Program Reviews

I spent three weeks in Nepal, one trekking and the other two volunteering in Pokhara Happy Home.

Happy Home is house to eight boys from the age of five to sixteen. I had a wonderful time there. The boys are very sweet and full of energy! We helped them with their homework and organised activities for them during the day as they were on holidays at the time we were there. It was a great learning and cultural experience.

In addition, there are many activities offered in Pokhara and Chitwan such as paragliding, kayaking, and a safari. I met volunteers who tried the paragliding and they were enchanted.

The trekking was magical, everything was well planned and our guide was very kind.

Overall the trip was very well organised. The host family in Kathmandu are very welcoming and are of great support if ever you encounter a problem. I would definitely recommend Nepal to anyone who enjoys spending time with children and is interested in discovering new cultures and the breathtaking scenery of the Himalayas.

I have just spent a life changing 3 weeks in Ghana with PMGY and couldn't have asked for a better organisation to do volunteer work with. As a 17 year old, I was quite apprehensive about travelling all the way to Africa on my own. However, in hindsight there was no need to worry at all - it was as fun, eye opening and educational as I could have ever hoped for. I took part in the orphanage program which was very emotional at times but extremely rewarding when you make a child smile or you make a mother's job that little bit easier. Despite the initial culture shock I experienced at the beginning, I overcame that and began to learn more about myself and the country which has opened my eyes an awful lot. The kids are great and become your own little friends which makes it so much harder to leave them but only goes to show the amazing relationship you are building with them, showing that you are making a positive difference. As for the staff that work in the volunteer house, they are all truly amazing. Each and every one of them gives 100% and more to make sure you feel happy during your stay. I cannot fault any member of staff, Seth, Flo, Dennis, Kristy and Cindy are your friends and really do make you feel like you are part of a family. They are a huge part of my experience because of the many laughs and happy moments I've had with them during the 3 weeks. Safety is not an issue to worry about whilst in Ghana, even though, to admit I was a bit concerned to start with. However, I had no reason to, I felt very safe during my time in Ghana and not once did I feel in danger. I must say though, the tro tro drivers can be a bit crazy but you get used to it haha! I would 100% recommend PMGY to anyone who really wants to make a positive impact in the world because you really do feel like you are with this organisation. PMGY Ghana you have been amazing! Thank you for this opportunity!

Natalie xx

When my daughter told me she was going to Ghana to volunteer in an orphanage, I must admit I had my reservations. I was nervous with my lack of knowledge of the culture, the support she would receive, and their trustworthiness. Needless to say, I was worried. However, from the contact that I had with lily throughout her time in Ghana, I realised how much love and support she was able to give those children in the safety of PMGY. She tells me she would like to go back again - this time I won't have so many sleepless nights, because I know she will be well looked after and safe. fMy daughter has come home and hasn't stopped talking about her amazing experience in Ghana. :)

Bali was the best experience ever! The volunteer accommodation in ketut's home was much better than I expected and the meals were really nice, a good mix of Balinese and western. All the girls at the volunteer house were so friendly and ketut, rush and Indra are the most welcoming family ever and would do anything to make your stay as happy and safe as possible.
The project work was really enjoyable and I learnt a lot, however I would suggest bringing some of your own materials with you e.g. Stickers, board pens, worksheets, maybe some games, to ensure you keep the teaching fun and provide variety.
The evenings in tabanan are very chilled but you can definitely find things to do e.g. Watch movies, karaoke, night markets, yoga, danke cafe etc we even went to the cinema one night.
Weekends were really fun but I would suggest organising your own trips when you arrive as it is super easy to book transport with Indra and book hostels etc as the wifi at the house is good enough.
Cannot recommend this trip enough, you will have the best time if you are open to a new culture and trying new things!

I have recently returned from a months trip in Arusha in Tanzania I would say the experience overall was amazing. At the airport we were immediately greeted by the staff at the airport, and helped with our luggage and even given a gift! Everything was well explained and we were shown and told how to get to our placements and back - that staff came with us for our first day. Our accommodation was pretty standard 4 people of the same sex per room and we were provided with mosquito nets, etc. The food varied, breakfast and dinner was included in our package and it was mostly traditional African stuff with some western bits aswell. Loved every minute an would highly recommend to anyone.

Thank you to all the PMGY team both within Sri Lanka and England for making the last 4 weeks an unforgettable experience and allowing me to make friends for life!

I don't even know where to start, being greeted every day with a smiley friendly face when you came down for breakfast meant each day started positively!
Emma and Colby were very approachable, friendly and bubbly Western contacts and felt like they did above and beyond what was expected of them. Whenever we had a query they would answer or find the answer straight away.
All the local coordinators were also very approachable and smiley despite any language barrier. I felt like they always wanted to make sure you were having a great time and again, would do above and beyond what was needed! I asked Nalaka on the spot about the pillow cases Auntie made and without having to remind him he had put in my request and brought them to the new house which I was not expecting, so thanks again!
When we approached Ashika on two occasions about planning solo travelling he was extremely helpful and helped book all of it for us - even paying for a spare train ticket to Ella in case we missed the first train (which we massively appreciated despite not needing to use it fortunately)!
This also applies to all the other staff that work to make the experience a success - the positive friendly tuk tuk drivers, auntie and all the sisters and the workers at madu ganga villa!

