Program Reviews

the host family was very accommodating. the kids are so independent it was initially hard to feel useful. however, it didn’t take long to become more involved.

the food was very basic but there was plenty of it so can’t complain. would’ve been pleased with a bit more mattress between me n a metal bed frame but again, wasn’t expecting much.

we had lots of fun, it was very exciting to spend christmas with such a big family - it was a very wholesome experience.

Global crossroads does as described by finding you a program to volunteer in and supply support services on call. Overall good. Host family were very friendly and provided a great place to be. We lacked purpose in a program and were constantly told to rest and food consisted of mainly rice. At the end of the day it’s what you expect it to be. I was not pleased with the program but global crossroads was warm and an excellent service. Other volunteer I met during my time with global crossroads had more purpose.

It was the best experience of my life, first it was an amazing human experience with a lot of social interactions and also the tanzanian landscapes are just breathtaking. Mama Alice my host is like my tanzanian mother now she is the best she is so kind and i felt like home. I already miss my Tanzanian family. At the end of my 3 weeks i wanted to add 1 or 2 weeks more because it was too short ! I ll remember this trip forever thank you Global Cross Road for making this happens.

We had the most amazing experience on our volunteering project in Nepal. We were placed in Kathmandu (we had originally requested Pokhara but they were unable to fulfill that), we weren’t at all disappointed!
Mary Home orphanage provides a fantastic home to 10 children. They are very well cared for.
They looked after us well and we feel that we developed life long friendships.
Global crossroad and the organisers were in contact with us throughout the trip. However, I think the registration fee to Global crossroad was quite high. It was over $300 and whilst the program was great that money was simply an expensive admin fee. There was also a separate program fee to cover the room and board costs in Nepal and to support the local organisation.

My wife and I spent eight weeks teaching English at the monastery. We both have teaching experience in the United States so we were able to apply a lot of what we know to the classroom here in Nepal. It was very rewarding to see the children learn English and become more comfortable speaking and writing in English as well.

The in country support staff were helpful and able to address our needs and request when needed. They were flexible when we had some concerns about housing accommodations and were able to respond to our needs In a satisfactory manner.

We ended up staying at the Volunteer house in Kathman do and had a great experience being able to meet the other volunteers coming in and out when starting and ending their programs. We also enjoyed the family we stayed with and the food was always good.

The monastery does not have a set curriculum for teaching English so I would recommend to anyone coming into this program to do some research in teaching English and come prepared to teach a wide variety of skill levels in order to have the biggest impact on the kids.

I think overall this experience was a great opportunity to meet new and kind people from another culture! Our host family was very kind and kept us well feed. The staff checked in with us constantly and helped anytime we asked!

The students we taught were great and will definitely live in my heart long after we leave Nepal. It was definitely a new experience and well worth the adventure! Being able to see their growth in English was a great thing.

Neighboring towns were a short bus ride away to have new experiences. There is always something new to see or experience! From temples, to free roaming monkeys to cows who have learned to cross the street, each day was a new wonder! We are thankful for the time we spent here, the things we have learned and the opportunity to hopefully have an impact in another country!

This experience will be forever engraved in our hearts. This is our first family volunteering experience and even though my kids are 3 and 5, they had a great time and I think the impact that they made with the kids of the orphanage and school was more important than adults. I hope more families do so as the benefit is wonderful on the whole family and the program .
The hosting family were very kind and helpful and my kids love going back home to play with them.
We helped at school by teaching French, fixing the volleyball field as well as the basketball field, we got them some new balls and played during free time. We helped the teachers with the midterm exams. And most importantly connected with some kids to inspire them for a better future.
I think it was a very successful trip :)
Looking forward to the next one.
Many thanks to you all

I volunteered at a medical clinic for 2 weeks in Quepos, Costa Rica. The staff at the medical clinic were very welcoming and always looked for opportunities to teach me. Most of the staff spoke English, which was very helpful as I only knew basic Spanish. Although it would be helpful to know more Spanish so you can understand more when patients who speak Spanish come in. During this program I stayed with a host family, who were absolutely wonderful. They loved helping me learn Spanish and showing me new foods. I would have liked if more information was given about the medical clinic and program before I came as well as a more detailed orientation. I was dropped off the first day and did not know what the regular day-to-day would look like there.

I spent a month doing mangrove/turtle research in Osa, where I got to learn a lot about research, how the program worked, and of course, the plants and animals. Everyone there was really nice and made you feel welcome, both the people living there and volunteers alike. The volunteers participated in handling the turtles, planting mangroves, and taking down data, etc. so you get lots of hands on work. It's a good project for anyone interested in the environment, biology, or who simply wants to help out. While some people stayed only one or two days, others stayed for weeks. I personally think staying for more than a few days is best because sometimes you don't catch a turtle, and sometimes you catch a lot. I also suggest bringing cards and lots of sunscreen for the beach. If you bring a snorkel, you can see fish in the mangroves or bioluminescence at night :)

The program I participated in was in the group of favelas called Complexo do Alemão. I was teaching English to two community leaders. My volunteer partners worked on the community garden for Abraço Campeão, the non-profit organization helping youth to learn boxing as an educational and personal development tool. The program was very well organized and there was nice interaction between volunteers and people from the youth center. It was incredible to see how much work could be done in a short time! Both leaders I interacted with were very motivated to learn English and were very pleasant in our interaction. I learned a lot about their work and about the Complexo do Alemão community. I will follow on Facebook their website to see their development in the future and tell others I know about their work.