Program Reviews

My daughter who was 17 started me with Volunteer Solutions in 2015 (Kathmandu, Nepal) and recently in October 2016 (Palampur, Dharamshala in India). Looking back I have no regrets. the program is organised to immerse you in the culture and way of life of the people where you volunteer. At the same time, the program coordinators are always there to answer all your queries and see to your needs.
Our Program coordinators at Palampur, Dr Amit and Dr Afzal used to go an extra mile in making sure to see us almost every other day during our stay. At one occasion, my daughter was not able to get the public transport and was stranded at the bus-stop, Dr Amit personally drove her to her destination. As much as the coordinators wants us, Volunteers, to be independent, they also care for our safety. Another person who needs to be commended was Charanji. He cooked hot delicious meals.
We had real fun together interacting with the kids in the neighbourhood as well as the childcare where I volunteered. We had the advantage of being of Indian origin. Though we are not born in India, we can speak Hindi. I was able to speak to the mothers of the children in my care and discuss with them the importance of education. They really appreciated my help by giving me small memoirs to bring back.

I wish I had longer time to spend at both these places Kathmandu and Palampur, Dharamshala.
We are so grateful to Volunteer Solutions for giving us the opportunity to volunteer.

One of the greatest experiences of my life. Although I was nervous about the language barrier, it made the whole experience that much better. Working with the elderly and sick was very satisfying and opened my eyes to a lot in the medical world. Everyone in Costa Rica is very friendly and caring, especially the host family who treated us as one of their own. I would love to go back and volunteer again if given the opportunity.

Hey guys, so me and 2 of my friends went to Costa Rica for 1 week and we absolutely loved it! I would recommend going during December/January since it is dry season in Costa Rica, therefore allowing you to go more and enjoy you trip even more. We lived with a great host family that was very funny and very nice to us, not to mention the food was amazing. Our placement was a medical center for seniors where we volunteered for 4 days and have great time not only with the patients but with all the staff as well. Personally, I would recommend this trip to everyone but I feel like if you go with a friend or two it makes things much better. Overall great experience!

The volunteering experience was great, I couldn't be more happy about it. It was a lifetime exprience. I am also very happy with volsol, it gave me the safety and reliablity and at the same time the enough freedom to be able to have a deep experience.

The most memorable thing was the time with the kids of course, who I could never forget and taught me so many things, I liked the fact that not only them could learn from be but I also could learn a lot about them, their courage, their happiness, their strenght and their smile taught me that life is not at all about having it all, but making it the most with what you have. They were also so grateful and tried to make me feel comfortable at any time, it was really impressive.

Not only I learnt from the kids but also from the city, the culture, the people. Learning that there are many different ways to do the things and different ways to think it is really important for our inner selves. People showed up to be really helpful, at any difficulty they were willing to help, when asking for directions or different problems that emerged, also very curious to know about you, your culture and your country. With the kids and as well as with other people it was always a way back relationship, you could learn a lot about them, they were always willing to learn from you.

While being in Delhi I lived in a cloud, my eyes couldn't stop looking around everywhere, there were so many things to see, to hear, to smell, it was a big fest for all the five senses. Every single second I was fascinated with everything, every second passed by you discovered new things, it was a completely pleasure for the mind and the heart, little pleasures of life. A rickshaw stucked in the mud and other drivers jumping to help to pull the vehicle out, a random person giving the water bottle they were carrying to some street children, a poor children smiling and laughing out loud while her mother watched him with a spark in her eyes while waiting the train at the station, a group of young women singing and laughing in the rickshaw next to yours, the boom of colors of the women metro coach, the smell of street food that flooded your nose and make your stomach beg to try it, the explosion that your tongue felt while trying spicy food, the non-stop noise of the horn of the cars that would make you feel that there is something missing once you are in the silent roads of your country...

I also went home with another great gift, friendship, not only the friendship built with the kids, but with the other volunteers, and what is better than making true new friendships? Having the chance to meet such wonderful people it really changed me, they all had their uniqueness, their way of being, their story, their kind hearts, they made you feel less lonely during the hard moments you could face, and at the same time they made you have the best during the moments of joy, they made the experience to climb to a whole different level.

I think that immersing yourself in this kind of adventure is an experience that changes you forever and gives you the opportunity to grow as a person and learn a lot about life. I am really really satisfied with the volunteering experience, I could not be more happy about it.

VOLUNESIA (noun) - That moment when you forget you're volunteering to help change lives, because it's changing yours...

