Program Reviews

I travelled to Cambodia with Developing World Connections in December of 2009. Our two week trip started with a weekend in Phnom Penh, where we had a chance to meet our team leader and the rest of the volunteers. The accommodation was straightforward, but still clean, comfortable and in a safe part of the city. Our team leader was very flexible and accommodating. He had group activities planned if you were interested, but was happy to let people explore on their own as well.

We travelled as a group from Phnom Penh to Kep, where we would spend the remainder of the trip. We worked Monday to Friday and had the weekends to take in local attractions. Work days started around 8am and finished by 5 or 6pm. Given the heat and humidity, we also were given a long lunch break (over an hour) each day. Our work included thatch home construction, latrine construction, and building sections of a community garden.

The accommodations in Kep were beautiful. They were just off the beach with a nice pool, which was such a treat at the end of each day. They weren’t luxurious, but were definitely first class by North American standards. There were tons of good dining options in Kep for dinners. The team leader was a great resource for information on where to go and what to see in the area.

Developing World Connections partners with ‘Bridges Across Borders South East Asia’ for their trips to Cambodia. Both organizations have worked to ensure that projects completed by volunteers are ones that the community wants and needs. They also ensure that projects and initiatives can be sustained by the community members once the volunteers have gone.

For me, it was definitely the perfect blend between volunteer experience and vacation. I loved working with the locals and I will never forget the two families that we built homes with. The team atmosphere was fantastic and I left the trip with two dozen new friends.

I would highly recommend Developing World Connections to anyone looking for short-term volunteering opportunities in the developing world.

I had an amazing time with Jenn and Dan as our DWC leaders for 5 weeks in Rwanda during the summer of 2010. We spent our time in a small village called Gashora where we were building a community center for a women's group called COVAGA. The COVAGA women are a co-operative of basket weavers who harvest an agressive plant called the water hyacinth, then they weave baskets out of it and sell it to help their family and the co-op. Not only do they make money, they have a sustainable business that saves their crops from the water hyacinth and the profits help support the families of the co-op. The women and children worked with us on the site EVERY DAY working so hard (much harder, and effectively than any of the volunteers could work). Even though the language barrier was difficult at times, we always could communicate with a smile, a hug or laughter.

Every day was a challenge in its own way but volunteering with DWC was the most rewarding thing I have ever done. On the weekends, we visited the capital city of Kigali, learned about the genocide in Rwanda and visited the gorillas in the north.

Volunteering with DWC is something I will always cherish and remember for the rest of my life. I would not hesitate to do it again in a second!

The experience in Guatemala was incredible, and provided a lot of help for the local community, while simultaneously providing a life-changing experience for our team of university students. After Tropical Storm Agatha hit Guatemala, the community of San Miguel Duenas (where we were scheduled to be building a house) was severely damaged. In the end we did a broad range of tasks, such as repairing homes, repairing schools, interacting with local kids and youth, and generally just helping where we were needed. We were partnered with a local organization called the Open Windows Foundation, founded by an amazing woman who directed our groups work. We were lucky enough to stay in her beautiful colonial house just outside of Antigua, where we enjoyed great accomodation and good meals. Our group was also lucky enough to save some leftover budget money for traveling and we got to see more of what Guatemala had to offer. Overall, we had some struggles and a few hard times regarding the work, but everyone came out of this experience with an extremely positive view.

The one month was definitely not enough. The country was so beautiful and full of life. Our group I feel made a great impact in the village of Chamcar Bei. Everyone had a blast and we all made friends! And of course we all became friends within the group! I would love to go again. More young people should be travelling the world not only through the tourist regions but the rest as well. That way you know what life is really like for people around the world.

I had been in Rwanda for almost two weeks when i had what i refer to as "a true Rwandan adventure." It was one of those moments you will forever be drawn back to as a world traveller. A moment where you loose all inhibition and give into the true raw nature of being completely and totally consumed by your surroundings.

