Program Reviews

There were so many highlights to this trip! However the one that stood out the most was living in Moala village for one week. The team of us who were placed in Moala were instantly taken in by the family we were living and were made to feel part of the family.

The people we visited in Moala, Yako and Korovuto were so welcoming and grateful to receive health checks. Visiting people in their homes and in the community halls within the villages, it was evident culture and family are so important. The women that live in these villages are the centre to their families, they care for their families and sometimes this can impact negatively on their health. It is important that we conducted health checks on these women because it provides an opportunity for them to make lifestyle changes that will improve their health so they can be healthy for longer and care for their families. There are local champiosn within each of the communities which provides a sense of hope that they will influence others within the community to take care of their health and make healthier food choices.

One observation I found interesting was the traditional Fijian diet eaten in the villages. The food was not particuarly unhealthy, however the addition of flour, sugar and simple carbohydrates (e.g. rice and casava) in very large amounts eaten on a daily basis is contributing towards high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. Changes take time, and by community members making small changes to their diet blood pressure and blood sugar levels will improve.

This trip was challenging, rewarding, overwhelming, amazing and so enjoyable. I am grateful for this experience, for the people I met and for the wonderful people who cared for us throughout the 2 weeks. This trip has inspired me to pursue work in global health and the pacific islands, and I hope one day I will be back to reconnect with the beautiful people I met on this trip :)

The food provided on the trip was great, however one recommendation would be to include more protein in each of the meals so volunteers feel satisfied throughout the day.
The accomodation was lovely and was nice to be able to share with other team members because this allowed us to get to know one another and share stories and debrief about our day doing health health checks in the villages.

Honestly, it exceeded my expectations. It was a unique experience in every sense, extremely positive and enriching, and I would recommend it to everyone. The attention and help from all parties was excellent, and the experience in the kidnergarten with the children, the other volunteers and the teachers was also amazing.

The local team has been one of the best things about this experience. Their attention has been professional, efficient and optimal throughout my stay. They taught us about the local culture in an entertaining way, they resolved our doubts and problems efficiently, and we enjoyed our free time with them. The food was traditional, tasty and varied. The accommodation was spacious, clean and equipped with everything necessary. Although some problems arose, the team resolved them quickly and professionally.

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible experience I had during the medical aid volunteering trip to Aborlan last week. Your dedication and support played a significant role in making my time in the Philippines both memorable and enriching.

From the moment I arrived, I was warmly welcomed and made to feel at home, thanks to the wonderful team. Their hospitality, the amazing food, and the overall care they provided were exceptional. I would also like to give a special shoutout to April, my coordinator for the healthcare programme. She went above and beyond to ensure I had ample opportunities to learn and observe, and her guidance and care were invaluable.

The programme itself was nothing short of amazing. Being able to go around the village conducting health checks for the elderly and children was an incredible experience. It was eye-opening to learn about the various barriers people face when accessing local health clinics, including stigma, costs, and the lack of resources and medical facilities. This experience deepened my understanding of the challenges in rural healthcare and the importance of community-based interventions.

Working at the Rural Health Unit in Aborlan was both intense and rewarding. I had the opportunity to put my medical skills into practice by assisting with patient consultations at the front of the centre. It was a fast-paced environment where I quickly learned to recognize symptoms and determine the necessary medications within a short span of time. This hands-on experience was invaluable in honing my clinical skills and decision-making abilities.

One of the most striking realisations for me was the extent to which the communities in Aborlan are under-resourced. The state of the hospital was poor, with a lack of equipment and severe understaffing. Despite these challenges, I was deeply impressed by the knowledge and dedication of the doctors. Their ability to treat patients effectively with limited resources exemplifies the essence of grassroots medicine. This experience has profoundly influenced my perspective on medical practice and the resilience required in such settings.

Another highlight of my trip was spending time with the children in school. The joy and love they radiated were truly heartwarming. Their infectious enthusiasm reminded me of the simple yet profound aspects of life. Through my interactions with them, I learned to practice gratitude and appreciate the small blessings in life. Their spirit and positivity left a lasting impact on me. I became especially close to a beautiful little girl named Anna, I would love to come back and visit her again!

The people I met in Aborlan, both in the community and within the volunteer team, made this experience the best it could be. Their warmth, kindness, and resilience have inspired me deeply. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this community, even for a short period. I am already looking forward to returning to Tigman to volunteer again and continue contributing in any way I can.

Thank you once again for everything. Your efforts in coordinating this programme and ensuring our well-being have made a significant difference. I truly appreciate your kindness, care, and the opportunities you provided for me to grow both personally and professionally. This experience has been transformative, and I am excited to carry these lessons forward in my journey in medicine.

We got to experience all the work they have to do at this great project to increase the population of the sea turtles. They are also trying to better the environment of this small island and change the mind of the locals there to get rid of the big trash problem they have there. Everyday was something special. We helped cleaning the turtle tanks, cutting fish for the turtles, Cleaned the turtles, get to feed them, went to clean the beach and the street.
The only negative thing I can tell about our volunteering experience was that there were to much volunteers which didn't really care about the volunteering work. There were just there to make party and not for the truly good thing the team is trying to do there.
But that was the fault of the other volunteers.

This project is such a good thing and I really hope that future volunteers will take it more serious! Because only than there will be a real progress soon :)
I really hope for more volunteers with the same intentions than we had, because it is an awesome project!! The Team was soooo great!! They are people with such a good heart and they really want the world to be a better place for animals and humans. The Coordinators really have a passion for this project. Additional to that they are always here for everyone if there is any problem and they always trying to keep you in a good mood. The whole team there is amazing! Everything is clean and the accommodation is really comfy. The food is delicious and there is something for everyone.

