Program Reviews

When people have asked me how my time in Ghana was, I have found it really hard to put it into words. I have experienced emotions which I have never experienced before, been introduced to a new culture, become more confident in myself and I have made friends for life.

The volunteer house itself is what I expected with around 6 volunteers per room which enabled me to become really close to numerous people. The living and dining area is spacious so all of the volunteers were able to sit together and participate in activities which also helped our group to become even closer. Although often having no running water came as a shock, I surprisingly really enjoyed the bucket showers.

My time at the orphanage was an experience which I will never forget. Although at the beginning of my three weeks I found it hard to know what I was able to do at the orphanage and after the initial shocks of how the house mothers treated the children, I soon settled in and felt able to contribute in ways that enabled me to make a difference. As my time progressed at the orphanage, I found myself becoming more confident in myself and became much more involved. I painted the disabled girls' room along with a couple of other volunteers and transformed their dark and dull room into a light, pretty, girly room which was greatly appreciated by the house mother and the children. Some of the children at the orphanage have completely stolen my heart and I plan on visiting them again in the future. The children at the orphanage have taught me a very important lesson as they all were so positive, enthusiastic and happy despite them having absolutely nothing.

The staff at PMGY Ghana have been absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked for a more supportive, caring and enthusiastic team to spend my three weeks with. Whenever I needed advice or help Seth or Flo were always there to help. As this was my first time volunteering abroad I was a bit apprehensive before I came as I thought I might feel out of my comfort zone, however, the staff really helped to make everyone feel at home as soon as they stepped foot in the volunteer house. I felt so safe during my time in Ghana, there was never a time that I felt anxious or worried about safety aspects.

Overall, I have had the most amazing experience of my life and I cannot recommend volunteering in Ghana enough. I believe that it has changed me for the better and I have learnt a lot of important life lessons.

Volunteered in Bali for 3 weeks, and absolutely loved it. Ketut, Rush and Indra were so welcoming and I felt right at home in Tabanan. Accommodation and food were lovely.

The project was enjoyable; the kids were brilliant and the lessons we taught were very fun All volunteers were so friendly. The weekends were great because it allowed some travel time of your own, either by yourself or with the PMGY trips. If you needed transport Indra was brilliant at sorting it out for you. Bali has so many things on to see and do: waterfall, Mt Batur, the Gili Islands, rice fields... As long as you're willing to try new things, you will have the best time in Bali. I definitely did!

I have recently returned home from three weeks in Ghana with PMGY.
I loved my three weeks in Ghana, I can honestly say I've made friends for life. After arriving off the plane and arriving at the hostel we were met by staff at Pmgy before arriving at the hostel for the night.
The volunteer house is easy to settle into with bunk beds and lockers for personal belongings. The living room has a TV and the dining room is large and good to play games in. I found myself enjoying the bucket showers which were welcomed after a long hot day.
Placement is overwhelming but amazing and the children will steal your hearts as they did mine. I was shocked to have found myself so attached the the children so soon but with their charm and smiles they make any day a good day. The orphanage was hard for me at first but after finding my feet I was confident to roam around and find jobs to do. The school is so amazing, the children will be overjoyed to see new people and they love singing and dancing! I would definitely recommend visiting both.
The staff are helpful and are happy to help arrange any excursions you're interested in.
Overall I would recommend this amazing oppertunity and I've returned home with a lot more perspective on the little things. I would love to visit the children again and see how they've grown.

I thought that 2-3 weeks may be a little short for volunteering, I decided to do a 4 weeks teaching programme , but its still not enough. My experience here is absolutely amazing, the supervisors were really nice, and I got to know a lot of new people from different country. And most importantly, I got to learn the culture in this place and actually bond with the local people.
Participating in this program is probably one of the best decision I've ever made.

I cannot put into words how amazing my time was in Ghana. The past two months have been absolutely incredible and life changing. I have come back so thankful that I got to experience what I did and it has changed my outlook completely. I loved my time in Ghana and I cannot thank the PMGY team enough.
I did the teaching project and the orphanage project and loved both! I fell in love with the children from day one and the bounds formed with them I will never forget. I would teach at the school in the mornings and then volunteer in the orphanage in the afternoon and I'm thankful that i was able to do both projects as they have taught me so much. Both projects are completely different experiences but each were equally rewarding and I felt like I was helping at both. Whilst at times it was challenging, the fulfilling feeling you got from helping the children and seeing them happy made it easier. The attitude that the kids have is inspiring and seeing their smiling faces has really taught me not to take anything for granted. They constantly stayed positive and happy and I feel blessed that I got to work with them. I will honestly always remember them and everything they have taught me. Leaving both projects was incredibly difficult and probably one of the hardest things i've had to do. I miss the Kids so much and think of them everyday, they have made such an impact on my life.
Not only is the projects amazing but so are the PMGY Ghana team. They are incredibly hard working and helpful and this experience wouldn't of been the same without them. Seth and Flo will do anything to help and go out of their way to ensure you are enjoying yourself and having a good time. Flo is a shinning star and to me the heart of the house. She is constantly upbeat and cheerful and its impossible to be anything but happy when around her. Whilst also working at the school herself, she also helps volunteers in any way possible and I never felt out of my depths at the school as she was always there to make sure everything was ok. I also need to mention the two best chefs Kristy and Cindy for the delicious food they cooked for us everyday. Not only that though they too were so upbeat and happy that it was just lovely to be around them. They created such a fun atmosphere in the house. Often you'd come home from project feeling tired but it was nice to come back to their liveliness and chat about our days or have a little dance. I consider all of them friends and I feel lucky to of meet them. Also not to miss out Roland, Dennis, Kwami and prince, a massive thank you for making this time so great. All the team made me feel so welcome from day one and it did feel like one big family. I never once felt alone as I knew I could always have someone to go to. By the end of my time in Ghana it felt more like a second home. Also to all my fellow volunteer a massive thank you to all of you for making this trip so special, I love you all!
I never felt unsafe throughout my whole stay in Ghana, and I always knew if I needed help the locals were always more than happy to help with what you need. I've fallen in love the country and the culture, whilst its very different to back in the uk, its so interesting to see and experience. What i have found most inspiring is the happiness of everyone you meet, even people who are struggling keep a smile on their face and I think that's truly amazing! I would 100% recommend PMGY Ghana! The memories I have from Ghana I will cherish forever and Ghana will always have a special place in my heart! I will definitely be returning.