By this time I had settled quite comfortably into the lifestyle of Gashora, a small village one hour from Kigali where we spent our volunteer time while in Rwanda. I woke up every morning by 7am, washed my face, plastered myself with SPF 50 sunscreen, dressed in yesterday's red-dust covered work clothes and started the walk down to breakfast. After a cup of sweet and creamy African tea, a few hard-boiled eggs and a well appreciated slice of pineapple myself and the rest of my group started our fifteen minute walk up the road to our work site.

By the time we reached the project site the entire village was there to great us. We shook every person's hand, a Rwandan ritual that creates a sense of community and an appreciation for everyone around you. We would then work the rest of the day side-by-side with anyone willing to pick up a shovel, or join in a playful game of simon says. (Which usually turned into a follow the leader routine or chase the Canadian volunteer around the grounds.)

After a long day on the worksite our group would usually enjoy a refreshing coca-cola at the local bar. However today was a most important day as we were asked to join in a football game with the local school teachers. Hundreds of kids showed up to watch the Canadian volunteers loose horribly to their Rwandan teachers. Surrounded by cheering fans the game went on into the night.

By the time we tried to find our bike-taxis it was so dark you were not able to see your hand waving in front of your face. ( A bike taxi is simply a seat on the back of a bicycle over the back wheel- it provides fabulous transportation with unlimited adventure but comes at the cost of a very sore bottom!) After finding a suitable driver we drove at a million miles an hour home.

On this warm Rwandan evening, with bugs flying at my face, I finally felt myself completely overtaken by Rwanda. I could not see one inch in front of my face and I knew my driver could not either. As we speeded down the dirt, and very bumpy, road i loosed my grip from the metal bottom of my seat, focused my eyes on the moving tree tops as we flew by and tried to forget the fast approaching sand patch in the middle of the path. No matter how much traveller anxiety i had i was at the complete mercy of my driver. So i gave into this moment, decided to take this chance to practice my Kinyarwandan language and was completely overtaken by Rwanda. And yes we did indeed make it, and after a long and well deserved night's sleep I awoke to spend another day with the beautiful people of Rwanda.

My Developing World Connections trip to Cambodia was such an amazing and eye-opening experience that I will always remember. The first day we touched down in the capital city, Phnom Penh, everyones jaws hit the floor. We were a group of 9 university students, some of us never stepped a foot outside of our province. It was a whole different world-the streets were overflowing with hustle and bustle, cars and moto cycles swerving and dodging faster than ever, people yelling,crying,laughing,eating, bathing, cooking, sleeping,praying.. you name it, it was happeining right in front of our eyes, all at once. Within minutes, I was in love- with it all. Our DWC trip started out with a few days in Phnom Penh. What the DWC trip let us experience was so much more than the average traveller. Not only did we get to visit the poorest areas in the city, we were able to bond with these families. We were informed about the whats going on in the areas, what the families struggles were, and what goes on everyday for these people to survive. Aside from the visits to the local areas, we also had the opportunity visit the tourist areas of town and learn about the history of the Khmer and the recent genocide.

The best part of the whole trip would be the time we spent in the village. We stayed in a perfectly rustic wooden house. It wasn't your average house, but it suited the village perfectly. We had the most amazing local cook on-site for us for all our meals. We got to our jobsites each day by bicycle. In only 3 short weeks we were able to build a dream home made of wood, thatch and sheet metal, 2 lantrines made of brick and mortar, planted over 5000 trees, planted 2 peanut fields, and taught numerous hours of English at the local school. The host partner also gave us the opportunity to make cococut jewlery and scarves (looming). I think what made the village work so memorable was the fact that we were working alongside the locals. While building the house, the family that was recieving the house helped us the whole time. This allowed us to bond with the family, and made it so much more special when we handed the house over.

The host partner that DWC works with was absolutely amazing. They were so accomodating and caring. The gave us so many opportunities that we would of never been able to experience withut them. They were always there for answers, and always made us feel safe.

