Inspire Volunteering maybe focuses too much on the advertising aspect of their organization, when they should be putting more focus on communication between the organization and its coordinators. Many of the promised services were not provided: no airport pick-up (but maybe this was because I was already in the area), a placement in a different town than the one that was mentioned, and the worst was not being notified about my home stay until a week before the placement (this made me anxious and afraid that I had signed up for a scam). However, this organization is legitimate and in the end worked out so that I had an excellent experience. The Elqui Valley is beautiful and provides volunteers with a unique experience that is truly rural. Volunteers have the option to work in a variety of schools, all of which can use the help. Teachers and students are very friendly and generally open to volunteers. My host family was extremely kind and helpful, and was one of the best parts of the experience. I recommend Inspire Volunteering if you are already an experienced traveler or start out with another volunteer organization in Chile before doing Inspire, like I did.
What would you improve about this program?
The organization was very good about responding to my emails and calls, although they were not very on top of it when connecting me with the local coordinator and providing me with information on my home stay placement.
