Program Reviews

UBELONG is a reliable and professional organization. It definitely lives up to its reputation. My very friendly UBELONG mentor, Barbara was always prompt to help me. To everyone who is interested in volunteering, please don't be afraid to contact the organization. You may discover a whole new side of yourself through a volunteer experience with UBELONG.

UBELONG provided me with an experience I would not have gotten had I simply travelled as a tourist. By connecting me with a local team, I was able to see life from a local's view and work closely with the Cambodian people. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience full of hard truths, amazing people, and incredible stories.

I had a phenomenal experience and I've only spoken wonders to those that I encountered while backpacking and in the US. I love what UBELONG is doing and I think the onboarding and support functions were fantastic. I really appreciate the expedited application process- an experience I certainly won't forget!

My days were filled with so much appreciation and love for my ability to be present. Waking up to a homemade breakfast and coffee before getting the day started was something that really made the day begin just right. After my breakfast and morning rituals, I would walk to my location. The walk to the facility was as important as anything else in my day. It gave me time to focus on my intentions, and recognize how grateful I was to be in such a position. The view of Quito in the morning was a gift in itself.

Although I was eager to "do" so much during my volunteering, being present and lending a whole heart to each individual is all that I needed to be a part of.

Every day that I was there I was asked to do something different but not unfamiliar. I have had the privilege of working many jobs throughout my life so far. Being asked to do another task was more than fine with me. I really appreciate new experiences and learning from others who do things differently.

My experience as a UBELONG volunteer has been superior to any other experience I have had in the past I have volunteered through a lot of different programs, but UBELONG has been the only one where I felt I had the flexibility in my volunteer dates and locations; UBELONG caters to anyone who wants to have a wonderful experience and volunteer without having to make such a large financial commitment. Although these facts are not the only reasons why I would recommend UBELONG to anyone who wants to have the best volunteer experience! WIth the help of the UBELONG staff, in particular Barbara Barbosa, you are overly prepared for departure, which makes the transition from home and to your project locations seemingly flawless. Arguably you get as much or as little out of any experience and it is up to you, but UBELONG creates an encouraging environment for you to reach the full potential of your time as a volunteer.

UBELONG is the only organization I came across that clearly puts the needs of the local programs they support ahead of their own bottom line. Unlike other programs, UBELONG's fees are extremely reasonable and their internal support system is second to none! There was never a moment that I didn't feel completely supported prior to my trip or while I was with my local organization in Vietnam. UBELONG sticks to their founding principals in everything that they do and it gives me great pride to know I worked with such a wonderful organization. UBELONG is truly the real deal.

I am a university student volunteering in Morocco and having a great time. This has been an eye opening experience I will cherish forever. I have found my English students to be very receptive to me, much more than I imagined, and I have been pleasantly surprised by my ability to fit in with my host family. I was very nervous about it, especially not speaking French or Arabic, but have found people will communicate with each other even without language. Rabat is a wonderful town, and I am glad to be here rather than another hectic place like Fez where I dont think foreigners are received as well. I am happy with my decision to volunteer and would recommend it:

I was generally really happy with my UBELONG experience. I was particularly impressed by the support and care not only during the preparation but also throughout my stay in Ghana. We received regular emails checking up on us and when there was the Ebola outbreak in the countries around Ghana, we received information about it and useful links with news. In general whenever I contacted my UBELONG mentor with a question I received a prompt and detailed answer. I felt well looked after! Further, offering exactly the same volunteering experience just a lot (!!!) cheaper than other organisations you really know where your money ends up. This was incredibly important for me since I, out of principle, wanted to spend my money on the actual cause rather than the organisation! You need to be smart both when choosing your volunteering project and your organisation- while good volunteering can achieve great things, bad volunteering can actually be harmful for the communities that you are trying to help.

I was glad I chose to sign up with UBELONG for my first volunteering abroad project., because it gave me a good experience, both before and after the project. The information contained on the website helped to give a glimpse of what to expect in the project, along with the many reviews online which allowed me to be at ease and trust the organisation and placement I was going to have. What also helped was the enthusiasm of the team in introducing the project and offering help and advice prior to starting the project, even after the project. It was a valuable experience for me.

UBELONG is perfect to go abroad: it offers a lot of different opportunities and once you've decided to go with them, they attribute you a person who will follow you and help you to prepare your journey, who makes sure everything is going well when you are there and who keep in touch when you come back.