Program Reviews

I have just returned from 4 weeks in Ghana volunteering in the orphanage and at a special needs school. My time there has allowed me to grow as a person and i have come out the other end feeling humbled, with the confidence to continue travelling and throwing myself into new experiences.
I applied to be on the special needs project in Ghana, however what i got was so much more. In the orphanage the children with special needs live amongst all of the other orphans, which automatically gives you the opportunity to get to know all of the children in the unit you volunteer in. Although it is very hard to spread yourself around, as the children require so much attention, i was able to find a nice balance of focusing on the children with special needs in the morning when the others were at school, and then being involved in the orphanage as a whole in the afternoon. The orphanage was a big shock for me, and no day there was the same. However, seeing that the children could live in such poor circumstances and yet still have a smile on their face warmed my heart and taught me to appreciate everything i have. I cannot describe the bonds that you can form with these children in just four weeks and i will genuinely miss them.
Throughout the program i learnt about the special needs school up the road from the orphanage and Seth kindly arranged for me to spend some time there. After knowing about the stigma attached to special needs in Ghana, i was apprehensive about what i was going to walk into. However, i am so pleased that i asked to do it, as i learnt much about their education system and even about Ghana as a whole. My volunteering there was not as hands on as it was in the orphanage, however it gave me a massive insight into the world of special needs there and i was able to exchange knowledge with the other teachers.
Attending the special needs school was not something mentioned in the hand book or that needed to even be offered to me, however when i asked about attending there Seth was more than willing to set it up for me. This was just one of the additional experiences that Seth set up throughout my time there to ensure that we had got the most out of our time in Ghana. The hard work and effort put in to organising and running a volunteer project such as this is very much appreciated, so a big thank you to Seth, Flo, Cindy, Christy and Dennis! Living in the volunteer house can give a taste of what living in Ghana is like, trying out the food and washing my clothes by hand ect. I feel like this allowed me to have a more realistic experience of the culture, whilst still allowing me to feel safe in an unknown country with someone to turn to if i needed help. In addition to this, living in the volunteer house gave me the opportunity to make some friends out of the pmgy team and other volunteers, listening to their experiences of life and supporting each other in the experiences we were having at the time. This social element of the program made for the perfect balance, as whatever challenges you may have faced whilst volunteering, you know you can go home and let of some steam.
All in all i feel that everyone needs an experience such as this, allowing you to venture out of your comfort zone with the knowledge that you have a second family supporting you the whole way.

For the 6 weeks I was in Ghana I had the best time of my life. I honestly feel like Ghana is my second home, I did more in those 6 weeks than I have to show for my entire life, being my first time travelling for a long period alone, Ghana will always be really close to my heart and i'm so certain that i will be coming back every year until I die. I was so lucky to go at a time that I met people who I know I'll be friends with for the rest of my life and even my mum said this would happen and I didn't believe her like I can't wait to go back and see Seth, Flo, Cindy, Christy, Roland, Dennis & Prince, the local team who have been nothing but amazing friends to me, they are so helpful with whatever you want to do they will make you feel at home and will give you the help you need to have confidence to do what you want on your own. Food was delicious by the way, I would only eat fat British food at home and now I'm looking up recipes for Red Red & craving pancakes for breakfast. I have so much to thank you all for and I love you all so much. Placement was unreal, most of the children I wanted to take home with me and felt like they were my actual friends. As I did the teaching placement in the mornings and orphanage in the evening, I felt like I was making a real difference at the school and really helping out at the orphanage. The culture shock is real but if you go into it with a closed mind you will never truly enjoy yourself, just remember it's not just a different country it's a different world and if you treat it like that then you will be a changed person when you get back I promise. If you're worries are safety, forget it because you will be around the team who are like eagles when it comes to spotting anything that could be slightly dangerous & care so much about you that you don't even think about it. I actually can not recommend going enough, I can't put into words how amazing it was, thank you SO much my friends in Ghana and my fellow volunteers, until next time xoxo

Thinking back on my experience as I am writing this review is giving me nostalgia. I spent my time observing at a private clinic where I learned many functions that goes on in a hospital setting. I also received a certificate to show for my time there. I spent my time teaching kids English as well which was very fulfilling because I can tell that I will positively influence the children for a better future. Also the kids were all really awesome which made my experience more enjoyable as well. But I believe what made my trip so awesome was the people. The volunteers as well as the coordinators were all amazing people. The coordinators were always there when you needed them and you can tell that they really love their jobs which made it easy to talk to them and you can have fun with them as well. There were always things to do from finding other ways to volunteer or exploring more of the culture of Sri Lanka. Leaving this place was one of the hardest things I've ever done but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else.

Two friends and I decided to work on the childcare program in Vietnam. We spent two weeks working in a hospital called "Peace Village" with disabled kids. Our experience was really nice, we took care of them playing games and trying to teach some English and also some Spanish. We met really intelligent and interessant kids from whom we learnt a lot! We passed a really good time with them and we have gained an incredible experience there!

I've spent 2 weeks in the childcare program in Vietnam. I've been working with two girls in a hospital called "Peace Village", which is a hospital for disable kids. We've been taking care of them trying to do some activites and trying to teach them some words in english. It has been an amazing experience for us, because we have learnt a lot, and I'm sure that if we have the opportunity to do it again, we will do it!