Maybe not to much participants. Because we had way to much participant and like at least one half of them didn't really care for what they are trying to do.
And maybe longer working hours. Real volunteers would love to spend more time a day helping the people there so save the turtles and keeping Nusa Penida clean ;)

We enjoyed our volunteering experience in Fiji and loved interacting with the warm and welcoming Fijian people. Masi and Mare were great hosts and made our stay as comfortable as possible. It was also nice to meet and enjoy the company of Chris and Ruby and hear of their experiences each day. Sampreeti loved her experience of volunteering in the kindergarten as well as accompanying us on the health checks door to door for those who were too disabled to attend clinics in person.

We also went to a special needs school (Sunshine School) one day with one of the chief guests who was attending a function at the kindergarten. I donated my bp instrument to the health visitor Aseni and hope it will help her monitor the health of her community through discussion with her local medical personnel. Sampreeti also donated a small amount of stationary supplies to the school for the little students. The school and the Lovu Hart Community were very kind welcoming. I gave a small health talk and watched Aseni deliver a talk to the children and parents on health issues. I enjoyed working with Aseni who was a diligent and caring health visitor. We will carry happy memories of our visit to Fiji. Thank you.

Thanks, once again,
Dr Susmita & Sampreeti

The construction was working on a community park. The local children worked with us on moving dirt with the wheelbarrows - very nice to see them care about their park and interest in us. The only downside in the project was that it was monsoon season which made outdoor work difficult. Local accommodations in Kathmandu were great! Very comfortable and afforded us an opportunity to interact with volunteers from around the globe. The local team was the best ever. Well managed, very professional and very helpful in all things for Nepal. Food was great, cleaning was great.

Project: Food support for the homeless. The volunteering was a lot of fun. I become more skilled in cooking techniques, and learned many things. It was also exciting for me to live by myself in a foreign country and I had a lot of fun with exploring Lisbon by myself.
The food and accommodation was very good. The staff were always very helpful and supportive. The local team was also very friendly, caring and easy approachable. They helped me with planning weekends and were there to answer any questions I may have had.

Sri Lanka Turtle conservation review... Volunteering in Sri Lanka has been the best experience of my life; I met incredible people and will definitely never forget it. Comments on local team, food and accommodation... The local food was amazing, and I will definitely want to prepare these dishes when I return home. The local team in Sri Lanka was very helpful, resolving any doubts immediately. The accommodation also met all my expectations.

I can only say one thing: if you are wondering whether you should really do a volunteer project in Vietnam - do it! Of course I was quite scared and respectful of my four-week trip, but in the end it was absolutely unfounded. The coordinators are absolutely great, the people there are super nice and immediately welcome you and this stay is simply the perfect mix of fun / leisure and work in a completely different country, which of course also comes with various challenges (especially 40 a day Especially if you get it as well as I do). The culture in Vietnam is simply breathtaking! The people there are incredibly nice (really really nice compared to Europe), the food is amazing and there is always something new to discover. Above all, working with the children in kindergarten has taught me so much! Dealing with small children, the disciplinary consequences, the way to raise children here. It was simply an experience of a lifetime. Even the three-year-olds were greeted with a huge smile every day and were so excited to learn new English words - of course that immediately fills you with extreme happiness and you really have the feeling that you can make a difference and help. Personally, I spent a month, or four weeks, in Vietnam and around day 5 I realized that I would definitely come back! My tips for your stay: don't be shy, just talk to people. Most people feel just as insecure as you do and are happy to meet new people who share the same experience. Take weekend trips if you have the opportunity to get to know the country even better. Go to the War Remnants Museum and find out about the history of Vietnam - it's really quite heavy, but you just have to see it while you're there. Have fun in life and try to do everything and take every opportunity to experience new things. And most importantly: book your trip to Vietnam, I promise you won't be sorry. Once again a thousand thanks to all the great people in Vietnam and at home who made this unique trip possible for me. I will never forget this experience and will probably tell my grandchildren about it. Thank you, thank you, thank you and lots of kisses from Vienna <3

I went over there to volunteer with those who needed it most but came back only to realise that it was me who needed to volunteer!!! I made so many friends and lasting connections but more than that I discovered how amazing and quite selfish it is to volunteer due to the amount of joy, fulfilment and love I recieved.

My favourite quote that relates to this trip is that there is only one happiness in life - to love and be loved and that has never felt so real

The kids were the cutest humans ever and being able to work closely with them was so moving! I was situated in a little village town called Yandua where there was only 9 kids in my Kindergarten! The teacher was also the sweetest human ever!

My highlight of the trip would have to be the friendships created across the world and the topic of the table which was travel! I learnt so many new phrases from different languages and I also caught as many of them called it the travel bug which has now made me want to travel to so many parts of the volunteer and volunteer with such an amazing organisation!!!

This was the most fulfilling and rewarding volunteer experience ever and I’m so grateful to have embarked on this journey until next time VINAKA (thank you in Fijian)

The local team were the most beautiful humans I’ve ever met they were so accomodating, caring and they had everything well planned out! More than they were cooking, cleaning and organising they were our friends and I thought that was super special They ensured that we felt loved, valued and accepted as well as immersing ourselves in Fijian culture and experiences! The food was the perfect mix of Western Style and Traditional Fijian dishes and the accomodation was super lovely … I was lucky enough to stay in a hotel called Casablanca which was super nice and the staff their were lovely. No improvements needed this was an amazing experience!!!