction is with the program officers in Mexico. Martina and Leo are absolutely endearing and they make you feel comfortable and safe since the inception of the program. The positive energy they exude brings the best in you.

The hostel ubelong arranged for the volunteers is very comfortable and through it, you meet some of the finest people; travelers and locals. The other volunteers in the program (Rachel, Lija, Lisa and Paige) became my pals immediately and the whole environment became a comfort zone that I had difficulty leaving.

The non-profit I worked for in Merida had a very professional staff. I was fortunate to work both on the field and in the office (as I have a finance background). I worked with Foster in the nursery who taught me not only the fieldwork but also a little Spanish. The highlight was the hip-hop music that played in the background while conducting arduous physical labor. In the office, I worked on preparing cost benefit analysis and helped brainstorm ideas to raise funds. Carolina, the office staff, is a very talented and intelligent girl, who helped me learn about the general fabric of Mexican economy.

Merida as a city is very safe and has a rustic appeal. People are very courteous and amiable, something I miss in NYC. Amidst all the hard work, I still found time to visit tourist spots around Merida. I would definitely recommend this program to everyone and also emphasize that Ubelong is a great channel to accomplish your social goals.

My time at Ubelong was amazing. I volunteered for 2 weeks in Merida. I work with disadvantaged youth. I felt that I could not ask for a better organization to volunteer for. For me applying with the organization, making sure I had everything ready for my trip, to assistance during my time there. Cedric, Leo, and Martina were professional, caring, and all around wonderful in making my experience in Merida Mexico, and my volunteer experience, an experience that I will cherish and never forget.

UBELONG is a fantastic organization because they have lots of programs in all different places around the world. They also allow you to choose how long you want to stay, so there's no problem creating a volunteer trip that fits all of your needs. The UBELONG leaders on site were absolutely fantastic! They were extremely helpful in getting us comfortable with our project and even showing us all around Merida. However, there was some disorganization with figuring out the volunteer projects. I signed up for the trip to Merida because it was advertised that I'd be teaching English in schools, and I didn't get to do that. I really enjoyed my project, but I wish I could've done what I signed up for.

Volunteering with UBELONG was one of the greatest things I have ever done, I had such a great amazing time and it was all thanks to the great team UBELONG has. They made the whole experience so easy, from registration to arriving, the organisation of the projects, looking after you and advising you on activities to do in the area and then to your departure. I have volunteered with a couple of organisations before UBELONG and I have to say that they were the best in preparing you for what to expect during your volunteer time and is definitely an organisation I would recommend.

UBELONG is an organization that anyone could be proud to volunteer through. They are the definition of traveling with purpose. This organization gives you the opportunity to travel somewhere new, completely immerse yourself in the culture, and give back to them in some way. I do not really think there could be much more you could ask for; UBELONG is truly dedicated to giving its volunteers the absolute best experience abroad.

The UBELONG staff - the essence of the organization - are some of the most helpful, humble, and honest people I've had the pleasure to work with. They go above and beyond to make sure they can assist you in any way possible in preparation for your abroad experience, as well as assisting you while you're abroad. I'm so thankful for the team in the U.S. as well as the local team in Merida - Cedric, Raul, Leo, and Martina are all extremely genuine people who will go out of their way to help you thrive in your abroad experience.