Program Reviews

My experience volunteering in Ghana was absolutely incredible. It exceeded all of my expectations greatly. It was my first time in Africa and first time volunteering in another country and I was not disappointed. I volunteered at Maltiti School for Girls, mainly in a class of ten year olds. The children were amazing and I became very close with them. I miss them so much. I taught all subjects to the children and it took me way out of my comfort zone. It was such an amazing experience. All of the teachers and students were very kind and welcoming. The students all sang a song to welcome me when I arrived the first day. Frederick Addai, the in country worker from Volunteer Solutions, was nothing but kind, generous, and supportive with anything I needed. Him and his wife provided me with breakfast and dinner each day, and I got to spend time with their two amazing children as well. The treated me like I was a part of the family, without hesitation. Frederick also organized a trip to Mole National Park for myself, another volunteer, and four girls from the school, which was an incredible experience. I would 100% return to Ghana and reccomend this program to others who are interested in volunteering. It was an eye opening and experience and changed me as a person in a good way. I will definitely return back to Ghana, as I met so many wonderful people while I was there who I will never forget.

I just returned from the medical internship project in Nepal this week and to sum it up, it was a beautiful and worthwhile experience filled with blissful and unforgettable moments. At 17, I was quite hesitated at first to do such a journey, but the support I got from my in-country supervisors and the quick replies of the operation office to all my inquiries were enough to make everything really easy. Nepal is a breath-taking country which I hope to visit again. The people are really friendly and the things you get to see and do there are one of a kind. Big thanks to my in-country supervisors and I hope I'll see you all again.

Traveling to Tanzania was a life changing experience. I have had few experiences in my life that have been as fulfilling as the volunteer work I did here, and I would not change a thing about my experience. The community is engaging and the citizens are friendly and outgoing. The area is filled with opportunities to immerse yourself in an unforgettable culture. I can confidently say that I made some lifelong friends during my stay. I highly recommend this trip to anyone and everyone!

It was nice and fantastic volunteering experience. I volunteered in hospital and the doctor staff there was gorgeous and very helpful . I had fun in india i've been in many beautiful places . I stayed 6 weeks in delhi and I didn't get bored because every day I try new thing . I hope if i can go back to india and do another volunteering. I really like the voulnteering after this experiencea and it made my self more stronger and confident about volunteering work.

The journey begins when you start thinking about it

When I began planning my trip to Morocco with my family and friends, I received a lot of confusing reactions: “You are crazy, what can you find in this country? Go to safer places, morocco is very dangerous” and These stereotypes made more scared each day closer to the departure date. My trip was becoming a nightmare: Am I going to be alone? Is someone going to murder me? Will I need a head-scarf? Are they going to respect me? Am I going to be sick?

But when I arrived in Morocco, the stereotypes were absolutely shattered. I had the opportunity to meet a Morocco man with his son in the plane and my coordinators Ali and Jihane and I quickly learned my first lesson of this trip: Don’t trust opinions from others that never have been in touch with the country you are visiting, because prejudice is the son of ignorance and racism.
At any place of the world, there are good and bad people, and certainly Morocco is no exception. But people in general are very friendly and inviting. I also found it as safe as my country. Different? Yes. Worse? Not in the slightest.

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist (Indira Ghandi).

Our coordinators demonstrated extreme professionalism. They were gracious in delivering advise, orientation, helping us in case of trouble, and keeping track of their and your responsibilities. They applied a very human touch with us, supporting us when morale was down, paying a lot of attention if everybody was fine in case we were not able to resolve issues, and truly enjoying our company.

I chose not to stay with an official family of the program, but people who were with Morocco families during the volunteering program were really satisfied with their experience with them. In my case, I was at the Riad (guest house) of MCAS and I strongly believe it was an amazing place to spend time with and meet incredible people from different parts of the world. I created some of my best memories from this place. Facilities and furnishings were in perfect condition. The Riad was spacious, light, new and peaceful. It was also a great opportunity to practice English and other international languages with other volunteers and improve your skills, particularly oral production and comprehension.

My only wish was that housing accommodations could be more fluid. When the large guest house (Riad) empties in slow travel periods, some of the magic of meeting new people or being with international friends is lost.

Apart from that, as a touristy person, Morocco was not the top of the list as much as London or Paris. But Morocco is the most beautiful country on the list. The best sights including the Sahara Desert, Chefchaouen village, Marrakech, Fez, Hassan II Tower. There are a lot of stunning and secret places to discover. They take a lot care when it comes to tourism and you feel like a royalty.

Finally, I strongly believe it has been enriching discover Islam religion. I had never imagined a religion as peaceful as this one. It is very respectful when it comes to be relations between people and also very tolerant with other cultures and religions. Now, I comprehend why this religion is the second most practised in the world.