Overall, I really enjoyed myself. It was one of the best trips I have ever been on, and really came home feeling as if I accomplished something, and really helped someone- in fact a whole village. I would most definately go back, and planning on going in the near future. The food throughout the whole trip was delicious. As I mentioned earlier, we had a cook in the village who made amazing authentic khmer dishes. She was also very accomodating to vegetarians and celiacs. Throughout the whole trip I felt safe and looked after. I never came across a point during the trip that i felt I was ever in danger or uncomfortable. I felt the program cost was extremely reasonable. The trip in cost around $1900 + airfare for 4 weeks. This included everything, from accomodation to transportation, food to working supplies and equiptment. The one thing I would of done differently was pack lighter. I slightly over packed, and really what was needed was only the essential items, and a few change of clothes. The one thing I wish I had packed would be more bug spray. The bug spray in Cambodia isnt as strong as the potent stuff we can get in Canada.

This trip has showed me how amazing and beautiful people are. How resilient and strong the Khmer are. How one can be so happy and peacefull with so little.

It's not the history, the beautiful country, delicious food or the hot weather thats bringing me back to Cambodia. Its the people who live there.

Upon arriving in Kigali, our group navigated by foot the congested downtown core to find the public van that would take us one hour away to Gashora, the town in which we would live for the next 4 weeks. Working with a Rwandan development organization –Building Bridges with Rwanda– we helped to design and begin construction on an innovative building that would soon be home to a women's vocational training center, to Covaga's talented basket weavers, to a showroom for the women's beautiful handmade baskets, a quaint restaurant, and a community center.

After breakfast every morning we would make our way by foot to the worksite and be briefed on what the plan was for that particular day. Alongside the women of Covaga, the locally hired helpers and many folks from the laid-back community, we surveyed the land, cleared and flattened it, dug irrigation channels, fetched water from the local well, make thousands of mud bricks one by one and do all of the stonework – the local way!

The weeks we spent in Gashora were amazing. Everybody loved the camaraderie of having locals work with us, learning our language and in return teaching us theirs. The community embraced us so warmly and sent us off extravagantly on our last day. We were also invited to compete in large soccer (or football, as it is locally known) that were attended by no less than 600 cheering spectators.

The most difficult part of the experience was the logistical part of trying to get 50+ (often different people day to day) people to work together and pull in the same direction with the construction of the building. With few skilled tradesmen and minimal formal written plans, a lot of time was spent fixing unforeseen problems that we created, most notably a swimming pool sized hole that was dug over 3 weeks to help guide water away from the building which was later decided against, thus needing to be filled in. The language barrier coupled with the fact that we had tons of eager helpers keen to work but only 2 guiding voices to orchestrate the immense project caused quite a bit of confusion and frustration.

All in all, the project was an absolute blast to be part of. Despite sometimes feeling as though we were taking two steps forward and then one step back, we saw a great deal of progress. We saw a huge plot of land go from hilly and overgrown with weeds to level and cleared. We erected many precisely made columns around which the building would be framed. We connected the building to the town's main water source and completed many other important tasks to get this wonderful community a brand new community center. During all of the hard work, we also made connections that will last forever. Of the 30 participants that came to Gashora in our group, some have already returned and several have plans to go back in 2011 and 2012.

I would recommend that anyone go see Rwanda at some point in their lives. 1994 was a dark year in Rwanda's history but the country is now a miraculous story of recovery, forgiveness and healing. It is not a place to miss and Gashora is a great place to start.

The trip to Cambodia was one of the best experiences in my life. Developing World Connections focuses on the experience and making strong bonds between the volunteers and the communities while providing aid to the in country projects.
The people of Cambodia were very friendly, and I felt safer in that country than I did back home. I made many friends in the village we worked in, where we built a home, a few latrines and helped out in the village while learning the khmer language and culture from the students we taught and the people we worked with.
The trip had the right balance of work and play, as the first week was spent touring phnom phen and learning about khmer rouge and recent evictions. We got a weekend in sihanoukville to lounge around on the beach and every weekend took different trips around the kampot province.
We spent our weeks in the village living in a house with electricty for 3 hours a day and no running water, which was a perspective-altering experience. The people of the village were very warm and welcoming, and it wasn't uncommon for us to be offered fresh fruits from neighbours while we were working.
This is a trip that showed me people that were born into nothing, and fought tooth and nail to make a place in the world. It's a trip that was life-changing and wonderful, but it's not a trip for those who can't handle getting a little dirty.

