Program Reviews

Ghana is an extraordinary place! The people are generous, open-hearted, and helpful. Before volunteering there, I had not travelled to any African country. But now I know I'll surely go back to Ghana and also visit other countries.
Working with the children at the school and the orphanage was a very wonderful experience. In each case, I was really able (after a couple of days of getting used to everything) to sink my teeth into the work, and the kids (and staff) were really great. I won't forget the smiles, enthusiasm and warmth from the kids...they were so appreciative of the smallest of gestures: holding a hand, giving a hug, making up a silly song, or just simply listening to them. This was my third time volunteering, and I always feel that I get more than I give. It is true of Ghana as well.
Teaching English at the an elementary school and working some in an orphanage were wonderful insights into life in Ghana for some children and the challenges of poverty. Warm and hospitable, Ghanaians make you feel right at home! And the kids are simply the sweetest! In both environments, I felt I was adding something and was appreciated for my efforts. I spent most of my time in Kumasi, but I did get the opportunity to travel to the Cape Coast and Kakum National Park. All-in-all, volunteering in Ghana was truly an unforgettable experience.

India is an amazing and incredible place!
Volunteering at a school in Jaipur was one of the most enriching experiences I have ever had. The kids were great and so enthusiastic and fun! It was truly a most gratifying experiences.
I met some awesome fellow volunteers and I got to explore Jaipur, Agra, Udaipur on my weekends off. The volunteer coordinators were very helpful in making arrangements for us to learn more about India by visiting palaces, museums, markets, etc.
Love Volunteers was very helpful in every way before my trip. It was my second experience with them, and I couldn't have been happier.
All-in-all...it was a great experience, and my only regret is that I couldn't stay longer! I definitely will be back, though.

To tell the truth, I had some stereotypes about Africa before this trip. But it seemed exciting to go there because everything there is absolutely different from the places I have ever been. I have made a great decision to participate in volunteer program in Mombasa, Kenya.
At the beginning I had some worries about our accommodation, environment, children, schools, etc. i was afraid of being useless there because I am young and not experienced enough. Finally, these concerns turned out to be groundless.
The family became a second home there, they treated us the same way. At school I realized that it is so easy to be important for someone even due to your presence. Every rather small help can turn into great one. Indeed the ocean consists of billions drops, we can make an ocean with each drop. I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity to get such a life-time experience.

I spent 2 weeks volunteering at an orphanage in Nairobi which unfortunately I did not feel was not enough time to really make a big impact, but even still, it was very eye opening. I recommend spending longer if you can, but if you only have 2 weeks, go for it!

The program was well organized from the pickup from the airport to the ongoing support and phone calls from the staff and I felt surprisingly safe taking the public transportation on my own,

Kenya itself is such an interesting country. If you have never been to Africa, you can expect it to be overwhelming at first, but it is SO worth it. After only 2 weeks I left with a completely changed perspective on life and Africa in general and I cannot wait to come back and spend some more time helping out!

I really enjoyed my experience teaching English in Nepal. The Nepalese coordinators were wonderful and went out of their way to make the experience positive. They helped me to plan sightseeing activities and trips and were very interested in showing me the culture. I had a high level of autonomy, as I road public transportation by myself every day and planned by own free time, but I also experienced a high level of support from the staff. However, Love Volunteers did not paint a clear picture of what I was to expect. They told me that I would be living in a host family, which I found out upon arriving in Nepal was not an option. I would highly recommend the the program with which you work in Nepal as a safe and fulfilling organization; however, the communication between Love and the local program is lacking.

I have decided to participate in my first international volunteering project and I could not have hoped for a better start than the one I was provided by Love Volunteers organization. I took part in an English teaching project in Albania. Throughout the stay I had a constant support from LV and the project was unbelievably fun and rewarding. Definitely recommend for starting volunteers!

There are no words that can adequately describe how AMAZING my experience in Honduras was, thanks to Love Volunteers! Prior to starting my program, Love Volunteers helped me to feel pretty prepared for what was in store for me.

