Program Reviews

This experience exceeded any expectation I had to begin with. I decided last minute that I wanted to participate in this program and I was very quickly accommodated for. When I arrived I was warmly greeted and properly introduced to the work that I would be participating in. I was taken to my home stay where I was introduced to the family I would be living with for 2 week. They were extremely friendly, accepting and welcoming as I entered into their home. The food prepared for me was delicious, their helpfulness was impeccable and I never felt unsafe or uncomfortable in any situation. I frequently got a phone call from the coordinator checking up on me to see how my day was and to assess if there were any problems that needed solving. I felt like I was treated respectfully and I never came across any issues. Living with a local family I was able to engulf myself in the culture and everyday routines and rituals that they followed. They made me feel as If I was apart of their family. I feel fortunate to have been placed with such a kind, giving, and heartwarming family.
I partook in a few different placements during my stay. For the first week I participated in maternity clinics, a dental clinic, home visits, and the school for the blind and deaf. The second week I was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a provincial general hospital. I was taken to my site and picked up afterwards; so I never felt lost or overwhelmed with directing myself around a new city. Each placement had friendly staff that allowed me to observe, assist and learn. I was thoroughly taught about the healthcare system in Sri Lanka and the medical care available. I feel as if all of my goals were obtained from this trip. This once in a lifetime opportunity provided me with more than I could have asked for.

I spent two months in Uganda thanks to LoveVolunteers, and I couldn't have been happier with my experience.

I can't stress enough how helpful the team was when I was trying to organize this trip. Right from when I applied to be a volutneer, through to choosing my destination all the way through to the end of my trip, LV was a constant presence and I never felt disconnected from the people that put me there.

The program itself was great. The person running the project was friendly and made every effort to include me in the running of the orphanage at which I was working. This meant that every day was different- I collected firewood, I taught the kids, I helped with building projects on-site- I did a lot and it really made me feel like I was achieving something.

Uganda is a great destination and I can't recommend it enough to anyone looking to volunteer in Africa. If you do it through LV, you'll be in good hands.

Alternative Housing and Urban Planning Volunteer

STT work in a variety of sectors which help support and protect the poorest communities in and around Phnom Penh, providing advice on human rights issues, architectural solutions, detailed mapping and land rights documentation as well as acting as a voice for these otherwise unheard communities.

Although my role within STT was to predominantly produce architectural solutions that address the needs of these communities my role also encompassed the land mapping process and working alongside the human rights team to protect those who are vulnerable and in need.

My role gave me with the opportunity to understand the Cambodian culture and architectural process within it.

Meeting with the communities and understanding the wider issues concerning the families within them provided me with a deeper understanding of the challenges they face and allowed me to experience a social side of architecture which I had not previously been involved in. Enabling families to have a voice and hope of a better future has been incredibly rewarding.

I handled a number of projects in varying scales, from individual dwellings to more recently the Chrang Chamres project which is situated on a land area of 6.5 acres and proposes to provide 13,000 new homes and a variety of commercial opportunities for the communities living within the development. My drawings for this project were presented to the local communities, individual residents, directors of NGO's and to donors to make these a built reality in the near future.

Another project I was heavily involved in since my time at STT has been the White Building - a complex and political project concerning the threatened displacement of some 2,500 residents. As well as providing architectural documentation I worked with the human rights team and fellow NGO's in providing feasible solutions to help save the building and secure the tenure for the residents of the building.

As well as the fellow NGO's on this project I worked hand in hand with the residents and village chiefs to ensure any proposals have the full support and approval from all key stakeholders in order to provide a attainable vision of the future in these uncertain times.

My time at STT has been extremely insightful - the roles undertaken, the responsibilities, the respect and the appreciation received from both the communities and my colleagues has been very fulfilling. Working in a third world environment has exposed me to the challenges, constraints and stark realities of life for many people which I hadn't fully appreciated. This first hand experience took me beyond my initial understanding of the Cambodian people and exposed me to new ways of thinking in a new and interesting side of architecture which I believe has helped my professional develop and progression.

My time in cape town as an assisting teacher in a primary school was a life-changing experience. My day to day activity includes: walking to the bus station,and boarding a mini bus to the school,assisting in grade r-4 and helping out in the daily food scheme.
It was a great experience that had major impact on my career as a teacher.I learnt several teaching skills and acquired knowledge while helping out. My only problems was the frequent mini bus drive which cost 12 Rand for a return.
I recommend this programme to anyone.

I loved my time in Uganda! My hosts Alice and Bazil were so welcoming and made sure I felt comfortable and had everything I needed. On my first day at the school, Alice walked me and introduced me the the principal and teachers. I was in a Primary four class, helping with reading and spelling in English. The kids were fantastic and were so eager to learn about me, my family, and Canada! I girl from my class walked me home each day and Alice would greet me with a plate of pineapple or mango!
My room was nice and comfortable. My biggest hesitation travelling to Uganda was the 'squat toilets' but I adjusted quickly and they were not a problem at all. It was so easy getting into town. Alice arranged for me to go with a family friend so I always felt looked after.
I had a wonderful two weeks in Uganda and wish I had stayed longer!

