Love Volunteers Reviews

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.

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.