No words can explain how much of an extraordinary time I’ve had in Sri Lanka with the PMGY team over the last 3 months. I cannot thank you guys enough for all of the pre-departure support, information at orientation, advise about transport and weekend activities, and for just being there for me everyday. I truly did feel like family and couldn’t have asked for anything more. The staff, people I met along the way, and children I taught at the teaching projects and at the temple, really did make it the experience of a life time and I urge anyone who is on the fence about applying to do it! It could quite possibly be the best and most rewarding thing you ever do. The kids at the schools are incredible and so social, and the young men at the temple are clever and very eager to learn. It was a pleasure to meet and teach them all. It felt as if we really bonded! I have fallen in love with Sri Lanka and a lot of that is down to how amazing the team is, I miss them everyday and am already planning my next visit to see them all. Bring on the reunion!

I've just completed 4 weeks in Ghana with PMGY, volunteering at both Divine International School and Kumasi Children's Home. Whilst both placements provided me with completely different experiences, they each taught me so much. I have come home inspired by how happy and grateful children who have so little are and how people are thankful for the simplest of things. It's no lie that the orphanage especially was challenging at times, due to a culture shock and the Ghanaian attitude on how to discipline children. Despite this, it only makes it more inspiring and eye-opening, providing you with the experience of a life time and for me, a completely new way of approaching my life at home: making sure I take nothing for granted; enjoying the health of my family and taking full advantage of my education. I cannot emphasise enough how amazing the children in Ghana are. Spending your time with them teaches you so many values you perhaps otherwise wouldn't have.

As well as how fantastic the projects are, the support from the coordinators whilst out there is brilliant. Seth and Florence welcome you to Ghana as if you are already part of the family. They are available for anything you could possibly need and they really do care about you. Travelling by yourself to a foreign country is definitely daunting, but everyone who works for PMGY Ghana (Cindy, Christie, Dennis, Prince and Kwami) all make you feel as if their home is also yours. In the evenings we all sit around together chatting, watching movies, listening to music and laughing. It makes the intensity of the projects so much easier, as you know you have your own little Ghana family waiting for you when you get back from project.

I would recommend this placement to anybody who wants to step out of their comfort zone, learn something about themselves and give back to people who are less fortunate. PMGY Ghana will always be one of my fondest memories and I am so thankful to everyone who made it so special!

Amazing trip! Such a welcoming and genuine group of staff and other volunteers that made the month zoom by with unforgettable experiences, from the baby turtle release and elephant bathing to hanging out with everyone at the house! It really did become home away from home. I would also highly recommend doing the real experience as well as volunteering, it is 2 extra weeks and you see so much of the country and learn a lot about the culture! Definitely not something to be missed.

This trip was amazing, I was in Sri lanka for a month. I started with the real experience(which was incredible) I did that for two weeks, during those two weeks I learnt so much about Buddhism and there culture and how they live in this life. We traveled all over Sri Lanka, stayed in hotels which had unbelievable views and I got to make connections with the other volunteers that I would had never got the chance to make anywhere else. We climbed Sigiriya which was so rewarding when I got to the top, and the view, you could see for miles. The first two weeks were life changing in a different sense than being in Ambalangoda which is were you start your volunteering. Once you get to the volunteer house you have so many options to choose from to start volunteering, either with elephants, sea turtles, teaching in the orphanage, some monk teaching, and great opportunities with medical. Everything is great opportunity and the staff here are wonderful. They are so supportive in everything you do; you can really tell that they love their job, they will do everything in their power to make your stay there the most spectacular. The volunteers are all so welcoming, you get to make all these new connections with different people from all around the world. The culture in Sri Lanka is breathtaking, you can truly tell that you are in a different world when you go to Sri Lanka. The food! It was amazing, the Sisters(women who take care of the house) were absolutely wonderful, they make the best food and they work their butts off to make it. We went to at least ten temples throughout my stay there and each open was more amazing than the last. I felt so safe at all times during the trip, and if I didn't it was super easy to get in touch with one of the wonderful coordinators and they would reassure you and make sure you felt safe. Once a week you have the chance to release baby sea turtles into the ocean, we have a turtle race, go, go and do it they are so cute and those little guys move fast. This trip has changed my life forever, I wouldn't have had imagined Sri Lanka to be like this. I would definitely go back to Sri Lanka in a heartbeat. I wish that they do well and this will be the start of something stupendous, you can feel the love that all the staff have for their jobs and for all the volunteers who come and go into their house. My absolute favourite part of the whole month was just chillin out at the house with all the volunteers and singing and dancing and just enjoying each others company with no judgement from any of them. One tip I can give to future volunteers, just do it, don't think about it, don't have any expectations for the trip because you can't imagine what you'll be doing or seeing. Huge thank you to PMGY for this spectacular trip and experience.

Although I was only able to do 2 weeks with PMGY Ghana I have loved every minute and wish I could have done many more weeks! The staff are so welcoming and supportive and I would like to thank christy, cindy and dennis and also a big thank you to seth and florence for being so helpful and being there anytime. I have met the most amazing friends along the way which I hope to keep for life! My placement was at Kumasi children's home which I loved so much. I have never met more loving, amazing kids in my life and saying bye to them was one of the hardest things I've had to do. They are truly amazing and appreciate and value you so much for spending time with them. I was based in the nursery unit with all boys which I really loved. The mothers there were always friendly and helpful towards us. They are really flexible if you would like to explore other units or get stuck in with washing, feeding and changing the children. I also volunteered in mornings at the day care which is based in the children's home where I tought the children their letters and colours in English. This was really fun and also an advantage becasue I already knew most of the children as they lived at the home so I knew all of their names and had good relationships with the kids.
Overall this has been the best experience of my whole life and I would recommend this to everybody!!