Program Reviews

From the time we arrived to the moment we departed, our Global Volunteers were provided the utmost hospitality in the charming town of Beja, Portugal! The endearing relationships that have developed over the years amongst Global Volunteer staff, and the host teachers, citizens and boutique hotel staff made us volunteers feel like we were part of the Beja family.

Our assignments were to talk with a variety of classes each day about life in the United States and answer questions they had for us. Since there was no formal “teaching” of English, anyone would enjoy volunteering for this program. One of the most enjoyable experiences was talking with inmates in the prison.

Beja - a magical city filled with a rich Roman history, architecture, cobblestone streets wonderful people and delicious food!

I participated in the Crete Program for two weeks in May 2019, with only a couple of really hot days, and a couple of times, a few minutes of surprise rain. The weather was pretty wonderful overall. I went by myself and was 71 at the time, semi-retired. In 2020 my service weeks got cancelled. I hope to go back in 2021, God Willing. Other volunteers come back again and again to Crete.

This was my second time working with Global Volunteers. The first time I decided to try them out in the US and worked a week, while a Pow Wow Celebration was going on, on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. I loved GV, the staff, the whole experience. So I ventured further in 2019 and went to Crete.

Before you go, much of the information (in the form of a general Handbook and Teaching Guide) provided by GV is geared toward their English Language Summer School which they organize. There, I expect you do more teaching of classes. When the kids (who are great, by the way) are in their regular school as they are in May, you are working with professional teachers in private Language Schools in the area. I think there were about 5 of them that the volunteers worked in, in pairs. Sooo, since the kids are attending regular schools during most of the day (and although I believe they also get English language instruction in them), mainly you are working in an after school program. Our hours would vary, but generally for the school I was in we went from 4:00 pm to about 9:00 pm at the latest, often getting home earlier. (Our school was close, so we walked there and then Sam [(Samantha) our great team leader] arranged to have a taxi pick us up and take us back to the hotel. Other volunteers had to go farther so they were given bus tickets, often there and back.)

You are pretty limited in terms of what you are doing. We were native English speakers who practiced conversing with the students. We did practice oral exam tests with them and talked to them generally. Everyone is thrilled to be talking to a native speaker which was weird because I did not feel we were doing much. If you go, I recommend you bring pictures of where you are from, because you will be talking about your home and family. The more pictures the better. The kids are always interested and like seeing them. I am from San Francisco, so I bought postcards of some of our major sites (wish I had brought more from California generally). Also, when I was looking up my city, I remembered that two of our past mayors were Greek-American. The kids also wanted to know if California was like Greece, so the more information you can provide that relates to them and their lives, the better.

We learned a lot from them too and asked them why they wanted to learn English. Mainly they responded that they wanted to get into the University in Greece (which is free to them, by the way). To do that, they had to be proficient in English. Also, they needed English to get a good job there. I think Greece's major industry has got to be tourism, so they told us that even if they wanted to be a doctor or a pilot etc, they needed to know English for the tourists. Also, they want to travel or go to school abroad. The owner of the school I taught in was a real anglophile, so most wanted to go to England. Also the school used English words, instead of American. You know, lift/elevator, flat/apartment etc. One student, however, had travelled to New York (everyone knows New York City) and wanted to go to New York University. I wish I had known this beforehand, since I have a graduate degree from that school. I would have gotten a sweatshirt or something for her (although we are not supposed to give anyone gifts). I also bought a kids' atlas of the US and gave it to the school. We used it in the classes. I recommend that anyone signing up for this program do the same or at least a map, so you can show them where you are from. The other volunteer I worked with was from New Jersey. We go from class to class; the kids are at different levels in their English language skills, so there are different types of practice tests we go over.

