Program Reviews

Among many options, I chose UBELONG mainly for its wide range of interesting programs. esp. business development and training programs. To me, these well selected programs can truly tackle the cause and provide a long-term and sustainable impact on people of a particular community. I placed my trust in UBELONG because of impressive experience and knowledge in the field as well as their deep dedication to international volunteering. The trip was beyond my expectations!!! I would not be this compassionate, independent and determined without my volunteer journey in Laos. Once again, thanks!!!

Working with UBELONG was by far the best decision when I wanted to adventure across the world to help others and learn about another culture. The affordability of the projects made it possible to explore this opportunity and then Cedric and Raul helped me choose a project that was going to fit with my skill set and time-frame of travel. Even traveling solo, I felt extremely safe and prepared from my safety briefing and knowing that UBELONG has strong partnerships and makes frequent visits to their placements. UBELONG's passion for helping others, knowledge of travel and development, and care for their volunteers is truly an inspiration for me to continue learning and to strive to make an impact on people across the world.

I was extremely impressed with my UBELONG experience. I have participated in and planned many service trips but no other organization have compared to UBELONG in quality and organization. This is definitely an organization that I would like to continue to work with in the future.

A group of students and I from the University of South Dakota recently returned from a UBELONG expedition in Ecuador based in the Congal Reserve of the coastal rainforest that focused on conservation and cultural immersion. It was a phenomenal experience where we were able to work directly with the locals, experience their culture, and build incredible bonds. Best of all, Cedric and the other UBELONG representatives helped us every step of the way, before, during, and after our journey. A smile always comes to my face when I think of everything we did and the fun we had while we were doing it. If given the chance, I would go back in a heart beat.

It has always been a goal of mine to travel the world and make a difference, but I felt like it would take so much effort to make that happen so I continued to push it off. After meeting Raul and learning about how simple and affordable UBELONG makes volunteering abroad, I simply had to go! The hardest part was just deciding on the location and project considering the vast amount of incredible opportunities available.

My first volunteer experience with UBELONG was certainly a memorable one that I will always remember. Even from speaking with my Mentor the first time I knew this would be a different experience than any other. I was particularly impressed with the care and focus given to my intentions for volunteering, my safety while abroad and the one-on-one mentoring that I received throughout the experience. I felt very prepared leaving for my trip and the only surprises I encountered during were the wonderful experiences I now can share with others about my placement and host family in Quito, Ecuador.

I spent 5 weeks volunteering in Phnom Penh, on the Advancing Community Rights Program. It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed everything; the work, the guesthouse and especially the many people I met and country itself. The process was made extremely easy by UBELONG, who provided me with great pre-departure support, including a comprehensive safety meeting, the preparation bundle and even recommending reading that may be of use to me on the placement. No volunteers from any other agency seemed to have anywhere near as much help or support when organising their own trips.

I kept in touch with Raul and UBELONG, both during and after the placement and will continue to do so. There is a real sense of pride in their work and the passion for helping people to volunteer really shines through in everything they do.

I truly believe that UBELONG helped to make my stay one of the best experiences of my life and I would recommend them to anyone even considering volunteering abroad. You will not regret it.

My summer volunteer experience in Vietnam was one full of great insight. I learned the ins and outs of living in a South East Asian country. My volunteer work allowed me to interact with the local people and learn about the problems that face that country now, and problems they foresee in the future. If I wasn't at work or exploring the unique beauties of Hanoi, I was travel around the country. I saw sights that could only be explained through picture. I was lucky enough to meet a great friend while I was there. We still talk to this day. Even Though we are thousands of miles apart, we pick up our conversation right where we left off. I own a large amount of my enjoyment to Ubelong. They allowed me to relax and enjoy my time while it lasted. They took great care of me, my happiness was their first priority and I never felt like I was abandoned. I would recommend Ubelong to anyone looking for unique summer experience.

I voluntered for 2 weeks with UBELONG in Huaycan, Lima, Peru.

A typical day started around 9 or 10 am, with French private class with one or two adult students until noon. Then we had lunch all volunteers together, time to share our experiences, ideas, and more. During the afternoon, we had 2 to 3 classes, French but also sport, art or English. It was a good to be helping on other projects also. This gave us a larger image of people, to see them in different fields, and another chance to help them! At night we had a good time with other volunteers and students, for example we played soccer each Sunday night!

The most frustrating or challenging:
Peruvian schedules are very different than what we’re used to in France. One time we had a class at 1PM, but one of the students did not show up until 4PM. She apologized and said there had been traffic on the way. That is indeed the case, traffic in Lima is bad, but I think the culture is also more lax about timeliness. As long as you understand this and do not expect Peru to be like home, you adapt and accept that it’s part of the experience. In this particular case we just had a private lesson with the student. It went very well.

What I learn about myself:
I was reminded how incredible Peruvian culture is. It’s very welcoming and family oriented. The first Sunday I was there, the family next door invited us to their home. They were so pleasant and treated us as if we had been there forever. Family is at the heart of everything in Peru.

I also learned to be more patient and to take things more slowly. When I first arrived in Lima, I was at full speed. I had been coming from Paris where I was working, and it took a couple days to slow down and adapt to the local pace. I think this is common for most volunteers, especially when they’re coming directly from working.

I also was very pleased to have been able to make an impact on the students in so short a time. The students appreciated us being there, and I could tell they were interested in learning about France and the French language. Unlike the English project, the French project is much smaller so it was not as common for them to be able to sit in a French class. I hope the project can keep growing so other volunteers can build on it and have the students speak more French and learn more about France.

At the same time, I think the students impacted me even more than I impacted them. They have so little and face challenges we can’t even imagine. However, they continue being positive and there’s not the materialism that can exists in richer countries. It was inspiring to see their strength, and, as poor as the community was, I felt myself being more positive and hopeful.

UBELONG is a really good and professional organization. I highly recommend them. They are with you all the time: before, during and after your placement. They are very good advisers. And the project they choose to assist is the best choice in Lima, Huaycan is one of the poorest area of the city. You can feel they really need you, and you can do something very helpful for them.

Someone from the program picked me up from the airport when I arrived into the country, which was comforting. There was an orientation the frist 3 days I was there so I was able to get familiar with the city and my orphanage. I stayed at a volunteer house in Phnom Penh with about 20 volunteers, who were volunteering at different orphanages and NGOs in or near the City. Each morning I would wake up, eat breakfast, which was prepared by workers of the house, and head to my orphanage which was about 30 minutes away. I worked at the orphanage Monday through Friday from about 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In the morning I would play with the younger children, entertain them with making crafts or read books with them. I ate lunch at the orphanage every day with the kids and then taught English in the afternoon to the older children. The language barrier was hard at first, but I expected it to be because English wasn't their first language - but that was what was so exciting as well. Definitely recommend this program to anyone.