The bottom line is that I could not think of a better way to have complimented my degree than by experiencing a developing country. I believe DWC did a great job preparing us and setting us up with a unique host partner, IFEJANT. Our trip included 4 work weeks at the volunteer site- an elementary school called San Jose Obrero. All 9 of us participants were University students, though DWC offers several programs for all ages.
We worked approximately 7-hour days from Monday to Friday in a very poor barrio known as Villa Maria del Triunfo. It was such a learning experience for all of us to drive from our hostel in a middle income neighborhood to one of seemingly endless dirt hills, and unsafe water. We additionally had the opportunity to talk to some of the brains behind the 'working children' movement, including the wise theologian Alejandro Cussianovich. Their philosophies power the school we worked at, along with funding from several NGO's. Even though our communication with the locals in the community was extremely limited due to the language barrier, we began to see and learn that close to half of the children were malnourished, and half also worked after school to supplement their family's income. Their great need became obvious.
The most beautiful part of the village was the locals' smiles and energy, even though they were living in dirt. Our project was not without frustrations, but playing soccer and interacting with the kids daily undoubtedly outweighed the difficulties. Our $500 donation (on top of trip costs) payed for the lumber and supplies for our construction project. Though money is a common issue for students, our donation did not quite cover all of the supply costs. The trip could not really have cost any less.
Our constant lifting, hammering, sanding, painting, roofing, and valiantly attempting to talk to the locals yielded 3 much needed rooms- a kitchen, dining room and workshop (for working kids).
The volunteers from the year prior gave us a list of 'what not to forget' before our trip, so most of us were very well prepared. While the food was generally very good and some of us got to try some delicacies such as guinea pig, the majority of us did not feel well at one point or another.
The social scene was outstanding, and we all agreed that we had so much fun. Though Lima is not super touristy, we made our own fun! Casa Rodas, the hostel that hosted us was unbelievably hospitable and affordable. They made breakfast for us daily.
We had to be motivated and driven to finish because there was a time crunch at the end of the 4 weeks. The 9 of us worked so well together, and everyone had their strengths. The ability to 'laugh it off' should not be forgotten at home for such a cultural experience, and indeed we had some great laughs along the way.
The mayor and local heads visited and saw how important our work was and made donations to the school, even pledging more donations in the future for the entire community. Though half of us stayed in Peru a bit longer to see more of its beautiful people and vistas, each of us left Villa Maria filled with pride of what we had built. The 9 of us feel like we really did something great, developed worldly connections, and we miss it all!

Developing world connections lives up to its name. In this program lots of connections are made. In our trip to Peru, nine volunteers managed to establish a connection with each other, the locals and simply the world. The experience is none to other and it goes beyond creating a connection. A sense of accomplishment and purposefulness is also established from this program.Commuting for an hour everyday to Villa Maria, a village just out of Lima, we spent a month working with a local school that supports working children movement. As foreigners, the movement seemed absurd but after living with the children and learning about the movement from the founder,it all felt right. Opening our eyes to this movement that sounds completely unacceptable in our society and understanding its true purpose was truly an eye-opener. Talking to the founder of the movement and having informative sessions with the foundation was truly a highlight of the trip. Our work with the San Jose obrero school in Villa Maria was to build them a kitchen, a workshop and a dining room for the children of the school. This project wasn't without its physical and mental challenges. Being clueless about building and all that it encompasses was quite the challenge. Hammering,building walls and painting was not an everyday activity that we thought we could be doing.Furthermore, the program didn't inform the volunteers of the project until when onsite. To top it of, the language barrier was at its peak.We had locals who were helping us but we were not on the same wavelength. The lack of a proper translator was clearly frustrating at times. However,overcoming these obstacles was part of the accomplishment,perseverance and rewarding experience.I would not change a thing about this trip and I would recommend it to all those that need some personal growth, exposure to a new culture, exotic food and well-rounded fun. And remember, changing the world starts by taking the initiative to change ourselves and challenge ourselves.