I par took in to the under 18's volunteer and adventure trip in Sri Lanka and have to say its one of the best experiences of my life everything about the trip was amazing from the staff to volunteering to the actual traveling part itself. The staff are extremely helpful and truly amazing people. The volunteering is so rewardful and the way this trip is set up let's you experience a bit of all the projects, goals are set for each team to achieve in their project and complete by the end of your time on the project allowing you to see just how much you've achieved. Then there is the traveling part which is just incredible the amount you get for your money still amazes me you go to some outstanding places and see amazing things. I fall in with Sri Lanka thanks to pmgy and can't wait to go back

It's difficult to put into words how my time in Ghana has been.

From arriving at Kotoka Airport to spending the night in the Pink Hostel then arriving at the volunteer house in Kronum, all of which were experiences in themselves, I knew I was going to be spending my time with an incredible bunch of people.

The volunteer house is as you can imagine. Lots of bedrooms, a communia dining room. I think this aided in us becoming a closer group in some way. The food was a culture shock, obviously, and I'm still unsure about some of it, but Christie and Cindy do a great job, as does Flo, Dennis and of course Seth!

My placement was incredible. I worked in the Emergency Unit and made some great friends with the nurses. It was hard at times - myself and another volunteer found a woman in cardiac arrest in the car park of the hospital and despite doing everything we could in the Emergency Unit we couldn't save her. The EU team is very welcoming and supportive, and we were able to chat about what happened.

The most difficult time I had on my trip was saying goodbye to people who I became so close to. For three weeks we worked, ate, travelled and shared rooms with eachother and to have to say goodbye to them one day was really difficult.

I'd definitely recommend PMGY to people, and especially the medical programme.

I have recently returned from a 4 week placement with PMGY Ghana where i worked both at the teaching placement and the childrens home. Both placements were absolutely incredible and something i couldn't reccomend highly enough, the school is incredible and the children are amazing to work with and it's great to see them eager to learn! Aswell as the orphanage, it is an amazing experience there and again the children and wonderful and there smiles will fill you with joy! My time in Ghana was the best time of my life, the culture and people make every penny worth it and i would reccomend traveling to Ghana as it is amazing! I can't wait to be returning next year!

My time here in ghana has been beyond amazing. During my last 3 weeks in Ghana, I have encountered a wide rage of experiences, opportunities and eye opening insights, which willl remain with me forever. Everyday in ghana has been a different day which has made this trip so delightful and fun. I'm extremly happy that I made the choice to come and volunteer in ghana, as the people here are always happy and kind, the culture is different and welcoming and overall the volunteers that I've met have turn out to be more than just but friends but more like family.

The medical placement where I was volunteering, has made my time here in ghana feel like I made a difference. The majority of the time at the hospital I observed the doctors, nurses and surgeons, however from these observations i managed to learn a lot which may not have been volunteering in a direct manner but it surely made me aware of many things.

The staff in ghana are lovely, supportive and extremely friendly. They've made me feel like I've been at home for the past 3 weeks. I appreciate everything that they do and I'm very grateful for them being there for all of us.

Personally, I think Ghana is a safe country to visit and volunteer as everyone is so friiendly and welcoming and I've had no issues.

I loveeeee ghanaaaa

As a mother of a 17 year old daughter, I was unsure and very worried about letting my daughter jet off half way across the world without me there. However, now she has returned home I must admit I had no need to worry at all. Colby and her team were amazing all the way through the experience, from the planning stage, to the keeping them safe whilst in Sri Lanka. She was on hand to answer both my worries and my daughters questions, no matter how trivial they were. The team over in Sri Lanka were also amazing. My daughter has food allergies, they met her needs, my daughter lost her phone, the elephant man returned it to her the next day after a passer by had found it, she also went off on her own with her new friends for the weekend to the beach, the team recommended safe accomodation for them. I let a very young 17 year old (her birthday was just a month before the trip) go off on her first adventure without me and I can honestly say, she left as a child and returned a very mature young lady who spoke very highly of all in the team. She spends many evenings with us sharing her experiences and memories. She had a life changing experience which she loved and made many new friends from the trip. Thank you Colby and team for keeping her safe, for answering my trivial questions and for giving my daughter a once in a life time oportunity. She had the best time ever and will definitely be returning. Keep up the good work!