I spent 2 months in Camasca as a 2nd grade teacher because the regular teacher quit about the same time I got there. It was quite an experience as I was scheduled to be an English helper to one of the other teachers, not a full time teacher. But God gives you grace to do what He calls you to do. Although there were some discipline problems, I was blessed to have a couple of local women volunteer to help. Both of them were fantastic in teaching the Spanish lessons. The children were adorable and my heart is warmed every time I see pictures of them--even the ones who gave me a fit--lol.
The people in the community showed such hospitality and warmth. I made some wonderful life long friends while I was there who took me in as part of their family. And Kevin was the greatest mototaxi driver.
The living conditions were very comfortable (I was accustomed to sleeping on Army cots or dirt floors when I was on mission) with my own room and bed. The family that I lived with were great! I would recommend staying there to anyone.
My main challenge was the heat (most days were over 104*,) so I would recommend going sometime other than late Feb. to mid May. That challenge may have been partly due to being 67 years old.
In my heart I guard very warm and loving feelings for that precious community of Camasca.

I did the Thailand summer project last year, and I enjoyed it a lot. Firstly, I got to know increadible people that shared this experience with me and also, I discovered a different Thailand. It's very important to travel getting to know different cultures and people, but it's always better when you can make a change by helping people. The locals where absolutely amazing and I honestly don't regret travelling with volunteering solutions as they help you a lot, specially if you are travelling alone. It is an experience of a lifetime!!

One thing that I will never forget, is most properly my last day at the project and saying good bye to all of the gorgeous kids. I was expecting it to be a very heartbreaking day, but to my surprise the girls in my afternoon class which were about 8-10 years old, organized a little party for me. They had their mothers cook some delicious food and brought all sorts of snacks and cakes, from the little money that they have. This was a very touching moment for me, because I had realized that those girls were not only my students, but that they had also become my friends. We had lots of fun that day and they enjoyed styling my hair and giving me a "bindi", so that I would look like I'd just escaped a Bollywood movie. There was also a lot of dancing and singing and I must say that these experiences with the girls had let me love the Indian culture more than anything else could have! After our little party and all of our laughter, I then had to say goodbye to everyone. We all hugged each other a thousandth times and didn't want to let go. But sitting in the car on my way home to the accommodation, I had a grin on my face. Because on the one hand I knew that I would miss these girls, which mad me sad, but on the other hand I was so grateful to have taken part in their lives, because they have the kindest hearts and the brightest smiles,which I'll never forget.

India was the most incredible trip I've ever been on. Teaching young kids from the age of 3 and developing their English was inspiring. These kids have very little to live from and still make the most of everyday and smile more than you can ever imagine. They're full of energy and will definitely put a smile on your face. Growing very close with certain kids makes it extremely difficult to leave without a tear in sight. These kids taught me more than I taught them and that life should never be taken for granted. Exploring the country after our two weeks of volunteering was hectic from the get go, but I enjoyed every part. One day you'll be at the Taj Mahal and the next at the Golden Temple, the culture shock is immense and it's lovely to see how differently they do things compared to the western world.

Saying goodbye to our students was one of the hardest parts of the trip. Although these wonderfully sharp children may lack physical resources, they make up for it with their energy and their wonderfully generous hearts!
On our last day, one of our students gave me one of his only earthly possessions; a little toy robot. I knew how much this toy meant to him so I refused. He said, "It's a gift. You helped me all week and I wanted you to always remember me." It brought me to tears and will be one of the many touching memories I experienced while participating in this program.

I stayed in Cusco with a lovely Peruvian family. Gloria was my host mum, Reese, my host father and their two children, Luis, and Laura. They all made me feel very welcome despite a bit of a language barrier. Me an Luis would play football up on the roof of the house and I taught him some new games. Laura liked to draw and I would draw her pictures and make plasticine animals for her, I even helped make her a frog costume for a school project. My placement involved traveling to the outskirts of the city to help at a kindergarten. The kindergarten itself was a very small room and in one day could have as much as 30 children, ages 3-5, attend. My duties included marking and preparing homework, helping the children with their work, playing games with the children and generally helping the teacher take care of the class. While I was volunteering at the kindergarten the class was also preparing for a parade so I was also involved in leading the class through a marching routine outside and supervising the children.
As well as volunteering in Peru I was also given the opportunity to see some of the sights in my spare time alongside some of the other volunteers. I went to see many of the Inca ruins; Sacsayhuaman, Ollantayambo, Pukapukara and Machu Pichu, to name a few. I also rode a pony up Rainbow Mountain. My programme also included a visit to a bakery to see how some of the local bread was made. Overall I had an amazing time in Cusco, had many wonderful experiences and met many wonderful people. I would definitely recommend the programme.