To conclude, Morocco is an amazing country where all its treasures could be perfectly discovered if you have a very open mind, a wild and independent soul, and high capacity to adapt yourself and enjoy different ways to live. If your personality fixes with these characteristics, Morocco is going to be the best experience of your life.

I had an incredible experience with Volunteering Solutions in Cusco, Peru for two weeks. This was my first time traveling alone, and I felt completely secure throughout my trip. I was placed with a wonderful host family who made me feel so welcome. It was very easy to take the public bus to my volunteer work in a daycare center every morning. The children in the daycare center are extraordinary. They are so friendly and eager to learn. I always felt needed while I was there, and I left there every afternoon feeling fulfilled and joyful. There were many large public protests in Cusco while I was there, and the Peruvian coordinators of Volunteering Solutions made every effort to make sure the other volunteers and I were safe. The entire experience was unforgettable and a great way to practice my Spanish. I definitely want to volunteer with Volunteering Solutions in the future!

Since the first day I arrived, I felt as if they really care for me. I got picked up by Ali at the airport, though I was supposed to arrive another day. He instantly brought me under in a host family in the medina which I really appreciated. My work journey at the orphanage was like a huge step towards my personal development. It made me realize how thankful some people are when they have nothing to lose. I don't have to talk about safety... redundant topic for me; I felt really safe at all hours, I guess you just have to open up to the locals. Thanks Volunteering Solutions for this experience.

My time in Delhi, India was nothing short of phenomenal. I sincerely loved every minute of it and was always learning something new, whether it be about the Indian culture, Hinduism religion, native wildlife, or Hindi language. I was in Delhi, India to teach street children, but in fact those street children and the surrounding culture taught me. This ancient place, full with busy traffic and spice aromas, opened my eyes into a vastly different way of living and connecting with the world.

I taught street children: children mainly living on the street or in underdeveloped shelters with or without immediate family members, Mondays - Fridays at the nonprofit
Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha (BUDS) center in Old Delhi. BUDS envisions a society where every child is in school, free from abuse, neglect, child labour and poverty. My role in helping this vision come to fruition at BUDS was to teach the children English, Mathematics, and other healthy life habits along the way. I adored each and every child here at BUDS and put my soul into teaching them all I could each day. I remember doing a math card game with them each day in order to practice differentiating numbers from letters and writing down new vocabulary words using pictures on my phone to illustrate what they were, such as “whale.”

Our biggest accomplishments as a class at BUDS was creating an entire alphabet poster that featured every letter of the alphabet with a picture that began with that letter, such as “B” for “ball.” The students colored and painted the letters and pictures of each alphabet card that we later hung across the walls of the room for the students to always have as a reference for learning their alphabet. The students greatly enjoyed this alphabet project and were already using the poster to refer to as it was being hung up. The teachers at BUDS were fantastic and even arranged Henna for me at the center one day. Having some of the older students and teachers do Henna art on my arms and hands is one of my fondest memories in India.

One of my favorite experiences in India was doing the weekend Golden Triangle Tour where we went to some of the most famous, historical sites in Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi. In Jaipur I visited the City Palace where many festivals and royal gatherings were conducted, the Hawa Mahal (or Wind Palace), and Chokhi Dhani restaurant. In Jaipur I also walked through Amber Fort and basked in the sun at the Monkey temple. I found Amber Fort to be extremely interesting as it consisted of royal courtyards and hidden rooms that the king and queens used to occupy. I very much enjoyed learning about these historical sites while actually standing inside of them and tasting the many traditional dishes at the elaborate Chokhi Dhani restaurant.

The Agra part of this Golden Triangle tour included visiting the famous Taj Mahal, which was truly astounding! This structure was certainly one of the most beautiful historic sites I have ever had the pleasure of viewing in person. While touring Delhi with our tour guide, I visited the India Gate, Qutab Minar, Lotus Temple, and Humayun’s Tomb. I relished climbing over the halfway broken structures of Qutab Minar and gaping at the detailed design of Humayun’s Tomb. On our Delhi touring day, we ate at a traditional South Indian cuisine restaurant called Naivedyam, which was quite delicious and not as spicy as other places I had been to in Delhi.

My most exhilarating experiences in India include riding an elephant up the Amber Fort wall and feeding monkeys at the Monkey (or Sun) Temple! It was breath-taking to view such an ancient structure from atop such a tall, majestic creature while also feeling that creature’s every step beneath me. Elephants are my favorite animal and I absolutely loved riding one for part of my India experience. Feeding the monkeys was quite a humorous experience as they jumped on me at any time and were quite forward in taking more bananas from my hands. I was with an experienced wildlife handler while doing this of course, but it still felt quite uncertain at times with monkeys approaching from all corners of the temple, seemingly out of nowhere. I truly delighted in this and found these creatures to be quite adorable.

