Program Reviews

I will never forget my experience in Ecuador. It was the best summer of my life. My host family was absolutely amazing and caring. Plus, the community opened up their homes and hearts for us. I worked daily with the children of the community and it was great to see the impact we had on them when we played and learned. We also painted murals, which was another way to bring the community together since the kids and youth painted it while the adults watched and now can enjoy the work they did. We also planted trees with the kids and worked in the field with different families to help them with their daily field tasks like harvesting potatoes, cutting the grass and weeds, and planting new plants.
Amigos de las Americas is one of the best organizations I have come to know. It is hard to find another program that is as supportive and helpful. The staff was always attentive and responsive in any situation. When I got sick at night, I was at the clinic by the morning to make sure everything was okay, and I was! They make sure you are always safe both physically and mentally, but they also make sure you are having a fun and productive summer. If I was having an sort of issue or confusion with my partners, community, or projects, I could always count on my staff to help clear things up and make me feel better.

The greatest part about my experience was feeling like I actually made an impact on the community and now I have a new family in Ecuador. I have a new found love for cultures, spanish, and traveling as well. The cost of the program is definitely reasonable as everything is taken care of for the whole summer. You don't have to worry about buying food, paying for your travel if you need to go to the clinic, your clinic costs are covered and the only thing that you might want to bring your own money for is souvenirs, but that is optional!

Another great thing about Amigos is that all of the host families aren't compensated for housing volunteers, so if anyone signs up, they are truly interested in getting to know the volunteers and helping them through the process of getting projects going and then implementing them.
I made some really great friends in the community along with getting to know my host family. It was fun to hang out with the local youth because they generally are helpful, and will show you a good time. They actually taught me how to dance, plus we played soccer together and laughed a lot!

The day I had to leave, I couldn't stop crying. I didn't want to leave and couldn't wait until I had the chance to go back, regardless of how many potatoes I had to eat (potatoes are big staple in ecuador, along with guinea pig!!). I learned about ecuadorian culture, I learned about my family, my community, and myself. I would recommend this program to anyone who is willing to step outside of their comfort zone and that would love to make an impact on a community while having the best summer of their life.

I went to Ecuador to make an impact on a community in Ecuador, and while I did that, they left a huge impact on me.

I really liked hanging out in my community for the most part, but i didn't feel my time as a volunteer was of value. I was there for 8 weeks and all i feel like i did was hang out. I would have liked to have more volunteer time and less fun. Also the service initiative wasnt anything with which i was involved. All we did was just give them money. I think in a less developed country maybe it would have been better. The staff was great, but i didn't like the actual program, i feel like it wasnt worth 8 weeks of my life. A lot of people really enjoyed the program more than I did though.

I wouldn't recommend Ecuador if you're looking to have a smashing social life volunteering for AMIGOS. That's what the DR is for :] Not that Ecuador was not fun. It was, but it took a while for the people to open up to the volunteers. They are really shy at the beginning. But the Andes mountains were beautiful. I loved waking up every morning and having a view of Volcan Cotopaxi right when I stepped out of the front door. And if you are a picky eater, definitely do not go to Ecuador. You will be served guinea pig in chicken feet multiple times. They do make for some great stories though :]
Bottom line-if you work hard and do not sleep your summer away, you will have a rewarding experience.

I went to San Pedro and had the time of my life. I loved it there and it was the best experience I have ever had. I changed my outlook on life and made me appreciate what I have. My partner and I became very close and we still talk everyday. I created such strong bonds with my community members and my family from watching music videos for hours or dancing around the school singing. I will never forget the impact that my summer in Paraguay gave me. I will always have those memories and those unbreakable bonds.

If you want an adventure, something positive to do with your summer where you will learn a lot and give the same back. Somewhere where you can meet people from all over the world and build amazing friendships. Somewhere where you can strengthen your Spanish speaking skills without an idea of judgement and an organization to work with that is not about tourism and 'help'. If you want to see what Ecuador is truly about and watch it come to life, join this program!

I learned so much by living in Oaxaca and interacting with my community. I learned to love another culture and a lot about living on my own. I had many difficulties throughout the summer, but my biggest was an two-week long illness at the end of the summer. My supervisor was not supportive or helpful with the emotional and physical elements of that. Because of many factors, my sickness intensified and has kept me out of school half-time since last November. I am still struggling to heal and it is May. I am thankful for what I learned last summer, but I lost almost all of my senior year because of it.

While volunteering on the Azuero, Panama Amigos project in the summer of 2010, I had the most incredible experience getting to know a beautiful group of people in an unbelievable place. From learning how to lead the school kids through activities, walking around and introducing ourselves to everyone in the community, facilitating the collection of support and work for the community center construction project, and then finally saying goodbye, I learned so much about myself and the world. It was an experience that I am ever thankful that I had, and will always remember. My host family and I still talk regularly.

This was the best program for me! I did it right before my senior year in high school, when I came back I saw the world in a whole different light! I made amazing friends and was fluent in Spanish when I got back home (when i arrived i had just completed level 2 spanish in high school). I always felt completely safe, especially the time that one of my teammates cut her hand on a knife and we were rushed to the city center and taken care of immediately!

No other program gives you the same amount of freedom and responsibility as Amigos and Costa Rica is full of warm, friendly and welcoming people, all excited to share their culture. Costa Rica is an extremely diverse country and their clear Spanish makes it one of the best places to improve on your speaking skills. One of the best summers I've ever had.

I was a supervisor in 2010. There is great support from the Panamanian partnering agencies including MINSA and Panamá Verde. The volunteers are greatly supported by staff and the program is experiencing growth with national panamanian volunteers as well as additional latin american youth volunteers.

The AMIGOS program in general is amazing and any youth looking for the opportunity to expand their horizons should look into the program.