Furthermore, I thought it was great to have the opportunity to get involved with elephant day passes, turtle release and monk meditation - I felt this really added to my overall experience on the trip and whilst it's possible I think it's a great idea! This is also true for the flood relief day which we were allowed to be involved with, it was great to see where our money was going and was lovely to see how passionate the coordinators are about giving back to the local community as well - I had an unforgettable day!

I was lucky enough to stay in both London House and River House and felt the accommodation at both was perfect for this style of trip - it meant it was easy to get to know people, was clean and comfortable! One recommendation would be to provide a sheet for the mattress and a sheet for over the top of you when sleeping or warning people pre departure that it may be useful to bring a sleeping bag liner or equivalent.

My volunteer "shadowing" project at Balapitiya Base Hospital was much better than it had been sold to me pre-departure. Manoj made sure things went smoothly from the beginning and checked up on us regularly. Being able to spend a few days on different specialties was very beneficial and meant I got exposure to lots of different areas. Despite only being a "shadowing" placement I found that if you were proactive and asked questions and seemed interested many doctors would teach and allow you to examine patients. It was a very good placement for seeing a variety of conditions which don't present in the UK and learn how to manage them and also seeing some common UK presentations and being able to compare the difference in management. It was also lovely to come home from a morning of placement and feel like all the coordinators were interested in what you had seen or got up to that day! On a side note, a tip for future volunteers would be to take toilet paper as none of the toilets have toilet paper and not all have "bum guns".

I only did one weekend trip to the Maldives which was extremely good value for money - it was great to have tips from Colby beforehand giving suggestions of possible activities whilst still having the flexibility to choose what we wanted to do. The trip is definitely under sold by the description - specifically the accommodation which was much nicer than expected! In regard to the other hill top and cultural weekend trips, we decided pre arrival not to opt for these and travel to the sites included separately to save money (as many of these trips with other volunteer companies can be done much cheaper on your own), however, having spoken to other volunteers about the trips they sounded like great value for money and having paid for the activities ourselves realised they are not that much more expensive - it might be useful when advertising these trips to include reviews from previous volunteers or an overview of the breakdown of costs for the trips to entice more people.

I will definitely be recommending PMGY in Sri Lanka to friends and people in the future and will hopefully come back to Sri Lanka in the future!
Thanks again team! ☺️

I have just got back from an absolutely amazing and life changing 6 weeks in Ghana. I did both teaching and orphanage programmes and I honestly loved both so much. The children are all beyond happy and just seeing their little smiles put a smile on my face every single day. 6 weeks absolutely flew by and if I could if I would've stayed for way longer- put it this way, I loved it so much I am planning on going back next year.
Each day I travelled to the school in the morning and taught at the school then left to go to the orphanage for the afternoon. Every day came with its own challenges but every day was making a difference. If a day came that was a challenge- the staff at the house and fellow volunteers were there 24/7. I honestly could not recommend PMGY ghana enough! The children are bundles of fun, the staff are absolutely amazing and so friendly, and the general community and vibe is just so vibrant. I can't say a single bad word about it. Before I came I was a little worried about the safety out there, but there was never a single moment I felt unsafe. Everyone is so friendly and the staff will make sure you know how to get around before going out without them.
Thank you so much for such a life changing and extrordinary experience- would honestly recommend PMGY to anyone and everyone!! You won't be disappointed :)

I loved Ghana. The culture, and people are amazing and some of the most friendly people ever. I have immersed myself in everything as much as possible and loved it all. My favourite moments where at the school. I love the kids and despite only being here for two weeks that didn't stop me from bonding with them. The atmosphere at the school, despite lack of facilities and equipment, the children were still so enthusiastic to learn and that was infectious. The teachers were lovely and welcoming and always appreciative of the help we gave. The Ghana staff are amazing! They are so hard working and I admire how much they do at such a young age. They are all so welcoming and help is always at hand when you need it. Despite being warned about saftey, I have felt pretty safe since there is always someone from PMGYGHANA with you at most times and if not, people travel together, making it an enjoyable experience.

I really enjoyed my two week programme working in Manhyia District Hospital. It was a very humbling experience to see the difference between the hospital's facilities compared to UK hospitals. During my stay there I also realised how many patients could have easily been treated if it weren't for lack of essential tools - like defibrillators. Overall, I felt like it was an incredible learning experience. The staff in the Kumasi volunteer home are also really welcoming and friendly, making my stay there even better!

I volunteered in Bali for 4 weeks and loved my experience here. I was on the childcare programme and loved teaching the kids at the kindergarten. This experience was completely new to me but I felt like I was supported well by the lovely team in Bali. Everyone I met at the volunteer house was so friendly and made a great social environment and there was plenty of oppurtunity for travel experience too. The volunteer house was great with good, safe facilities and a good breakfast lunch and dinner provided daily, with such helpful transport provided for us pretty much everywhere we went! The team in Bali are amaizng and I will never forget my time here :).