Global Volunteers

Program Reviews

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Margaret
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Meaningful way to spend 2 weeks

Global Volunteers is incredibly organized. I always felt like the site coordinators were available and very helpful, with everything from changing money to internet access to weekend excursions. Working with the children was a very special experience. The nurses were supportive, the aide in the children's room is incredible, and the kids themselves were very cute. I was so lucky to be connected to past volunteers so that we were able to communicate and share ideas, and we were literally able to coordinate the delivery of a splint and adapted equipment for one girl that enabled her to color and to feed herself independently for the first time! I felt privileged to work with these kids.
The weekend trip allowed us to see another part of Romania, the famed Transylvania. We were referred to a driver (one of the nicest people on the planet), and a beautiful bed and breakfast. We were able to see the gorgeous Carpathian Mountains and the historic (but misnamed) Dracula's Castle, the summer palace of the Romanian King and Queen, and a fortress from the first century BC.

What would you improve about this program?
Don't stop at KFC for lunch on the way from the airport! Go someplace local!
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Megan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Amazing Adventure

Working with Global Volunteers in Costa Rica was a life changing experience! Not only did I learn so much about a different culture and lifestyle, I learned many different things about myself that I never knew.

What would you improve about this program?
The only thing I would change is having an age minimum. Our group had 3 children that constantly didn't want to work.
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Seija
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Connections of the Heart

Cuba was a beautiful volunteering experience and the connections created with the warm, kind, generous people of Ciego de Avila will remain with me always! Volunteering bridges cultures in amazing ways. We are such an interconnected world! I have been fortunate to travel and explore the world extensively in my life but it is through interacting through volunteerism, be it helping paint a daycare facility, gardening, teaching English, or holding sick little babies in faraway countries that I have come to realize we truly are all the same, no matter the language we speak. Helping out opens the doors to a language of the heart that is universal.

What would you improve about this program?
It was really so well planned but if there is even one tiny thing I would change, it would be a few more social events with the local people.
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Kit
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An extraordinary experience

I chose to work with local farmers on their community cooperative farms. We were told that the farmers were somewhat reluctant to allow us to work with them initially. I was certain they thought we wouldn't know what we were doing and might do more damage than good, which could potentially have an impact on their income. But, they trusted us to do good and we did! More importantly, we had plenty of time to interact with them and, even with a language barrier, there developed a sense of camaraderie and friendship. Their willingness to trust us and our obvious intentions to be helpful and respectful forged a very meaningful connection between and among us. It was a very moving and wonderful experience.

What would you improve about this program?
I cannot think of anything I would change. I loved it as it was when I did it.
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Senovio.
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sea Cuba now, before it changes

I do early morning walks everyday. One morning (5:30 AM) while walking, I saw a farmer walking his team of oxen. I asked him where his farm was and what crops he was growing. He told me his farm was just a short distance up the gravel road and that he was growing yucca. He pointed up the road and said yucca, than he pointed at his oxen and said vaca. I hesitated for a few seconds and than chuckled to myself about his little humor so early in the morning, especially when I knew that he was surely in for a long hard days work. I could not help but think about how many people anywhere in this world would be that happy to joke about hard work that early in the morning. Many days I find myself thinking about how I approach my daily work.

What would you improve about this program?
I would have enjoyed spending one full day with a Cuban family in their home.
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louise
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent experience

Through one of our students, I made a special connection with his mother who invited me and another volunteer to her home. It was an opportunity to really see how the local people live. We were very impressed by her generosity.

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Kathy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Bring Your Heart to Romania

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What would you improve about this program?
I have no idea.
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Venessa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A rewarding experience!

I volunteered in Romania with Global volunteers in March/April of 2015 and it was honestly one of the richest and most rewarding experiences of my life. I highly recommend Global Volunteers if you are considering volunteering. I was supported every step of the way by Global Volunteers staff and our hosts Mihaela and Dan. I felt safe and taken care of every step of the way.

Seeing the children respond so quickly was very encouraging. We saw children try to stand and sit on their own, engage more in sharing behaviour, become more vocal and we even had a lovely woman on our team who knew infant massage and was able to help ease the tight muscles of the less mobile children. Even just making the children laugh and smile made the whole experience worthwhile.

I will say, however, that it can be exhausting; physically, mentally and emotionally. It will test you at times. Be prepared for the fact that there are things that you cannot change; situations that you can only approach with love and support. Just always do the best that you can and forgive yourself when you feel like you may be falling short (I assure you, you won't be!)

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Lee
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable

My experience in Tanzania was completely unforgettable. I went without expectations and only a desire to help. I was rewarded daily with a new challenge and a new learning experience. I was able to teach Civics, teach English, work in rural clinics, work in an AIDS clinic, plant trees, weigh babies, and more.

The community was extremely friendly and welcoming. My only regret is that I didn't spend more time there. The program is well-integrated into the community and is well-respected. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will stay with you forever.

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Dorothy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Cuba - Still a Colorful Country

The visit to Cuba was instructional - it went far beyond what I was able to teach in years of university teaching of geography.
The first thing that struck me were the taxis lined up in from of our hotel -- mostly late 'fifties cars from the U.S. The 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air seemed to be the most popular. Our ride in a convoy of them -- all convertibles -- on our last evening in Havana was a real treat. We were told that Cuban mechanics and metal fabricators have to be really creative to keep them running. They definitely keep them painted in bright colors. Cuba is a colorful country, and the music and art were impressive. The food we were served was great, but learning about the lack of availability of a variety of foods that the average Cuban can afford to buy made our food taste a little less good.. Cubans whom we met seemed friendly and open in conversations; and really wanted us to know them. A big treat was the visit to the neighborhood of Muraleando, where a grass-roots arts center has been developed and is operated entirely by volunteers. They had us dancing to their music in spite of our old knees.

What would you improve about this program?
I think it would have been valuable to see some of the farms -- both urban and in the countryside -- and the fruit/vegetable market in the city of Havana. This would probably require a few more days, which would be good.