Really what we were doing did not feel like a job. And, most importantly, I felt accepted and appreciated in the community. No problems there. That was a great part of the experience. Not your ordinary travel adventure. The schools, teachers and kids, were thrilled to talk to native speakers and practice their language skills. It really gave most of them more confidence. The people appreciate what we are doing, working with their kids, and spending our money. Making a better place for them. I just loved them all.

And, we had most of the day free to go see the rest of the island. One volunteer went to visit Santorini. (Weekends are free.) Sam will point you in the right direction so you can make arrangements to go sightseeing. Lots to see in Crete. We also just hung out and sunbathed. Looked over the teaching guide, but really it was just talking to the students. The boys like video games, soccer, basketball (I was surprised about this, but there are some Steph Curry fans on Crete), etc. Maybe next time, I should bring some mementos from the Golden State Warriors for the school. The girls were more serious and some took traditional Greek dancing. Their general interests were less well defined, mainly focussed on school, career and their families. The ages of the kids were about 11 to 16. Some of them could speak English quite well. Not knowing Greek was an advantage. The kids knew it would do no good to try to talk to us in any language other than English. It made them try harder.

We never had any problem getting around Crete. The location of the hotel is in a tourist area. I suppose if you were out in the more rural areas, language might be a problem. English never was a problem where we were, except among the older residents. Sam treated us to dinner and lunch a few times and it was great food. We also organized our own excursion one day to see a local olive oil producer, go to a winery and learn about Cretan grapes and wine and have lunch in a great restaurant outside the city area. The wine is pretty good and we drank a lot of it well into the night.

The routine day is a morning meeting after breakfast and an evening meeting after work. Each person is assigned a day in which they have to write a journal entry and come up with some inspiring quote. It is read the next day at the morning meeting. (This is universal at GV sites; we had to do it in Montana.) One of the volunteers acts as secretary and puts the entries and quotes together so at the end everyone has a record of our days on Crete. These exercises made you paid attention.

What I enjoyed the most: the location, the ease of getting around (good transportation system), the community and kids, Sam (she is English, a former dancer, and just an all around great human being), the other volunteers (very interesting and diverse group), Heaven (a local cafe/restaurant we would go to; going to Heaven is a treat), not necessarily in that order. You are really a part of the community and a lot of people know Global Volunteers. You will be admired.

Everything is pretty inexpensive. We were off-season, so you felt catered to. Greece's economic situation is still dire. I did my part in bolstering the economy. By the end of the two-weeks, the tourist season was just beginning.

I think everyone who had not been there before was surprised at the hotel. I think it is probably a two star hotel. Lovely family who runs it, but the older owners did not know much English. A younger family member (Sophie, as I remember) was around most of the time and was fluent. Having Sam around is also a great help. She makes things go smoothly. The plumbing, as in most of Greece, cannot take toilet paper, so you dispose of it in the trash instead of flushing it.

I roomed with another volunteer, but some of them paid extra for a single room. My roommate was surprised there was no hair dryer. Ha, Ha! It is pretty bare bones, but clean and pleasant enough. There were some mosquitos, but no odd insects. A lot of stray cats and dogs around the area, however.

The food is generally good, home-made. I am a vegetarian, so I was accommodated but missed out on some pretty tasty looking dishes. The yogurt, as you can imagine, was great, but I suspect it is because they have never heard of non-fat anything. Also no de-caf coffee, thus the trip to Heaven. Gosh, I had to settle for Nescafe's de-caf coffee frappes which turned out being delicious. Needless to say, I gained a little weight.

I would highly recommend this travel and service experience! It will change your life!

I have attended this program twice and was booked to go this year, but at this time that may not happen.
On both occasions I had a wonderful and fulfilling experience. The program is excellent and very well organized by Samantha Pinakoulaki the Group Leader.
I enjoyed meeting the students and families. Also the other volunteers were so interesting and from all over the US.
Also it such a was a pleasure to be serving on the beautiful island of Crete. I would highly recommend this program to anyone.