I volunteered in Hanoi, Vietnam for two weeks last semester. I worked at a day care for disabled children during the week days and traveled on the weekends. I have to say, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Spending time with the children was, although challenging, very rewarding. Despite living in poverty and suffering from mental and/or physical disabilities,the kids were so optimistic and lovely to be around. I grew really attached to them and miss them everyday. Overall, living in Vietnam for those two weeks was such an unforgettable experience. The people are so kind, and the culture so unique. I loved exploring the city, eating delicious cuisine (the cook at the volunteer house made such good food), and getting to know my fellow volunteers. The members of the program staff were so welcoming and helpful, making me feel at ease. In addition, I felt very safe in the city. I even learned how to take public transportation by myself which was an accomplishment for me considering I tend to be terrible at navigating around new places. I would 100% recommend this trip and program to anyone looking to help out in South East Asia.

I spent two months working as a maths teacher at the local partner school in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu. First of all, the people there ( Keshab, Manojs and Mahesh) are very genuine, very caring people and they are doing a fantastic job with regards to running the school. There are not enough teachers at the school to run all the classes all the time, so this means that there is a real opportunity for you to help out.

The children at the school are very intelligent on the whole, and whilst they can be quite boystrous (like all children) it would be hard not find yourself getting attached to them during your stay.

I was teaching English in a small town, called Temixco, in the state of Morelos, Mexico for four weeks during which I enriched with lots of new experiences that will last for a lifetime.
I had previous knowledge about Mexico as one of my majors at the university was Spanish but learning about a country and being actually there are two completely different things.
Unfortunately what Europeans know or hear about Mexico is mostly the dark side of things, the negative news that spreads across the media, little known about the other side of Mexico that I was fortunate enough to get acquainted with.
The school I volunteered at was a private school, the owner and headmaster lives next door with his family. Maybe this is why the whole atmosphere was so friendly and inviting. There were three preschool classes and six primary classes. I was mainly helping out the teacher of the primary students as I could help more there with my pronunciation. Every day I had lunch with the students at the canteen, I tried all kinds of traditional Mexican dishes. The children were very interested in me and my country, my British pronunciation, the weather there. I joined in the preparation of the performances for the Mexican Revolution Day and also did some pre-Christmas preparation, such as decorating the school. The children are very active here as I noticed, they needed to exercise a bit, so we often took them out in the schoolyard for some fun activities and games to practice pronunciation for example. After these games they could concentrate more on their learning.
During my voluntary work, I stayed at a local woman's resort, named Estela. She is a real Mexican woman, knows a lot about her country and cooks delicious, mostly vegetarian food. In her home, I got to know some members of her family, her sisters, brothers and mother as they have a very close relationship. A few years ago Estela invited the local children in need in her home, cooked them healthy food, taught them English. Although nowadays she's focusing on other projects, she still cares about the community she lives in, helps the local women and children, educates them and organizes interesting activities or outings.
Temixco is a little town, there is not much to do there but Cuernavaca, the capital of the state is just half an hour away. I used both the local buses and taxis without any problem. Although I tried to get back to my accommodation before sunset as it is not safe for a single woman to be on the street late night.
Whoever is thinking about going to Mexico should consider the fact that there are not many volunteers here. My goal was to make friend with local people and stuff at the school. This is why I chose to come here in the first place, to polish my Spanish knowledge and to get to know the Mexican people.
With the accommodation do not expect too much, Estela's house is a bit chaotic but welcoming. There are constantly some kids of work on it. Not all the windows are glazed for example, And when the temperature goes below 15 at night, it can be chilly inside so bring some warm trousers and jumpers. She has two big dogs that are mostly outside in the garden and several cats that come and go in the house. I like pets so I had no problems with this situations, I just want to warn future volunteers who might have allergies.
On the weekends I was free so I tried to explore and see as much as possible. Estela organized trips to some famous places and sights, such as pyramids, natural springs, caves. She very keen to show me how much treasure this country has. I was impressed by the richness of this land.
To put it in a nutshell, Mexico is a very colourful and fascinating country with diverse landscape and amazing culture. I found wonderful friends here, visited many places but one should always has to be cautious, especially in big cities.
Just one more thing to finish, I have to go back there!

I volunteer for a week in an environmental project. The program was to build veggie garden for schools and plant trees. The student would eat the veggies from the garden for more nutritions in their diet.

Accommodation was in a secure hostel with three local meals a day and friendly staff. In the first day, they showed me the town and previous projects they have done. Everyday after breakfast, we took bicycle rides to the school, then work a bit, and we go back at around noon when it gets very hot. Then we have lunch at the hostel and then you have the rest of the time for yourself.

On the weekend they can organise tours for you. I went to Mt. Meru waterfall on the weekend. You could also visit a Maasai village.

It was a good experience. learned how people in the village live and was immersed into the culture.

My 2 weeks program at Cape Town - South Africa was completely change my life.
I went without expectations and found an amazing experience at all levels.
I helped in a primary school, basically helping children to read in English.
The kids are amazing and the city of Cape Town is very beautiful and relatively safe :) .
I received all the support that I need from the Love Volunteers team and from the local team also.