IFRE Volunteers Abroad

Overall, our experience in Costa Rica was incredible. My friend Erika and I went together seeking to volunteer as Physical Therapists. We ended up having a wonderful host family and placement, with plenty of free time to explore Costa Rica on the side as well. The program directors ensured we had everything we needed to feel safe and comfortable throughout. I would say our only complaint was not receiving many details about our home stay and placement until we got in the country. We weren't given any specifics and were not guaranteed to be doing Physical Therapy before we actually stepped foot into the country, and this originally made us uneasy. The coordinators we spoke with kept repeating the same things regarding how they can't tell us more due to privacy reasons, and all responses to our questions felt vague. It felt a little sketchy and like we could be scammed, but we weren't at all and everything ended up being amazing once we got there. We felt safe within the country too as we always stayed together and followed basic safety precautions like not carrying valuables, walking alone or at night, taking Ubers instead of Taxis, etc. Despite our initial hesitations throughout the sign up process, we ended up loving every second of the week long trip!

Overall my experience in this program was a good one. With the help of this program I feel like I have grown so much. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

My partner and I stayed with Michael and his family, which were all just incredible. Michael was an amazing host, he guided us throughout the entire two weeks of our program and even after we left to travel around the country, he was always ready to help through Whatsapp. Michael organised our daily transport to and from the hospital which was great. He also organised trips for us which were also so much fun. They prepared food for us every day which was delicious. He and his family are very caring and always with a smile on their face. They thought us so much about their culture. We will definitely stay in touch with them.

The actual medical exposure was also eye-opening. We could see how the medical team makes use of little resources to provide the best health care that they can. Nonetheless, my partner and I were a bit disappointed in the fact that the program was not a voluntary type but a more of a medical elective. We did not participate in any medical procedures, something which we both thought we will do.

Sri Lanka Medical experience was an eye opening experience I was able to observe and see medical pathologies and conditions that we do not really get in the western world. During my 2 weeks placement at the hospital I was able to appreciate the art of clinical diagnosis via examination, something that again in the western world is being lost due to the increase accessibility to radiological and laboratory investigations.

The host family that we were living with in Sri Lanka have been amazing, they made us (my partner and I) feel at home. Michael (Host), is an amazing guy, he used to help us and guide us through everything we wanted to do in Sri Lanka both throughout those 2 week while doing our medical placement and even after since we decided to travel around Sri Lanka after finishing the placement.

The only disappointment that both my partner and myself have expressed is that this is not a volunteering project but instead this is a medical elective, but none the less we still made the most out of it and we were still able to obtain some medical knowledge both from the doctors themselves and even from the other medical students.

My first volunteer experience in Cusco. Poor advice on local accommodation. Local transportation not provided. Feeding on your own. Language barrier a major factor. Limited site orientation. Airport pickup on arrival. Arranged a private accommodation. Feeding and accommodation cost should be separated from the fee. Provision of interpreter should be
explored. Overall, it’s a unique and interesting experience. Regular training should be offered to country coordinator and staff. Improving the presence of IFRE in a country should be made a priority.

My time in Kathmandu within the photojournalism volunteer placement was a fulfilling experience. My instructor, Ram, had detailed knowledge of photography and the city’s culture. All coordinators were accommodating and helpful making for a great support group. I highly recommend for those looking to embark on international experience as Nepal is an exciting and welcoming country for tourists. There are other volunteer options available which I’m sure are just as impactful, however, I’m partial to the photojournalism placement as it allows for travel access to city’s main attractions and newly equipped photography skills for which to store lasting memories!