Program Reviews

A fun experience in a fascinating country. Made many friends, including locals, and got so attached to the kids. The staff was so welcoming and great. I was free to do what I wanted on my classes too. Wished to stay for longer!

I was the first volunteer English teacher in a small village in northern Albania. That was challenging, but very rewarding! Living with a host family, I felt part of the community and was able to work with young kids and teenagers at a school. I really had to think on my feet and develop strategies that would work with the kids. This improved my teaching and I also learned so much! My first time in Albania I also learned a lot about the culture & the history of the country. Fun, challenging, rewarding, enriching!

Go for it! I spent a month in an orphanage and one month in a monastery, both times teaching english. I was provided with food and although the sanitary conditions were not perfect, i don't think it could have been better, considering the 8 hours of power-outage that the country experiences every day...
And the fact that you are with a local NGO (Love Volunteers links you to them) reduces the cost very significantly. That's a plus, if you're a broke student like me!

I volunteered in Ethiopia for 10 weeks over the summer through love volunteers. Love volunteers was absolutely wonderful. They are affordable, and answered all my questions and concerns quickly! I was really impressed with them.

I had the most wonderful time both in Ethiopia and volunteering with the organization there. I was placed in a hospice program, but also spent time with the teaching program and I really enjoyed both. The members of the organization were welcoming, wonderful, and a lot of fun. They made it an easy adjustment to a very different culture. They also were really great at helping with anything that was needed.

I did the hospice program in the morning, and then went back to the house for lunch, and then would do the after school program in the afternoon. Sometimes on fridays I would go with the teaching volunteers to the school because I wanted to see what that was like!

The country is very religious, and so are the members in the organization. I am not religious, but they were very respectful of my beliefs. Of course they asked a lot of questions, but so did I because we both wanted to understand our cultures, and they were always respectful of it. I never felt that they were pressuring me. Religion is also a big part of working with the kids and hospice program, but that is because religion is a big part of their culture. I was not off-put by it, but instead found it inspiring how rich in beliefs and culture it was.

There was a lot of freedom to explore the city, and I even ventured to other parts of Ethiopia, which was absolutely amazing. The food is so good, and the people are so kind and friendly. There is a lot to do in the city! Or even to just relax for some downtown at home! It was such a great experience!

Volunteer in Cambodia is an experience for lifetime to me -- Ive seen the things Ive never seen and done the things Ive never done before there!

Love volunteers and the local organisation which was directly responsible for my accommodation and placement were both very helpful. The airport pickup, orientation, city tour as well as the local contact that we could seek help from all contributed to a safe and pleasant stay. The staff of love volunteers always give me prompt response addressing my questions and the local staff never fail to give me a hand whenever I called up asking for help ( they tried their best to offer me assistance even my prob was entirely extraneous to the placement). I do appreciate their help n assistance a lot.

I was both happy with the work and accommodation in Cambodia. The work kept me pretty much busy all the time and the tasks I was assigned to could be challenging sometimes. The host family was nice and clean, above all, the food they cooked was
fantastic!

Hope that you have a great time in Cambodia!

I signed up for 5 weeks Community Development in Phnom Penh. I did not have any work to do at my placement. I went along to meetings, training sessions, conferences and visited the local communities, but I never actually contributed anything. I spent a lot of time in the office, googling things to keep myself amused. From speaking to the others staying at the volunteer hostel I know that I was not the only one in this position. I brought this to the attention of Love Volunteers and the local NGO organizers but nothing could be done about it. They said the end of year is often quiet in the Community Development sector. The disappointing thing is that it looks like volunteers (such as myself) are being accepted without anyone checking if there is a specific project for them to work on.
That said, the pricing of this program is very good and the on the ground staff were very attentive and helpful (when they could be). The volunteer hostel accom is very basic (a little shabby around the edges) but I enjoyed the social side of life there, the saving grace of my 5 weeks.

I spent 7 weeks in Kenya in 2012 and loved every second of it. I meet amazing people, both Kenyans and other volunteers from around the world and felt that the work we helped with was extremely worthwhile.

I spent most of my time with the host family about an hour our of Nairobi near the IDP camp. The 'mama' of this family looked after me like my Mum would and I was welcomed into her family completely.

I volunteered at the IDP school and spent my time working on a reading programme 1:1 with the kids and running small medical clinics for any children that had wounds etc that needed looking after. After school finished we spent time playing with children or visiting families who lived in the IDP camp - seeing how they live was an eye opening and life changing experience.

The pogramme set up is amazing, the country coordinator and the staff from Love Volunteers kept in touch the whole time I was there making sure everything was ok. I was able to help with some special feeding programmes in Kibera, Nairobi and around the IDP camp, a big free medical clinic at the IDP camp and also fit in a safari, trip to a Massai village and a few trips to the Massai markets for souvenirs.

My trip to Africa was something I had been wanting to do for a very long time and through Love Volunteers and the people in Kenya it was even better than I imagined it would be, I can't wait for another trip back to see my 'Kenyan family'.

I volunteered in Tanzania for 2 weeks in October 2012 through Love Volunteers and loved it. Organising tmy trip through Love Volunteers was great, they were helpful, friendly and efficient and were flexible enough that I was able to change things once I was there.

The placements in Tanzania were fantastic, I spent time in the Orphanage, School, Daycare Centre and with the widows groups. Everyone is friendly and welcoming and the whole experience was fantastic. The country coordinator is very welcoming and allows you the flexibility of being able to see all the projects and deciding which you like best. The children are so appreciative of any time you spend with them and always extremely happy.

The facilities are quite basic - bucket showers etc (although with a trip to Africa I was expecting this) and it is amazing how quickly you get used to a much more simple life.

During my short stay I meet amazing people and experienced a different and beautiful culture. I would love to go back and would recommend it to everyone.

I spent three weeks in Ghana through Love Volunteers teaching in a local village primary school - staff were great and very helpful, as were host family! I felt safe and well looked-after as was first time in Africa and a lone volunteer. Only downside was lack of teaching materials in the local school, though not project's fault - more, the school's!!!

Since my first visit, I have since returned to Kenya and the Love Volunteers program 2 more times. I believe my actions can be more powerful than words. I took the time, energy and money to return because the program is well run, and the work you do makes a difference. When I first arrived at the IDP camps (that is the program I chose) almost 3 years ago there was no hope whatsoever. Families were going hungry, kids were not at school, and these families had little hope. Visiting the camps today you will see a stark difference. Children are in school, crops are planted, families are employed, and there is a new sense of life. Without the organization and wonderful people involved, none of this would have been possible . I recommend this placement to anyone who is willing to bring ideas and make a difference.