Program Reviews

Like everyone leaving the country with people you don't know I was afraid of what was going to happen. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that every person I met (even the natives on the street) were nice, patient, and overall really happy to see you! We travelled to Masaya in Nicaragua as well as a few cities in Costa Rica. I the poorest cities in America parents don't let their children leave the house, however in Central America the cities that VIDA takes you to are so safe the the kids are running around all over the place. And no we did not spend every day in a run down hotel with no hot water (just 2 or 3 ;)). My homestay family were super sweet people and the two sisters are on my facebook now. The only thing not so great about the trip for us Americans was that the Costa Rican's eat dinner around 7 or 8 at night, so we were always really hungry. They also don't have quite the same strictness with scheduling as we do, so when you go don't expect to follow the schedule exactly. But, you should definately go! I hope to go back again before my college experience is over!

Part of the VIDA experience is allowing their volunteers to experience as much of Central America as possible. The two week trip to Nicaragua and Costa Rica is the perfect way to experience more than one lifestyle and culture. VIDA does an amazing job working with their volunteers to make sure they have the time of their life. The hands-on volunteer work in the medical or dental field is unparalleled. This trip or any other trip with VIDA would be an amazing opportunity for everyone to experience.

As a trip coordinator I was in constant contact with the VIDA staff in Costa Rica and they are great people to work with! The planning of this trip went extremely smooth because of them. They helped make it possible for many students to have the experience of a life time! I would recommend participating in a trip with VIDA to anyone who is interested in traveling abroad to gain great medical and dental volunteer experience.

Was one of twenty students who went on this medical and veterinary service trip last January. 5 clinic days, 2 recreation days. Homestay experience was incredible and better than I could have ever imagined. The ziplining activity was extremely fun. Be prepared for an action packed, but enjoyable trip! Loved getting to tour the country for the first time. Not a ton of free time - almost all of the days are scheduled with activities, meals, etc. which is good if you're worried about what you will be doing when you're not working. Would definitely recommend VIDA for this type of experience!

Experience of a lifetime! Learned about the culture, the healthcare, and the social scene. Best 2 weeks of my life! I hope to be able to go on a trip like this again. Only downside was that our group of volunteers was over 50 people. Hard to get to know everyone and it was very "clique-y". Other than that, it was a blast! The translators and physicians were amazing and extremely helpful. Highly recommend this trip!

I truly enjoyed all of the time I spent in Nicaragua. Only half of my VIDA volunteer opportunity was spent there, but I wish it could've been more. The time we spent on the island of Ometepe was most enjoyable. I really loved the local culture, but it highlighted the the everyday difficulties that locals faced. I did not see a phone or computer the entire time I was there. The only acceptable, by most peoples standards, bathroom I used was the only in my hotel. However, the experience was eye-opening and I would not change it for anything.

I went on spring break 2012 to costa rica. It was the most amazing trip I've ever been on. I loved our home stay family,friends we met,and medical knowledge I gained. If you have an opportunity to take a vida trip take it immediately.

Volunteering with VIDA was such a wonderful experience! I've volunteered with them twice (2 summers in a row). I got a lot of hands-on experience spaying/neutering dogs/cats. I learned a lot from their veterinarians. They were so helpful and so friendly! The housing was great. The families were stayed with were very hospitable. We also got to do fun activities, such as zip-lining and white water rafting, which were tons of fun! I would LOVE to go on another trip with VIDA!

This trip is a great opportunity to develop skills as a medical, veterinary, or dental student, as a Spanish speaker, and as a caregiver. The trip is set up to accommodate volunteers very nicely, and has many fun opportunities. I would say that it was easy to focus more on having fun than focusing on the volunteer and service we were actually doing. Because of my previous experiences on service trips, I was able to have more of a servant's mindset and heart, and was therefore able to experience a lot and get much more out of the trip. I met two friends while on the trip who will be my cross-country best friends for the rest of my life. Great time! :)

I attended a 2 weeks veterinary volunteer adventure last summer and am currently coordinating another trip this summer. The was the most rewarding experience in my entire life! It is amazing to be able to travel to Costa Rica and Nicaragua and be immersed into the culture while being able to provide invaluable veterinary, medical, and dental services to the communities that truly need our help. The hands on experience is second to none and is significantly more than I have received working in the veterinary field for 6 years in the states. The staff is amazing and helps you all along the way- I made many friends on my last trip and plan to again this year. It is extremely safe which I was initially worried about - we only go to safe areas and we all travel in a group at all times. There is a perfect balance of work and fun with 5 clinic days and ~7 day adventures including things like ziplining, national forest, shopping, sloth sanctuary, latin dancing, playing soccer, and many amazing restaurants. I researched other volunteer broad groups for months on end before I decided to go with VIDA and I am SO glad I did!