Projects Abroad

Participating in the care and community program was the second time I had the opportunity to volunteer in Nepal so I wasn't expecting much difference from the previous organization I went with; however, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the program.

The living conditions were better than I expected. There was everything from a clean bed and bathroom to room service and laundry services available at request. We were well fed and all of the food served at the hotel was delicious. The staff at the Prince Hotel were also extremely friendly and accommodating to our needs.

The people I met were also very friendly. I was also surprised by the many different backgrounds of the volunteers that volunteered alongside me. There were students from all over the world that came to participate and it was a joy learning to communicate in their languages and making foreign friends.

If I have the time and opportunity, I would definitely partake in the program again. I give this program my highest recommendation for those who want to help others while visiting a foreign country.

Peru!! What an incredible place. From beautiful buildings to incredible views. The people, the food and the markets are great!! The schools and the children are so warm hearted!! Great experience!!

I have never meet a company that is so informative and helpful. They always answer all their emails, and even take phone calls. Very easy to communicate and organise things with. This was the same when I was in Peru. Always there and ready to help.

My experience during my placement has amazing. It was fun, heartwarming, and enjoyable time. I was lucky to work with a great group of students, and all different ages. I had time to work with them 1 on 1, as well as in a group.

I found the altitude a little difficult, but got use to it very quickly. My family actually gave me a special tea to help. My family did many beautiful things to help make my stay enjoyable. They took me on a tour around the city, cooked amazing food, spent time with me learning spanish, as well as taking me to the market.

During my time in Peru I got to meet with many of the other volunteers. We spent nights at restaurants having dinner, seeing in karaoke bars as well as doing some small tours. It was nice to feel safe and like I had a whole new family here.

It was a once in the lifetime experience, and I hope too and can not wait to go again!!! Thank your Projects Abroad.

From mine & other volunteers experiences this voluntourism does not seem to be harmful but I also do not believe it does much good. A lot of us felt we weren't needed at our placements and did not make any difference with our volunteering.

Considering the low cost of living in Vietnam the courses are hugely over priced and the company is very cheap when it comes to paying for transport and food despite how much volunteers pay. Had multiple bad experiences with staff right from the booking process through to leaving.

Only thing that made the project enjoyable was the people there. Would highly recommend avoiding Projects Abroad and going directly to an NGO which will be much cheaper and you're time there will be useful. Other volunteers agreed that Projects Abroad was not an ethical organisation and they wished they had used a different company. Stay away!!

My time in Fiji was an amazing and unforgettable experience. I stayed in Nadi and interned/volunteered for the Nutrition Project through Projects Abroad. Fiji overall is a great country to travel to; its beauty is stunning, there is plenty to do in your free time, and I felt very safe the whole time. I stayed with a host family, which was such a great experience. My host mom, "Lo" as we called her, was such a sweet spirit who did everything she could to make the volunteers feel comfortable and at home. She was also a great cook, and made us delicious traditional Fijian meals every night! I loved having dinner with her and the rest of the family every night and playing with her 4 kids.

The nutrition project itself was an amazing and unique learning experience as well as a ton of fun! I am a nutrition student at the University of Alabama, so I was able to apply my previous nutrition knowledge as well as learn a lot about Fijian dietary habits/recommendations. We did a variety of things including health screenings, nutrition counseling, and presentations at schools. Everyday was a little different, which kept the project exciting. Our project coordinator, Meiva, was really great in leading us each day, and also was very open to suggestion for how to make the project better. She also asked every intern what they enjoyed or wanted to get out of the project, and made changes accordingly.

Lastly, I think my favorite part of the whole experience was the other volunteers I met while I was there. I loved spending every day with my fellow nutrition volunteers and also getting to know interns from the other projects in Nadi as well. We had “socials” arranged by Projects Abroad and also explored Fiji together in our free time at night or on weekends. I know I made several lasting friendships, and I even have plans for a volunteer I met in Fiji to come visit me this Fall! Overall this was an incredible experience of a lifetime.

My experience with Projects Abroad was really incredible. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is considering a career in medicine because it allowed me to figure out if I can handle it before I spent the thousands of dollars to attend a nursing program. It also gave me a taste of what I may want to specialize in because I experienced a variety of different environments inside the hospital. It is a very difficult process to view a surgery in the United States, so if you're interested in doing so, consider this alternative.

Essentially, each weekday morning, my roommate and I woke up, had breakfast, packed our lunches and supplies for the day, and waited to be picked up by one of the coordinators to be brought to one of the local hospitals. We would arrive, talk to the doctor who agreed to accept us for the day, and tell him or her where we wanted to go from the options given to us. In the two weeks I spent there, I was sent to pediatrics, nursing, the emergency room, and best of all, the operating room. I was able to watch three surgeries (as in, standing next to the patient, asking questions to the doctors), and it confirmed nursing as a career path for me.

If you're choosing between a medical camp at an American college or an opportunity abroad as I was, hands down choose the latter. It is not only a better experience since you are traveling the world, but it is unique and makes you stand out from the rest of the future med school applicants. This program in particular allows you to experience living with a host family, learning and practicing Spanish, traveling Argentina, and working in real hospitals with real patients. Everything that I was hoping to experience was checked off of my list before I left. I would highly recommend this program.