I was able to spend my mornings loving on precious children at an orphanage/daycare, just playing with them and hugging their sweet little faces. I also helped out the teachers there by passing out materials and supervising the children during their activities, helping them when needed. In the afternoon, I was able to take Spanish classes (with a great teacher who really helped me a lot) in order to better be able to communicate successfully with those around me during my trip. After that, I was free to do whatever I pleased - explore the city, see a movie, hang out at the mall, etc.

I was placed with an INCREDIBLE host family who took me in as if I were a part of their family. They were compassionate and loving towards me, and they were patient with my lack of Spanish skills. My host family truly helped with immersion in the culture of La Ceiba.

I was honestly terrified when I first started my program, because it was the first time I had left the United States and I was overwhelmed with being out of my comfort zone. But I absolutely loved my experience!

I'd say the most difficult thing for me was struggling with communication, but I learned a lot from my Spanish lessons and just from talking to my host family and my sweet kids at the orphanage! In La Ceiba, it was normal for the power to go out randomly for hours at a time, but I had some great memories hanging out with my host family on their terrace during the power outages.

For my first experience out of the country, I think it couldn't have possibly gone better. I learned so much from the people around me and I feel that the children enjoyed just simply being loved during my time there. I DEFINITELY plan on returning to Honduras soon, but I might just have to check out programs in another country. I don't think I want to volunteer with any other program, since Love Volunteers has been so helpful and gave me an incredible experience.

My participation to this program was 3 weeks long, at the end of Autumn in Cherkasy. Despite a program "baseline" orientated towards help in orphanage, I passed most of my time helping out English teachers in a working-class school. The teaching team was really happy to have a foreigner helping them, as well as the pupils (between 7 and 17 y.o) who, for most, never had the opportunity to speak to one before. Some time in orphanages came on top of that, mostly playing with the kids.

Ukraine is a very nice country I must say, unfairly forgotten by tourists, full of sincerely kind and helpful people, who were really happy to share their culture. I plan to go back as soon as I will be able to, but this time, maybe more as a road trip.

We travel for fun, leisure and business, but seldom have we traveled for love. Ukraine is an unfamiliar nation for the people in Hong Kong. My decision to join the voluntary programme in the country is totally out of curiosity. I cannot speak in Ukrainian, I am not familiar with the Western culture though Hong Kong is an international city, and I lack experience of being a care-taker. It turns out to be the most amazing discovery of my life. My love and respect to the people, for their generosity, kindness, happiness, and all other positive qualities, will never end. Kindness is everything. We broke-through the language barriers and tried our best to understand each other. Children’s laughter and smiles shined my days and became my energizer for the stressful work in Hong Kong. Remember one day when I first met a child called Anton. He has been a rebellious boy who always hopes to escape from the orphanage. He was kidnapped and later escaped from the trafficker, he has nowhere to go but he wanted to escape. He caught my attention and I wanted to protect the little boy in all means. On the last day of the program, he came to me with a gift made of chestnuts. Kindness is everything. All through the program, I have gotten much more than I give. I was not giving enough. “You should stay here for longer. One week is not enough”, Alex, the gentleman who chairs the local organisation told me. It is very difficult for a Hong Kong working person to take more than two weeks of holiday. I am very lucky to have my company’s support. However, yes, I was not giving enough. I hope I could stay with the children longer, to understand them and teach them my languages. Now, every night, I pray for them before sleep. I wish they will grow up healthily, contributing to the society and the world. This is a mother’s wish to their future. I regard every one of them as my children. They are the unique ones. Easy to do than say, please allow me to join the force and take care of the children. This will be my life-long project.

“Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace”, once Mother Teresa said. I firmly believe in the words.

I had a great time overall at Rromani Baxt. Most volunteers arrive later in the summer, so there was only one other volunteer at the time. We shared the volunteer room and got along really well. In the mornings we were working in the kindergarten, helping to maintain order, teach basic English words, and play games with the adorable kids. In the afternoon we hung out with the older kids. The english level is generally very low, but somehow you find a way to communicate without too many mixups. On weekends we explored Tirana or visited nearby cities. There is enough to do outside of volunteering to really stay occupied. The family that runs the centre is lovely, and you will make friends in the neighbourhood. Overall a great experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in volunteering or learning more about the Roma community.