On weekdays when I was not teaching my students at BUDS, I was often visiting local temples, mosques, and popular sites with a volunteer friend of mine. Some of the places we visited that I enjoyed most include Jama Misjid Mosque, Red Fort, Akshra Dham, and Iskcon Temple. Walking into the sacred areas of mosques and temples while observing the rituals people engaged in as a part of their religion was one of the most serene moments I remember having in India. I am thankful to have been able to intimately observe these religious monuments and practices in India. I also greatly appreciated the art I saw in India at various artisan shops such as the Blue Pottery store, an authentic Marble craftsman shop, cottage emporiums at Delhi Haat, and many more. Often times I was able to not only view the finished products, but also watch the artist at work creating their masterpieces and learning exactly how they completed them. As an artist lover, I definitely purchased several unique art pieces from these shops and plan to decorate my home with them soon.

While traveling within and around Delhi, India I saw much poverty and pollution. Many times there were people, including young children, approaching me; begging me to buy whatever they might be selling or simply to give them food. Further, it was often clear that the people living on the streets or in underdeveloped shelters were malnourished and did not have the opportunities to practice healthy hygiene habits, such as bushing one’s teeth each day or even bathing. While riding inside of a rickshaw, I could often see smog covering structures only 500 meters ahead and could feel myself inhaling chemicals from the exhaust of vehicles directly in front of me. Although viewing these inequities and dire situations people lived in was quite distressing at times, I am grateful to have observed this in India. I am grateful not only because it deepened my understanding of global inequity and disproportionality of wealth in the world, but also strengthened my allegiance to social justice. I know that so much more needs to be done to find and create solutions to this global poverty and pollution. These solutions are something dedicated to being a part of.

The experiences I had here will not only serve as fond memories of the past, but will most importantly inspire me presently to continue to make positive impacts in the places that need it most. I truly understand how big this world is, how many different lives are in it, and how each of us are intimately connected as humans that must care for one another. I believe that the future of our human species is dependent upon all of us not only being aware of the unique lifestyles and struggles that others in different parts of the world endure, but also acting to improve conditions for those in need. I am forever grateful to Volunteering Solutions and all the people I met in India for allowing me to experience a different way of life and be further inspired to continue to make positive, global impacts over my lifetime.

This program was an amazing experience for me. I was only in Cusco for 2 weeks but I wish I could have stayed forever! My host family was very nice, my accomodation was great, it was clean and the meals were very good too. I loved my placement, I worked at the kindergarten and I loved working with the kids, I really felt like I was making a difference, the teachers there really needed the help. As for my coordinator, Jenny, she was amazing, she always answered all of my questions and was always there for me. She always made sure that we were safe. Cusco is a very beautiful place and there are a lot of things to see there, so I definetly enjoyed being able to explore the city and get to know the amazing Peruvian culture. One of my highlights was meeting other volunteers from different parts of the world. I made really good friends that I hope to keep in touch with for a long time. Overall, I loved it, it was one of the best experiences that I've had and I really recommend it.

This was an amazing life experience. The city itself is amazing and full of things to do and places to see! I met so many people from all over the world and will forever hold them so dear to my heart. The elephants were a whole other level of amazing! I bonded with my elephant and by the time i left he was greeting me with trunk hugs and elephant squeaks. My mahout gave me a bracelet made of my elephants tail hair when i left that i dont think i will ever take off. When i got home i think i went through a short stage of depression as i missed my elephant and my new friends so much. useful tips would be to bring a small backpack to bring to the markets with you so you dont have to carry a bunch of little bags, bring old clothing that you dont care about to bath your elephant in, do not keep any food in your hut as ants will come with a full force behind them, bring a long phone charger cord as the plug in is on the opposite side of the room from the bed, bring rubber gloves that go up on your arms that fit you well to pick up elephant poop with (they supply them for you at the camp but they are not of good quality), Do not expect to get a lot of information about the elephants from the mahouts as they speak little to no english, your camp leader can answer all of your questions. I would like to mention that this camp is a camp where they put on daily elephant shows and trekking. They use bull hooks and some mahouts are not humane when using them. When i got there i was really disappointed in seeing a lot of abuse, but once i talked to the camp leader he told me that the things i saw were not tolerated and to speak up when i thought mahouts were being abusive! My trip became actually making sure elephants were not abused at the camp! it is not a place to go and experience the same as the elephant nature park, this is a camp where yes the elephants are abused and you need to help them! I got a mahout fired when i was there for abusing his elephant. you can make a serious difference at the camp, but dont go there with the expectation that it is not an abuse free camp it is quite the opposite! That being said there are many mahouts that treat their elephants like gold and would never cause them harm as they actually see them as a sacred animal for their culture. My elephant never had a mark on him the whole two weeks i was there, so i felt good leaving him behind. On your weekends really make sure to explore the city or take a day trip to Doi Inthanon or Chiang Rai. Chiang Mai is a beautiful place with so much culture to soak in! I highly recommend this program for anyone with a travel bug and a big heart!