This was an amazing experience and a trip to always treasure. From the time we landed our program host met us and went to extraordinary measures to make sure we were fully cared for the whole time. From beginning to end, it was so rewarding, exciting and just plain fun. The children were eager to learn and very receptive to us. The country, the food, the people were absolutely incredible. We felt safe at all times and welcomed on this beautiful island. I cant say enough about what a magical place Crete is and a big part of that is how we were treated. Would highly recommend to anyone considering. I am very disappointed that our trip had to be cancelled in May due to the pandemic.

In January 2020, I spent 3 weeks working with the people of the rural villages of Ipalamwa and Mkalanga, Tanzania. Our volunteer group consisted of people from around the USA and New Zealand, with Winnie as our amazing team leader. The remote villages of this area have no electrical service or modern plumbing. Our team members did classroom teaching in the schools of Mkalanga and Ipalwama villages and participated in home visits. The nurses in our group led health workshops and worked in the medical clinic. The purpose of the Reaching Children's Potential Program is to prevent childhood stunting so that healthy children can reach their full potential. The Global Volunteers Health Clinic is an important and vital resource to the community. The home visits provide needed support to the families in the program. Working with the children in the kindergarten and second grade and going on home visits were the most rewarding experiences for me personally. This life-changing program in rural Tanzania is one of the most meaningful and memorable ventures I have ever participated in.

The experiences we had in Ecuador were meaningful and memorable. Our group of 15 volunteers worked in the early childhood development center in Quito. Some volunteers worked in the classrooms with the children and others worked on the building itself doing maintenance projects and painting beautiful murals. On weekends we explored "Old Town" in Quito and visited the equator and rode a tram up a mountain. The hotel we stayed in was comfortable and the food was good. Sometimes we visited local restaurants. Maggie Bjorklund was our team leader and she was great. Everything about this volunteer program was wonderful. Spending time with the children in the classroom and the dining room were the most heartwarming moments for me personally. As a father and grandfather, the beautiful children of Quito really moved me. If you love children, kind people, and beautiful mountains, then go with Global Volunteers to Equador for one of the most magnificent experiences of a lifetime.

My husband and I decided to volunteer on Blackfeet Reservation as a way to learn more about the native american culture, and possibly to give back to a community that we really knew very little about. At the end of each day we were to ask ourselves; did we learn, did we serve and did we grow? We spent an amazing week; starting out getting to know each other (11 of us), and attending a Catholic church service (this was optional), with the highlight being a local Blackfeet singer who had an amazing voice; our first cultural experience! Our next experience came from a local historian, again another Blackfeet, who shared a wealth of Blackfeet knowledge and gave us a tour of the Reservation within Glacier National Park. Certainly a great day for learning! We all shared in the first two days of this adventure! However, the next four days would bring different learning experiences to each of us. I spent time with patients at a nursing home, listening to their stories. The next day I went to a thrift shop to help organize clothing and jewelry so that shoppers could purchase inexpensive items. I also went to the Senior Center in town where meals were made and served to seniors who live at the center and meals were prepared to be delivered out in the community (meals on wheels). I had the opportunity to go out in the community to help with the delivery of meals and see how some of the Blackfeet people live. I went to the Food Distribution Center to help stock shelves. We helped others in the community with projects that they needed done. Some of us stayed at one location all four days, others (like myself) moved around. We got to attend a sweat lodge, to connect one-on-end with Blackfeet people over lunch at the Senior Center, and to participate in a purifying smudge and prayer ceremony which was done by a Blackfeet who was praying in his native tongue throughout the ceremony. We also got to participate in a celebration of dance put on by a Blackfeet. This was a totally amazing experience. So did we learn, did we serve and did we grow? My answer to this is most definitely. I feel that I was given so much more from this experience than what I gave.

