Program Reviews

The best decision we could make! Recently, together with my sister, we participated in a teaching volunteer in Cusco, Peru. The whole experience was incredible. In the little school where we work, the children allowed us to spend some extraordinary weeks with their funny stories, games, and antics. The local staff was awesome, provided all the needed information, and always was available. The volunteer house was super lovely, cozy, and safe. The people were always very friendly and kind. The food offered is possibly one of the best things, everything was always delicious. On weekends we got to know the city and everything is truly impressive and unreal. The history that Cusco brings together is fascinating and the places even more so. To this add to know a wonder of the world! It is definitely an experience that we want to repeat.

My experience in the Marine Conservation Program was amazing. I loved my time spent getting to know people from all of the world, contributing to preserve the marine ecosystem, and embracing the Portuguese culture. I would like to praise the work done by Ana Matos, the program coordinator of Impactrip. Also, the diving instructors I had, Nuno and Sydney, woke up in me a passion for diving that I hope to continue in the years to come. Without doubts, it has been a experience I will never forget. I highly recommend it!

This is experience was like nothing I have ever done before. The coordinator on site was very helpful and made sure everything ran smoothly. My host family was kind, warm, welcoming and accommodating. The staff at the clinic was also kind, pedagogical, trusting and inquisitive (in the best possible way). I could tell everyone wanted me to have a good experience, not only at the project site but also in Cusco in general. There was more than enough free time to explore the area. Cusco is a beautiful city with a lot of history and has a lot to offer. I also had the opportunity to plan 2 day trips and a 2-day trip, which included a visit to the legendary must-see Machu Picchu! The experience was a great way for me to improve my spanish as I spoke it everyday with almost everyone I encountered.

I volunteered at an orphanage and it was a lot of fun, since all the older kids were in school during the day I only had to watch the ones 2 years and younger. The kids were always so happy and so nice, as well as the staff there. It was like one big family and it was very fun. The only thing was that I would get there around 9:30am and the kids would already ave had breakfast and would eat lunch until 1pm, I was only with the children when they were eating lunch. The other times I was just doing other tasks like laundry, dishes, or preparing food. It was a good experience though

It was a great experience and very fun. We got to do many different things that I normally wouldn't, like cut trees with machetes, planting trees, feeding animals, fixing roads. The people that work at the reserve were very nice and welcoming as well, they were happy to help with anything. The weekends were fun because we were able to go out and do different excursions in other cities, there were things like bungee jumping, skydiving, shark cage diving, and some national parks. Didn't get bored on this trip.

I had a really good time on this trip. Cusco/Machu Picchu is a trip I didn’t think I would ever be able to experience on my own. With the help of this program, everything was nicely laid out for me and made it extremely easy to get out and see the sights that Peru has to offer! The people associated with the program were always available and willing to help if needed. Otherwise, it was great to have free days and explore as I wanted to. I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to come to South America.

There was a lot of fun experiences, especially going around to different sites like Humantay Lake. The host family was amazing and all of the food was incredible. Cusco is such a fun city and on this program you have lots of free time to go and explore it whenever you want. I would highly recommend taking a cooking class or trying out local restaurants to experience even more of the local culture. The volunteering experience was also awesome, the kids were super cute and the teachers were super appreciative of everything.

Definitely a rewarding experience! I loved Kenya, the Children’s House where we volunteer was amazing. People were very warm and welcoming. As for the organization, some things you run into are not specified on the web page, I think there is a lot of information that needs to be updated. You arrive with certain expectations that don’t meet with what they tell you at the beginning. And I think they could be a little bit more aware of volunteers. We had an unpleasant experience upon arrival in which the organization wasn’t really helpful.

This experience allowed me to further advance in achieving my goals in pursuing medicine. I got to interact with patients from a wide variety of backgrounds and understand that individuals coming from different backgrounds need different approaches to their healthcare. All the healthcare workers in the clinic were very generous and made every attempt to help me learn throughout the day. My host family was also very generous and cooked amazing Peruvian dishes and the city of Cusco was so beautiful! I would recommend this program to other Undergraduate students pursuing medicine who have a strong background in speaking Spanish.

"My time in Arusha, Tanzania has been an experience that I did not deserve. If I were to describe my experience in one word, I can say that "amazing" is an understatement. >From the first day, I fell in love with the culture and environment in Arusha. I was warmly welcomed by the Matolo family, Mr. Charles, Abraham and felt at home. I was treated as a member of their family. Originally, I was supposed to volunteer in the summer, however, due to the pandemic, I rescheduled for the holidays instead. That was the best decision I've ever made. The atmosphere during the holidays is very lively, warm, and welcoming. I connected with every individual that I've met--from the house staff to my coworkers, and fellow volunteers at St.Elizabeth Catholic Hospital. At the hospital, I volunteered in the surgical ward and there is no word that suffices to demonstrate my experience. I have observed a copious amount of procedures, but my most favorite was a pediatric, orthopedic broken wrist repair. I have made so many connections with the nurses, physicians, and surgeons at the hospital. The staff there are extremely kind and loving. It's beautiful to see every worker working together as a team--which ultimately is the essence of what medicine is. Lastly, though I only stayed in Arusha, I can tell from the snippet of what I've seen, that Tanzania is a beautiful country. The weekends were one of my most favorite parts of my time in Tanzania. I visited the Tarangire National Park, Kikuletwa Hot Springs, the Maasai Village, and many more. I am more than thankful to the Volunteering Solutions team. Mr. Sahil has been more than helpful in assisting me to prepare for my trip to Tanzania. Thank you so much Volunteering Solutions for making this goal of mine an accomplished reality and acquired blessing. God bless!"