Program Reviews

I volunteered with the Elephants in Sri Lanka for 3 weeks. It wasn’t what I was initially expecting, but the experience of it all was so much fun and I enjoyed it so much I didn’t want to leave! The two different accomodations allowed you to experience the lifestyle of sri lakans, as well as have some of the home comforts too! Be prepared for the beds though, they aren’t the most comfortable...The people that you meet whilst volunteering makes the experience 100% better and they’re definitely people you will stay in contact with! Cannot wait to go travel again!

have recently come home from taking part in the childcare experience in Thailand and I had the BEST time!!! Sopida was a lovely host right from the minute she met us at the airport until we left. We stayed in her house with her family which gave us a great experience of how Thai's live their day to day life. Their house was very 'homely,' had a lovely ambiance and was nice and clean. Sopida and her husband, Darryl did everything they could to make us feel welcome and meet our needs while we stayed with them. They were also very helpful when it came to planning the rest of our travels to Chiang Mai and Phuket by recommending places to visit and restaurants!!!

The volunteering experience was amazing and the children were adorable. The school was public and so the building looked nice but the children came from different backgrounds. We taught small bits of English from the get go, this included: numbers, the alphabet, fruit, animals and songs. The children were very responsive, even though we were only there for 1 week and a half they had learnt new songs and were able to sing them back to use, which was very rewarding. Sopida helped by providing us with basic worksheets if we needed them and also helped as a translator as the teachers spoke very little English. Although this might seem daunting it was quite easy to do it.

The last few days of our volunteering opportunity we took part in and English day camp which was further away from the house, which if Sopida recommends to do I would definitely take it up. I taught children who were older (11-15) but there was large range of ages at this school. They were so grateful for us being there and as the children were older we made lovely friends by the end and wished we had stayed longer.

Overall the whole experience was brilliant and I would recommend anyone to take up the opportunity, especially when Sopida and Darryl are your hosts!!! xxxx

Had the most incredible experience, especially being an American. I volunteered with several people from around the world. It was amazing getting to know everyone, and sharing this experience with them. Arusha is a wonderful place to volunteer since it is know hotspot for volunteers. The location in which we lived was amazing, cozy and convenient. It wasn't far away from the hospital and it was right in town. We as all the amenities we needed and the staff was amazing. Thank you Queenie and Jodie, and the rest of the staff at the Mulberry for keeping us safe, informed, and having fun with us. The staff is also incredibly helpful in setting up Safaris and weekend getaways. I wouldn't change a thing.

I spent two weeks doing the childcare programme in Thailand. I could not recommend the programme enough as I had the best time and made some amazing memories.
The pre-departure help is great, pmgy keep you updated and well informed about anything you need to know for the trip and answer any questions big or small!

For our accommodation we stayed with our volunteer leader and her family. The accommodation is clean and has everything you need - hot showers, a comfy bed and wifi! Sopida and Darryl are such a lovely couple, who made us feel so comfortable and at ease from the get go and in the end became great friends who I know we will all miss! They helped with everything from ordering food, providing lifts and helping us organise flights, Taxis and other excursions. Sopida accompanied us everyday to the school making sure we were comfortable being in the classroom and also prepared some really helpful resources to use with the children. We never felt unsure of what to do or unsupported. If you are looking to do full days of teaching be aware that the childcare programme does involve a large break in the day due to the children napping - this was fine for our group as we would keep ourselves occupied! On the last 2 days of our programme Sopida organised for us to go to another school In a more deprived area teaching older children from the ages of 7-13. This was really the most rewarding part as it was apparent the children were grateful for you being there and wanted to learn. I feel lucky to have met such lovely children.

Again I can not thank Sopida and Darryl enough for their hospitality, they made us feel like we had a home away from home and made us laugh everyday. Sopida could not do enough to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves and was constantly thinking of ways of how to improve the programme to make it the best experience it could be. Keep up the great job guys and thank you for everything! #honey #dazzle #sozfortheessay #pmgythailand

I spent my August on the 4 week real Thailand experience and I honestly can't think of anything better!

It was my first time travelling in Asia and the trip meant we saw the best of thailand, from relaxing on the beautiful island beaches to exploring the busy cities! The volunteering week was one of my favourites, I didn't think teaching was going to be my thing but the children were so enthusiastic to learn and grateful it was hard not to enjoy! Also the home cooked thai food was some of the best I've ever had.

It was also great to have such a lovely group of like minded travellers to share the trip with!
All round an amazing experience, you are so well looked after by Darryl and Sopida so you don't have to stress about travelling, and they give you lots of tips and recommendations for things you can explore on your own aswell!

Would recommend PMGY to anyone!!

This summer, I went on the 4 week real thailand experience. If you've never been to Thailand before, or never really even been travelling before (both of these were me!) this is a really great trip to do as it covers everything you could want to do and see over thailand in the space of a month.

We got to relax on the islands in between snorkelling and having a great time at the full moon party in koh phangan. So much fun!

We volunteered up in rural northern thailand which was a crazy week filled with teaching English, playing with the kids and learning the occasional word in Thai. Jack, who hosted us in his parents house, is so welcoming, kind and funny. (His mum also cooks the BEST food).

As well as Bangkok, we got to see another amazing city; chiang mai - this is where we got to spend the day with elephants!! This was probably one of the best days, a real once in a lifetime experience.

Everywhere was filled with markets, great food and fun nightlife. (And Even if Thai food isn't really your thing, it's easy to find western food around so there really is something for everyone).

I was excited but a little terrified when I booked it, but Darryl and sopida looked after us so well that it really reduced some of my worries. They're the sweetest, kindest, most hilarious couple. They're just the best. They were like second parents to us while we were there (or more like a fun aunt and uncle that let you get away with things and don't tell your parents what you've been up to).