I enjoyed teaching English as a 2nd language to a few of the college professors from 5:30-7:30. We had fun and they really enjoyed learning more English grammar, idioms, wring skills etc.
However. I did not really enjoy my time with the vocational students during the day as much, because very few of them spoke English at all and we did not really have a translator except maybe one student once in a while. Therefore, it was difficult to get the particular lessons across to the kids. I thoroughly enjoyed the city of Beja and the people there and our group! It definitely was a good experience.

My stay in Anse La Raye was memorable. I still think of the children I worked with at the Infant School with delight. They want to learn and the school was so prepared for us I feel we did make a difference in just the week we were there. The pride they have in their country was evident. The celebration of their Nobel Award Winners was moving. The children were singing their hearts out with joy. Excellence and Discipline were evident.
The village people were so open and easy to talk with. I enjoyed my walks around talking with and watching the fishermen and others. A special treat was working with a small of group of women in the evenings learning to sew, making and using patterns. Chemida’s, “OK. Let’s go.” After giving an instruction still rings in my head.
The beauty of the island is spectacular. I learned so much and enjoyed every minute in Soufriere’s botanical garden. St. Lucia is the only Windward Island named after a woman. Is it because of Petit and Gros Pitons? She's the Helen of the Windward Islands.
I hope to return if time and resources allow me.

My Global Volunteer experience in Kathmandu ranks very high when I consider all of my GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS experiences, literally high in altitude, high in making dear friends, high in believing we made a difference, and high in the pure joy of being in this beautiful country with these beautiful people. My new friend Jenny, a young woman relatively new to the GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS experience, and I became the “Jenny and Fran show”. That’s what happens when one finds a soul mate among our Global Volunteers. Jenny’s enthusiasm made each day a delight. We could feel it and see it in the faces of the women and the students with whom we shared our time.
Our first week was spent at the Soroptimist Center helping women speak and understand English. The term Soroptimist comes from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best (the best for women). We Global Volunteers joined in that quest of providing the best for women. The tears of joy we saw on the faces of these women touched our hearts. They grew more comfortable with the language as the week progressed. There are always small miraculous experiences on my GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS adventures, but in Kathmandu we experienced a plan that was meant to come together. “I love it when a plan comes together.” Our local miracle man, Ps Buddhi Man Shrestha, was aware of a book to assist in our English language lessons, but it was prohibitively expensive coming all the way from the United Kingdom. A little exploration by Fran and Jenny discovered the books were actually published in Kathmandu. Suddenly the books became accessible. The team of our volunteers, our GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS leader Stephen Raj, and our local Nepalese Buddhi Man made it all happen. The excitement upon receiving the little books in the small classroom was palpable. Global Volunteers do make a difference.
Jenny and I celebrated the Teej holiday at the Soroptimist center with Soroptimist leaders and the women in our classes. Teej is the fasting and celebrating festival of women in Nepal. It usually takes place in the month of Nepali Bhadra (August to September in Solar Calendar). We ate and danced with joy. Sharing in their special holiday is sharing love and peace. One of the joys of volunteering is becoming a part of the communities we serve. To join in daily life, in special occasions, and in making their lives better, as well as learning more about the country and its people is amazing. Yet, anything we give seems to be returned in abundance to those of us who are Global Volunteers.
For the second week, we took our “show” to St. Joseph’s School and once again the experience touched us. Our discussion in English with tenth “graders” about pollution was amazing. What thoughtful and articulate young people. Yet, it was only one of many experiences we volunteered teaching in the classrooms. It was so very gratifying to spend the time with them. And all of our time, we knew we were making a difference to those who call Kathmandu home. The principal Dambar Singh KC expressed his gratitude to Jenny and me for our time at his school, but I know that while we touched the lives of so many students, we gained so much more.

My time in Nepal is but one chapter of my Global Volunteer book of experiences. Whether I recall my times in India, the Cook Islands, St. Lucia, Poland, Hanoi, or Tanzania, recalling my weeks in Kathmandu still causes my heart to leap, my joy to rise, and my love for volunteering to grow.