Program Reviews

I had an incredible trip that taught me so much! The local team was incredibly helpful, and they are some of the most genuine people I've ever met. I spent my time assisting a local English teacher in a public school, where the students were eager to learn and so much fun to work with! The housing was comfortable and safe, located near a large mall, restaurants, and bus stations, making it convenient for daily needs. Be sure to take advantage of the afternoons and weekends to explore, as there is so much to see and experience in Ecuador!

Volunteering in childcare in Vietnam was an incredibly rewarding experience that I will cherish forever. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed by the coordinators, who were not only organized but also genuinely passionate about their work. They provided us with all the necessary information and support, ensuring that we felt comfortable and prepared for our roles. Their dedication to the children and the community was evident in everything they did, from planning engaging activities to offering guidance and encouragement to volunteers.

The children were the heart of this experience. Each day was filled with laughter, learning, and unforgettable moments. I was amazed by their resilience and joy, despite the challenges they faced. Working with them allowed me to witness their creativity and curiosity firsthand. Whether we were playing games, helping with homework, or simply sharing stories, the connections we formed were truly special. The coordinators facilitated these interactions beautifully, creating an environment where both volunteers and children felt valued and supported.

Overall, my time volunteering in childcare in Vietnam was transformative. The coordinators' unwavering support and the children's vibrant spirits made this experience one of the most fulfilling of my life. I left with a deeper understanding of the culture, lasting friendships, and a renewed sense of purpose. I highly recommend this opportunity to anyone looking to make a positive impact while experiencing the warmth and beauty of Vietnamese culture.

The local team was there for me at any opportunity!! They were always willing to help whatever it may be!! I made best friends for life on my trip that I’ll be traveling with and visiting in their home countries! I’ve only been back a week and I already miss the culture and how happy everyone is in Tanzania. I can’t wait to go back and I know IVHQ will support me in my dreams to fulfill this! I decided to sponsor a child and the local team couldn’t have done enough to help me complete this! Best thing I’ve ever done!

I went to the Philippines to volunteer to teach kids in a local school and it was one of the best experiences. It was an amazing experience to be a part of and I met some great people along the way. The team was supportive once I arrived and guided us through everything, from the airport pickup to creating our teaching programs. Would highly recommend going for even one week just to experience the local life and culture. You'll definitely make some amazing memories and meet interesting people from all over the world.

I’d recommend traveling with a friend or group if under 18, home stays can be more isolating. However, the local team helped connect me to other minors and hosted plenty of free social events. I really benefited from the opportunity to explore on the weekends I travels to Lake Atitlan, Tikal, and hiked Acatenango with friends I met through the program. Antigua Guatemala is very safe for female travelers, even at night, so I visited a lot of local festivals and food stalls. Overall, I loved the opportunity to work with kids and learn Spanish.

From the initial sign up to receiving my certificate of volunteering I felt supported and looked after. My queries were always answered promptly and the local team were superb too. I was able to chat to the organisers a couple of times prior via online web chats and also meet a couple of volunteers who were going to be on the same trip as me. All very well organised. The local team also arranged trips out for us. I had an amazing experience and would not hesitate recommending them to anyone considering volunteering.

Feedback volunteering in Laos October/November 2024

My name is Gerburg Ingrid Kamm. After a working life of over 40 years as a foreign language teacher of German and English I now enjoy my retirement “travelling with a purpose”.

Introduction
I consider myself lucky to have signed up for the IVHQ project of teaching English in Luang Prabang, Laos, because the 3 weeks from October 21 to November 8, 2024, have been extremely enriching and enjoyable.

First and foremost, my gratitude goes to the local team, who are responsible for the smooth running of the various projects, like childcare, teaching English, and construction. The coordinators of IVHQ did everything to make the volunteers feel welcome, to help them understand the new culture, and to or get accustomed to their new environment.

The program starts with an excellent, insightful introduction on the first day, which helps the newcomers to get acquainted with the customs and habits of the host country, in particular the dress code and behaviour code at school and in the presence of Buddhist monks and novices, and verbal and gestural expressions like greetings and thanks.

Hospitality
Accommodation: The rooms and bathrooms are tidy and in good condition and get cleaned twice a week, which includes the changing of towels and bed linen. They are equipped with air conditioning and fans.

Food and beverages: the food provided is excellent: three complete nutritious, savoury meals, starting with a good substantial breakfast made up of eggs, bread, and fresh fruit. Lunch and dinner are always abundant and well-balanced, containing protein like meat, fish, etc., carbohydrates like rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and fresh fruit. All dishes are always freshly prepared with great care. Dietary needs of the volunteers are taken care of. Hot and cold drinking water is available around the clock in the tea and coffee kitchen.

Transport by tuktuk is provided to and from the volunteers’ “places of action” and often in the case of planned group activities.

Activities
As a volunteer in teaching English as a foreign language, I was placed together with the other teachers at a local English club, which is connected to a wat. My assignment consisted of lessons of 80 minutes in the morning from 8.30 to 9.50, mainly for Buddhist novices and monks from the Wat and for other learners, and 2 courses of 1 hour in the afternoon and evening from 16.30 to 17.30 and from 17.40 to 18.40 for schoolchildren and other learners.

