Involvement Volunteers International (IVI)

Loved it. Amazing opportunity and honor to be welcomed as a local in the village. An honor to live with them in community and live out Christianity with them was definitely my highlight. Absolutely loved working with the disabled children at the hospital and amazing to see the love that Phos Haven orphanage have for these kids.

It was a very local experience and I had to adapt a lot but this is all part of the experience.

It is a very raw experience and volunteers should ensure they are prepated for a very different way of living.

Loved it!

-Denise

The best experience I ever had in Kenya. Amazing project, lovely people, very kind staff, a lot of options for activities and delicious Kenyan food.

Local team was fantastic. They help you with everything, take care of you, work really hard, are always available and are passionate.

The food was perfect. Everyday 3 meals with typical Kenyan dishes

Accomodation was clean, relaxed and located in a safe neighbourhood. WiFi was available, warm shower, tv, drinking water, pool table. Highly recommend!

As a recent graduate planning to work in hospitality management, I found this project awesome! I got to experience first hand by staying in a super cool country, with the nicest people and food. Otaki was a really unique traditional Japanese village so got to mix with the locals and learn some of the language, even though they mostly were keen to practice their English with me. The weekend trips to Nagano and onsens were also a highlight and caught the bullet train to Kyoto one weekend. I made friends for life on the program as we got to mix with volunteers on all the programs - English teaching and farming and agriculture volunteers. Overall, this trip has been a highlight of my life.

The Lemur Experience at Nosy Be Madagascar was a life altering week. The setting offered more that just watching crocodile feeding, washing big turtles and small turtles, and learning to care for and engage with lemurs. I spent our work days with locals who work at the sanctuary and local volunteers, laughing and talking while we worked. Our group work spent our time sharing life stories across generations, focused more on dreams than heart break, a true gem of the volunteer experience. At our long 2 hour lunch breaks, students and I engaged in helping them improve their English, including hands-on social media skills in English. I spent a few days exploring the local community, the local markets, shops, beach, and cafes for a real feel for the area. The experience included housing in a safe villa with two houses, local meals prepared by Rodrick, and daily transportation through the local area back and forth to the center. I had a room with 2 bunk beds, mosquito net, hot water shower and shared bathroom, wifi, and access to refrigerator. The work tasks were easy to complete. Program guide John oriented me to the work and I was able to do what I was comfortable with, which was everything! Pavith oversaw the program, joined me for evening meal, answered all my questions, and was always available.

I am very grateful to have participated in this project. I am returning from my assignment at the Philippine schools with somewhat mixed emotions, though the experience was deeply moving and rewarding in many ways.

I was deeply impressed by the locals' positive mindset. The community welcomed me with smiles, and the students were grateful and respectful.

Furthermore, I was enchanted by the beautiful surroundings at both locations. The stunning scenery, with its pristine beaches and palm trees, provided wonderful opportunities for swimming and relaxing after work. It was the perfect backdrop to unwind.