Program Reviews

My first international service experience was fantastic, thanks to UBELONG. They made sure we were prepared before leaving for Peru, had good living accommodations in Cusco, and had a local support team to help us every step of the way. We had great volunteer placements in schools around Cusco and were able to make a difference with our public health education project. I had a wonderful time, and I would definitely volunteer with UBELONG again!

Home stay was wonderful. Never felt unsafe for a moment. Excellent prep beforehand. Well selected volunteer opportunities. Just the right amount of support, no hand holding, no feeling lost or unsupported.

I had a really great experience working with UBELONG for my first time volunteering and I will definitely volunteer with them in the future. I felt very prepared for both of my projects and their flexibility was helpful for me as I was doing a lot of other travel besides the volunteering. Both the UBELONG staff and the local project staff were awesome and I felt very supported in the time leading up to, during, and after my volunteering. I met so many great people both on the Galapagos and Amazon projects, some of whom I went on traveling with in the months following my time in Ecuador. People ask me what my favorite part of my 8 month trip in South America and without hesitation I always say the time I spent volunteering.

I had been planning on participating in a long term volunteer project for a while and was looking for a safe program with a good price. Most programs I came upon were too expensive and seemed more like vacations rather than volunteer work. Then I saw UBELONG. The price was affordable and there was a lot for the volunteers to do. Before departure, all of my questions were answered, and I had a lot. I chose education in Quito and I loved it! The family was very welcoming and made us feel as if we were part of their family. They included us in their trips and their parties and made sure that we were comfortable. I taught an English class everyday to children, and seeing how much they progressed was truly amazing! This is a program that I truly recommend and plan on participating in again in the future!

I discovered UBELONG while searching for reliable and professional volunteer opportunities. I had a very good experience with volunteering at my project in Hanoi, Vietnam. The UBELONG team is extremely dedicated in ensuring that you have a successful trip. I would highly recommend UBELONG to anyone seeking to experience living and working abroad. It just might be the opportunity you were waiting for!

I found out about Ubelong through my professor at college so there actually was not much research for me to do on programs. Ubelong has a very good reputation among college students I know so that meant a lot to me. I found the Ghana program to be very affordable and I felt a lot of support throughout my experience, which was important as this was my first time volunteering abroad. Everything went a lot smoother than I could have imagined and the preparation I received beforehand made me feel prepared. I think Ubelong's focus on being volunteers instead of tourists is really good, and is a reason why Ubelong volunteers tend to fit in better. I was on the public teaching program and found the work to be very challenging but very rewarding. I was shocked by how many kids were in a class, I literally counted over 50 one day. They were so eager to learn and I felt my presence over there made a difference. We focused a lot of nutrition and cleanliness, and while past volunteers had helped bring the levels of understanding among the children up, there was still a lot more that needed to be done. But again I do think I made a very small but still important difference. The living situation was better than expected, I found almost all the other volunteers to be very motivated and friendly. I consider many lifelong friends. Overall it was a wonderful experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity.

My first experience with UBELONG was during my the Spring Break of my freshman year of college. After speaking with my group's mentor prior to departing for Quito, I realized how prepared I was to go and make a difference during my time abroad. What I did not know was that I was going to leave with such unforgettable experiences. UBELONG paired my volunteer group with a wonderful host family, and although I only had the opportunity to stay in Quito for one week, I realized how much UBELONG did in order to make sure everyone who volunteers for them has the best experiences of their lives. I was incredibly impressed by how much my Mentor helped my group to prepare, and UBELONG made sure that we were in an environment where we would thrive and be comfortable. This volunteer experience was unlike any other I have had in the past, and it truly was the best volunteer experience I've had to this day. I hope to have this opportunity again in the future, so that I can make even more incredible memories and friendships.

UBELONG provides affordable, flexible volunteer opportunities abroad. The staff of both UBELONG and the local team were incredibly helpful during my preparation and stay on the island. The time I spent volunteering on the Galapagos was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience: I was able to bond with volunteers from around the world while making a difference. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to give back to this magical place. I can't recommend UBELONG highly enough.

My experience with UBELONG was great because of the affordable price, support, and friendly staff who always replied promptly. As a college student and traveling by myself for the first time, I felt very well-prepared between the resource packet I was provided with and talking to my mentor. The project itself, teaching English, was both fun and challenging, and the teachers and students were so friendly and welcoming. The volunteer house and host family were wonderful as well, and I loved being able to meet so many new people in addition to volunteering. In the future, I would love to volunteer with UBELONG again!

UBELONG is a well organized and incredibly accommodating group that supported me in taking 8 college students from Bloomington, Indiana to Cusco, Peru to volunteer with children for a week. From start to finish UBELONG ensured that my group was prepared for our trip, provided comfortable accommodations, created meaningful volunteer work, and proved constantly able to address questions and concerns. Overall, our trip experience was very rewarding as we were put outside our comfort zones and had to learn about how to care for others despite cultural and communication barriers. I gained a great appreciation for all of the blessings in my life and am inspired to continue to give back to others. I will never forget all of the wonderful children we met in Peru and my amazing experience as a UBELONG volunteer!