The local teachers, as well as the students, responded with great willingness to get acquainted with new ideas and teaching techniques. Every week the volunteers are assigned to a different teacher and 3 different classes. The enthusiasm and gratitude shown by the teachers and the students made my lessons extremely rewarding.

The school headmaster welcomed the volunteers warmly and organized several occasions to get all his teachers together in informal gatherings such as an invitation to lunch, a visit to a fair taking place at the university campus, or a get-together after lessons in the evening. On these occasions, we, the teachers, could get to know each other better and exchange our experiences.

Finally, teaching was a pleasure, because the classrooms were equipped with a computer with an internet connection, overhead projector, and amplifier, which made it possible for the teachers to use modern teaching techniques.

Thank you

I am back at home now, and my special thank you goes to the local coordinators of the project (IVHQ) who always did their work in good spirits and tried to fulfill the volunteers’ every wish.

Best thing I’ve done as an 18 year old solo traveler for the first time I felt so safe and made the best of friends. The turtles are adorable and well looked after. The coordinators are great fun very friendly and always in a great cheerful mood ! I would definitely recommend to anyone. On my days off I went to see the manta rays and kelling king beach which are my top 2 recommendations! I also did a weekend in Canggu which was great me and my friends went to the markets and Finns beach club which was great fun!

I went to Laos for a 2-week Childcare Volunteering trip. IVHQ provided all the support and guidance prior to the trip to ensure complete peace of mind on planning everything. From guidance on insurance, visas, and flights, everything was very easy to follow and very thorough.

Once in Laos, the program coordinators on the ground were the best. A great balance between the volunteer work and immersing ourselves in the local culture with invaluable local knowledge.

I couldn't fault anything and can't wait to book again.

I want to start by saying that this review is coming from 100% my heart and the experience that I had, which I am deeply grateful for. To begin, I would like to talk about my experience prior to the trip. My IVHQ coordinator was incredibly helpful and answered all of the questions that I had as well as communicated diligently to the local team on my behalf to provide me more answers to any questions that arose. This made me feel very valued as a guest signing up for this experience and set the stage for an amazing experience.

it all started at the airport. The local team were very quick for communication which I was grateful for in which showed reliability. They were also very punctual in the time they said the meet-up would be once we arrived at the airport. Originally, the local coordinator wanted us to take a public bus that they would pay for (since airport pick-up was included), but because one of the three members in our group was severely ill with a stomach bug, they arranged a private taxi to take us to the accommodation. This was very thoughtful of them as I know a bus would've been incredibly uncomfortable for her.

The meat and potatoes of this whole experience was the volunteer work. I signed up for Intro week activities in the morning and the Sports Education project in the afternoon. This kept my day busy as in the morning, me and a lot of the first week volunteers would go out with the staff to some pretty insane local spots. The waterfall and sand dunes were a highlight as it really showcased Fiji's natural beauty and power. In the afternoon during sports, it was rewarding to see the kids smiling after playing sports with them. To be honest, I wish the minimum time to volunteer would be two weeks. In my opinion, one week went by too quick and we only participated in four days of the volunteer work. You could obviously tell that the volunteers that had been there three weeks and over had such a strong relationship with the kids, almost as if they were their own. You really need to immerse yourself for 3+ weeks to get the whole experience of volunteering and living life there, cause I know if I would have done that, I would have benefitted greatly. Even though the cost of the program for just that one week was expensive, it was comforting to know that the local team received a good portion of the program fees!

Another big part of the experience that I did not even think about was the amazing social connections I made. I have lived a very basic life with not a ton of social interactions back home (I tend to be very socially isolated for various reasons), but having participated in this volunteer program along many like minded and good hearted young individuals my age, it gave me a sense of purpose and motivation knowing that there are other people like me out there, and there are so many amazing connections to be made out in this world that we don't even know about, but these incredible organizations help to provide an outlet and facilitate these connections with people all over the world.

The food in the program was SOOOOO much better than I had thought. So much that the chef of this program should win an award. Along with Fiji, I went to Bali and Thailand as part of my gap year experiences, and by far the food in this program was the best. I am so so grateful I got to experience it. You can taste the love that the chef puts into the food. Some of my favorite dishes that she has made that I haven’t forgotten about is her Fijian pasta and eggplant! So good!

To conclude this review, I am just going to briefly explain a couple things that I would classify as areas of growth for my experience. First and foremost, I would change the minimum length of time of this program to be two weeks at least. Recommended, it should be three weeks. I don't feel at all satisfied with the amount of volunteer work I did and my overall experience regardless of how amazing it was. Secondly, my friend was very sick, and even though the kitchen staff were pretty good at accommodating the meals for her sick stomach and also accompanied her to the local urgent care clinic for a check up, they could've checked on her a lot more back at the accommodation and provided her with much more support.
These were my areas of growth, however they are not deal breakers for me.
I had such an amazing time and I would do this again in a heartbeat! The local team even told me that I am welcome back any time after singing us the sweetest farewell song (one person from my group was crying because she was so touched by it!).

Overall, the project was a whole lot more than volunteer work which I appreciated! I love the sense of community, hospitality, and love that permeated through the whole experience from both the amazing staff and from my volunteer peers. I absolutely can't wait to come back one day.