Program Reviews

From start to finish, the whole process ran efficiently and smoothly. Every matter is planned and supported. The staff and friendly, helpful, supportive and encouraging. Hosts and placement were also considered carefully and were excellent. It was truly one of the most amazing two weeks of my life so far, and I will have joyful memories of my experience. Peru as a country is amazing, the food, the people. The opportunity to make new friends from all over the world. The placement was excellent, friendly, supportive and welcoming.

I taught in South Africa and did the surf outreach also. What a life-changing experience to be part of making a difference to strengthen people's lives.

Working with other volunteers from around the globe is amazing. On the weekends, I had many adventures learning about the cultures. Everyone should give back for once om a lifetime experience. Incredible lasting friendship, since of wanting more travel. Love of many languages was a blast. Having new food. Different means of transportation. And the clothes from the area are colorful.

And the different tribes playing music in the city. The beautiful mountains and ocean are stunning

Mi piacerebbe ringraziare HQ Volunteer per questa esperienza meravigliosa! La consiglierei a chiunque abbia voglia di mettersi in gioco ed immergersi in una nuova cultura, conoscendo nuove persone e aiutando il prossimo. Ringrazio di cuore tutto il team locale, estremamente disponibile e sempre pronto a risolvere qualsiasi tipo di problema. Porterò con me per sempre questi ricordi, questa esperienza speciale a cui ho partecipato e le risate che ho condiviso con tutti gli altri volontari che ho avuto piacere di conoscere. Grazie mille

In English:
I'd like to thank HQ Volunteer for this wonderful experience! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get involved and immerse themselves in a new culture, meet new people, and help others. I sincerely thank the entire local team, who were extremely helpful and always ready to solve any problem. I will always cherish these memories, this special experience I took part in, and the laughs I shared with all the other volunteers I had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you so much.

I had a wonderful experience volunteering in Tanzania. The program was extremely well organized, and we received a lot of support from the coordinators throughout our stay.

The volunteer house also had very good conditions (including hot water, reliable internet, and tasty meals), which made day-to-day life comfortable.

However, I did notice that a local economy has developed around volunteering, with an expectation that volunteers will contribute financially or bring resources. While this is understandable, it’s something future volunteers should be aware of.

Overall, though, it was a very enriching and eye-opening experience that I’m grateful to have been part of.

I did the Construction & Renovation program in San José, Costa Rica, in July, and it was the three best weeks of my life. From the lovely and welcoming accommodation where I had an incredible host, to the super cool environment promoted by the local team and all the other volunteers, everything was just amazing.

From the very beginning, the IVHQ staff supported me with instructions, advice, and tips for my stay. And everything they said would be included in the package was perfectly delivered.

As for the C&R program, it was amazing to work on real construction projects with local workers. We spent hours under the sun mixing concrete and working hard, while sharing our cultures and realizing that, even though we come from totally different places, deep down we are all the same.

I had such a great experience volunteering with IVHQ. From the very beginning, the support and communication were clear, and the whole process felt really well-organized. The placement itself was not only rewarding but also gave me the chance to meet amazing people, explore a new culture, and contribute in a meaningful way.

I felt safe and supported throughout, and IVHQ made the whole journey easy to navigate. It was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to go again in the future. Would definitely recommend IVHQ to anyone thinking about volunteering abroad.

Life is made of moments. And this moment lasted two weeks. Two weeks during which I forgot to breathe. I was too focused listening to the sound of nature, to the alarm of a baboon, to lions roars, to elephants trumpets, to hyenas, to birds songs and my friends laughs to jokes that I cannot repeat here.

I was too focused filling my eyes with beauty, a beauty I have never seen before. The savanna and the Olifant river. I was too focused paying attention to our guide’s instruction on how to move, how to not make a sound, how to freeze if we would have encountered danger, how to read animal tracks on the beautiful red soil we were walking on. How to check for the wind direction in order for the animals not to spot us.

Learning that if there are hyenas there is probably a leopard somewhere as they follow him. That if there are lions there are no hyenas. That if an elephant is sweating is probably stressed by our presence. That you should never look a leopard in the eyes, while you should never turn your back on a lion.

Sometimes it feels like I am still there: I close my eyes and I am sitting in the dark with my friends and we are quite, so quite that breathing sounds noisy. We were focused on waiting for the lions to come pass in front of us. In those moments we were just one, deeply connected by the excitement of what could have happened from a moment to another. Asking Africa for a sign. And let me tell you, Africa would always take the call.

Rusermi is not just a place, it’s a home built with love. The owners put their heart into every detail and make you feel like part of the family from day one. And the guides are simply amazing. They don’t just teach you about the bush, they share their passion in a way that makes you feel safe, curious, and completely connected to nature.

It was the most incredible experience I had in my entire life and will definitely go back!

Thank you Rusermi

I had the most amazing time in Ghana, I spent 4 weeks there teaching children aged 6-9 English, maths and a range of other subjects and activities. The children were amazing to teach, I also learnt a lot from them. I also travelled parts of Ghana with fellow volunteers during the weekend when not working at the school which was amazing. The program staff were lovely and so helpful, the food was great there was a mix of traditional food and basic foods such as pasta, chips etc. I would recommend this experience to everyone.

I recently completed the 2 Week Animal Care Program with IVHQ in Muizenberg, South Africa and it was an incredible experience. From the moment I arrived I felt welcomed and supported by the team. I met so many other volunteers from different part of the world and I had an amazing time with them. I had the opportunity to work with amazing animals. I gained valuable skills and experience and the program’s flexibility allowed me to tailor my experience to my interests. It was a life changing experience that I’ll always treasure.

I debated what experience to do when volunteering in Costa Rica and settled on Teaching English. I took a TEFL course, did the IVHQ prep work, and waited patiently for my volunteer dates. I volunteered for IVHQ previously in Fiji and had a fantastic experience. The Costa Rica was a very different experience as you may expect differences in a different country but also fantastic. I was partnered with a community center about 1 1/2 to 2 hours by bus outside of San Jose so ended up taking UBER, which was affordable. My class was a group of Intermediate English learners and by listening to their needs on the 1st day, changed my teaching plans from grammar to focus on speaking, reading comprehension, and vocabulary understanding. I had a great 2-weeks with the class, making an impact in a small community often overlooked, and hope to come back through another volunteer experience. The local team had great resources and support. My homestay was with an awesome family. I enjoyed the private room that had a kitchen and a place to stretch out in the mornings/evenings. I also enjoyed the Costa Rican cuisine that the matriarch of the family cooked daily.