Program Reviews

This was my first time volunteering and I really enjoyed the experience. My house home was so sweet, considerate and like a real family. They cared about my experience and we sat for every meal. They also were accomadating with my sleep schedule. Volunteering at Pronoei was also a great experience. I wish I was a little more prepared because we were left with the class on our own without the teacher. I would have prepared lessons - or if there were options for lessons that would have been great.
Although, I felt taking care of and supported, leading up to it I wasn’t totally sure what I was getting to. There were times when information conflicted each other. I just have a sense hat it is maybe a lack of staff and the amount of work but the staff works hard and are sincere with supporting us. It just felt slightly last minute or disorganized at times.

It was a great experience living so closely with the family. We learned about the authenticity of the food and culture of Peru. The family was welcoming and made the program that much more amazing. Be prepared to have the best Peruvian food! We were able to visit a school for students with special needs which was a great experience. I may come back to volunteer there next summer. Along with the great class experiences, we got to visit many great places on our excursions. We got to see many natural wonders like Rainbow mountain, which was beautiful, along with historical sites like Machu Picchu which was amazing to see and walk around in person. These great experiences were in addition to the amazing hospitality from our host family and the interactions with the wonderful Peruvian community.

Minha experiência no Peru foi maravilhosa! Em todos os aspectos... Meu projeto foi muito engrandecedor, pois cada dia tive a oportunidade de trabalhar em uma área da Medicina: pude aprender na Pediatria, na Clínica Médica/Medicina Interna, na Saúde da Família. E sempre havia alguém que estava responsável por mim; nunca me senti sozinha em meu trabalho. Além disso, a Volunteering Solutions estava sempre em contato comigo, perguntando se estava gostando, se tinha algum problema... Já em relação à minha família, não poderia ter ficado em uma casa melhor. Minha “mãe” e minha “irmã” eram muito atenciosas e carinhosas, e estavam sempre dispostas para fazer tudo. Cozinharam as melhores comidas peruanas e me proporcionaram os melhores momentos e memórias!

The program was amazing. The kids were great to work with and the sights we were able to explore over the two weeks were incredible. The staff was amazing and the host family was even better. I would highly recommend this program. The kids were a handful at first but you really need to get used to them. They’re used to new volunteers every so often so breaking the ice can be a little rough at first. The teach is super kind and clearly loves her job and the kids. Having some sort of lesson planned for them as far as colors and possibly numbers for them helps a great deal to keep their attention throughout the day. Aside from the kids we had plenty of free time to explore Cusco and neighboring areas as well as program planned excursions on the weekend. The things we were able to do in such a short period was incredible.

I have the best memories of my volunteer program in Valencia. The whole process with Volunteering Solutions ( including the team in Spain) from start to finish - was easy and well executed .The project with children was an eye opener and The time I spent with the children and the other teachers will always be etched in my heart . I’m still amazed at the amazing work they do and the impact it has on the lives of these kids and on society, at large . My host family were the most loving and warmest people ever ! They looked after me so well and supported me with everything and went out of their way to make my stay so wonderful ! They are my family for life ! Thank you Sahil , Marta and team for one of the best experiences in my life ! It has made such a difference to it . Always grateful !

Working in the clinic in Cusco was interesting and opened my eyes to how other communities live and get their care. Leaned a lot about what it means to be a doctor and the importance of going into medicine. Host family was very nice, made me feel at home. Homestay allowed me to experience life in a way that I am not used to so that I could see how other people have to live. Cusco is a great city with much to offer from history to culture. Very safe, never felt afraid. Very affordable city. Not too hard to acclimate even at the very high altitudes the city is at. Transportation is very good and affordable both by taxi and bus. Many chances to travel to places such as Machu Picchu. Support staff was very responsive to any problems such as sickness.

I will defenitley cherish this trip for the rest of my life. Im so thankful for the oppurtunity to experience and live in a culture so different from mine. I especially enjoyed our project and working with the adorable children I will miss them so much!This trip truly made me realize that this is something u would like to do in my future, volunteering and working with kids. Even though i got extremly sick i will definetly be back! Our host mother was so sweet and I will also miss her very much she always made very good food and made sure we were happy and taken care of! In the begining the water in our shower was very cold but in the end we figured it out and we were able to have a warm shower!
Cusco city was also a wondeful city filled wity delicous food wonderful people and traditions! I will remeber this trip forever!

I loved going to MachuPicchu and the Rainbow Mountains. I would hope to not get sick next time, but overall I had a lot of fun and learnt a lot about the culture. Working with the kids was a very rewarding experience as well - I was sad that I couldn’t spend more time with them. My host family was amazing, Edith was the extremely sweet and helpful to us, as well as her daughter. Getting sick wasn’t fun, but it didn’t inhibit the excitement of the trip. It was really incredible to get to know the culture or Peru and discover new food and dances and meet new people. I definitely want to come back to Peru one day. I also feel like I was able to practice my Spanish and feel more comfortable with my speaking, writing, and listening. I definitely recommend this program to people who want to practice their Spanish and learn about a new culture.

Going into my program in Peru, I was excited and extremely nervous. But once I got to the city and met the staff and my host family, and got settled in, it was amazing. The people, the culture, and the city itself were all amazing. And the trips on the weekends were all very fun, the guides were great, and meeting so many new people from so many different countries was amazing. Spectacular place to spend your time doing good for others and bettering yourself at the same time. Cusco, Peru is my new favorite place in the world. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to see the world, experience new things, and help others at the same time. For solo travelers, couples, retirees, and anyone in between, this program will fit every type of person.

I have spent 2 weeks in Kenya with Volunteering solutions. It was my first volunteer, as I am just 18. It was an amazing experience and I have learned a lot from it. Volunteering solutions help you with any thing you need, and that makes you feel like If you were at home. All the volunteers were very friendly and open minded, which is very important if you want to do a volunteer. If someone is thinking about volunteering I would recommend Volunteeing Solutions. I loved my project, the orphanage program, as I have said I think you learn a lot. However, Volunteering solutions give you more options, some of the volunteers I was living with, were in the school program and they told me they were very happy too.I really enjoyed the orphanage program in Kenya and I am looking forward to go back.