I went on this trip with two of my friends but I left with at least 20 more. You start the holiday with complete strangers and come home having made some lifelong friendships. I couldn't recommend this trip more.

I have had the most incredible 3 weeks in Ghana. I have done so many things that I never thought I would do. My placement at the orphanage with the disabled children was challenging but extremely rewarding. I also had the opportunity to do some days at the mental health placement which was rewarding and massive thanks to seth for setting that up for me. I have made friendships and created memories that I know will last a lifetime. All the staff at Pmgy do an amazing job at making everyone feel welcome and comfortable as though the volunteer house is our second home. I can't thank the Pmgy uk team and the Ghana team enough for welcoming me into the Pmgy family and making my time here the best it can possibly be. I will, without a doubt be using Pmgy for my travels in the future. Thank you guys for everything.

Visiting Ghana has been the most surreal experience. I spent 8 weeks here in the volunteer house, and despite on the odd occasion when I thought 2 months was too long, I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Excuse the cliche, but I really have made friends for life from the people I've met whilst in Ghana.

I cannot thank the PMGY staff enough for their endless work in keeping us fed, comfortable and happy for the duration of our stay. Whether it be first thing in the morning, or late at night, they are always there to help us and answer any and all questions we have. Without these wonderful, beautiful people my experience here wouldn't have been the same.

At the head of the staff is Seth with Florence at his side, however there are other members of staff that often go unappreciated. Dennis is a hard worker, and practical joker. He'll help you with anything you ask, and he is an excellent representation of the PMGY Ghana Team. Next are the ever present Christy and Cindy. These ladies work non stop. They're up at the break of dawn, preparing us breakfast and a take away lunch from 5am. They work throughout the day to clean up after us messy volunteers, and maintain a home whilst we're at placement. They then serve us plentiful meals in the evening. They keep spirits high with their giggling and contagious smiles. Without these two ladies, we'd be helpless. I have worked alongside Florence from day one being as she works at the school herself. I have never met someone so determined to help make a difference. I don't know where she finds the energy, but the woman remains enthusiastic with bundles of energy from the early mornings right through to late at night. PMGY Ghana are lucky to have Florence with the work rate she has. She is like the mother of the house, which is a wonderful characteristic of hers, meaning the volunteers feel comfortable to talk to her about any and all issues. Seth is the best coordinator we could have asked for. The words 'stop, and 'relax do not apply to him. If he's not taking us volunteers on trips, he's travelling down to Accra to pick up the new volunteers, and he's always on hand and easy to contact if we have any problems/questions.

I remember being asked in my first few days of arriving in here, 'why did you choose Ghana?', and to be completely honest I couldn't give and answer I was proud of. However, despite me not being answer that question 8 weeks ago, I can now confidently say why YOU should come to Ghana.

To the PMGY staff, the children of Divine International, and more importantly to Ghana, Diolch. Thank you. Medaase.

Unconditional love, Sir Yaw Sam

I volunteered in Sri Lanka for a month in July doing the mental health programme, as the programme was new it was still had a few issues however the staff tried very hard to resolve the issues, the programme allowed an insight into how mental health is dealt with in a developing country which was very interesting. I would recommend the mental health programme however I would also suggest that people are patient with the project and that sometimes things don't go as planned. During my time in the project I visited two different hospitals where I was able to observe patients appointments, I also visited an outpatient clinic which was very insightful and I was allowed to observe the daily routine of the patients and ask many questions about the how the clinic worked, I also volunteered in a special needs school, where my presence was very appreciated and the staff were helpful at explaining what they did to try and improve the childrens education. The local staff were all helpful and very welcoming, especially Manoj and Nalaka.

Words can't explain how much i enjoyed my time in Sri Lanka doing the Real Experience. Not only have I made a tonne of amazing memories, I have also made life long friends!

In regards to the pre-departure support I felt like I was very prepared. The team provide you with a very in-depth handbook with all the information you need to know about how to get the right visa, what to bring etc. You can also join their page on facebook where you can ask questions to other volunteers and find anyone who may be doing the same project as you so you can make a group chat and get to know them before you go.

The support in Sri Lanka was brilliant. Not once did i feel unsure or unsafe. During the two weeks of travelling we always had Nisha and the bus drivers around if you needed any help and there were plenty of staff available at the volunteer house! The accommodation for the two weeks of travelling were very lovely hotels and the majority of them had a pool. You were catered for every breakfast and dinner there with a buffet - usually consisting of toast & fruit for breakfast and rice & different types of curry for dinner. Lunch was usually at a buffet place somewhere else. We stayed at the River House for the volunteering which was very different to the hotels but that was expected. The dorms were simple with bunk beds and a shared bathroom. The river house itself was lovely, you could go sit by the river and watch the gorgeous sunsets or sunbathe by the pool (although watch out for the ants as they're practically everywhere)

I did the Turtle project in the morning and Teaching in the afternoons. Turtles were great fun although sometimes there would be too many people so there wouldn't be enough things for everyone to do. Releasing the baby turtles was definitely my favourite part, such a good experience! Teaching in the afternoon was great as the kids love learning English. It's definitely more hard work though as their lessons are a lot longer so trying to come up with new games to help them concentrate is quite difficult but there are plenty of folders at the volunteer house with lesson plans that previous volunteers have done so you can come up with games and topics from there.

Please note that within the travelling, there are restrictions on leaving the hotels. The coordinators live in Sri Lanka, they know whether if its safe or not to be leaving the hotels late at night so if they say no then please respect that. You will get the weekends and evenings to do what you please when you get to the volunteer house.

Overall, my time in Sri Lanka is unforgettable and would definitely recommend the Real Experience as you get to travel all of Sri Lanka's main tourist areas as well as volunteering.