Program Reviews

I undertook a six week volunteer programme with GVN to work on a forest reserve in Ecuador as a career break. The whole experience was incredible, the work at times was tough (hot and humid) but is invaluable to the region. I learnt an incredible amount about the forest and the local community. The work was mainly in the botanical garden planting, seeding, composting and ground clearance. The most rewarding part was watching the growth of seedlings of endangered trees that we had planted. I lived in the research station and as well as learning alot of Spanish I also learnt alot about the community and the rain forest itself (the guided walks were an eperience in the themselves as we visited areas of forest you would never see as a tourist) We also had time at weekend to visit local towns and after my six weeks i spent tow further wwkes in Ecuador which is a beautiful and amazing country with very friendly people. The support i initially received from GVN was brilliant as i had to postpone my trip for a few weeks and their groundwork was excellent.

I really enjoyed my 9 weeks in Uganda and credit GVN and Leslie, the woman in charge of the ground operations in Uganda. I was working in a rural village in Bulenga and specifically worked in clinics and made house visits to community members and their families suffering from HIV and AIDS diagnosis. It was a very different experience than anything I had done up to that point and it opened my eyes to the realization of how little I knew.

There were moments where I felt overwhelmed or unqualified and I found Leslie to be crucial at these times. I learned so much, made many friends and hopefully made an impact in the community. I will always be grateful for my time in Uganda and it helped me to recognize my interest in development work as a career.

GVN has always far exceeded my expectations. I was apart of a cycling trek in Vietnam, back in 2010, and took part in the Everest base camp trek in 2012. Because of the most unforgettable experiences I had during these adventures, GVN will always be my number one go-to organisation (by a long shot). GVN has not only given me memories that I will never forget, they have also given me life long friendships not only with my fellow trekkers, but with the GVN representatives themselves who were there with us every step of the way. I will continue to go on adventures organised by this incredible organisation and would rally whole-heartedly for them if anyone is ever in doubt in choosing an organisation that is right for them.

The Peru Distribution Trip taught me that there are a lot of people beyond our horizons that needs our help. It also taught me that it is important in life to be compassionate, hold hands with one another and help. As humans, it is our responsibility to make one another feel comfortable and loved in our home planet.
Our project in Pampallacta affected me the most. My heart melted seeing the delight in the children's faces when we gave them pan, or bread. I loved blowing bubbles to the children, which gave smiles in their faces. When I was in Pampallacta, that's where I found my purpose in life- to live a good life so I can share how beautiful life is to others. THe Peru Distribution Trip is life changing. It taught me that the greatest thing in life is to share. Share smiles, share stories, and most of all, share love and compassion to others. The Peru Distribution Trip is a trip where I found the meaning of life.

I cannot speak highly enough of GVN and their amazing staff. Having recently volunteered as part of the Everest Base Camp Trek I was constantly impressed with their professionalism, organisation and above all else, their passion for the work they do. I constantly recommend them to my friends and will be travelling with them in the future.

its a life time trip that would really make you think how you look at the world. It is a mix of fun, education and meeting such a lovely same minded people that you will keep in contact with forever. If you are into volunteering then it is a must. GVN team are very helpful and they will be with you step by step till you reach them and then send you back home. Discussions are wonderful and you really learn a lot. You feel so comfortable that you really feel home and feel great to share all your ideas and thoughts.

A milestone in my life!
BTC 2011 in Tuscany, Italy was the best experience ever in my life. I love everything about it; facilitators, activities, participants, location and food.

The volunteer trips I have made with GVN, specially with the Eat So They Can program, have been encouraging, inspiring, eye opening and the most fun time, all with good and bright people. It is amazing to see the progress of the programs throughout the years. I got involved with GVN in 2010 and have seen the big impact on Peruvian communities first hand in only 3 years. The amount of love that there is between the organizers, the local people and the volunteers is great. It is clearly all done with specific objectives in mind for real sustainable progress. The ESTC program and volunteer trip in Peru was even more special to me because I found an honest outlet for me to help my own home country.

This inspiring week has lasted long after we arrived home.

If you have a goal or desire to be part of change whether social, environmental humanitarian or for wildlife and don’t know where to begin, then “Be The Change” is an amazingly supportive environment where you can grow your idea and listen to other passionate people like yourself to feel confident that you can make a difference.

Everyone was at a different stage, some didn’t know what they wanted to do but as the week rolled on with sessions on fundraising platforms, watching videos of people presenting their passion, how to deliver your idea and listening to guest speakers, pieces of the puzzle fell into place..

During the week, we all bonded like a special family and I hope one day we can all meet again. Thankfully I have caught up with two special people from our group here in Melbourne to continue our inspiration and motivation.

Being all together in a great location was a great way to come together with like minded people and yes there was down time in-between where we played badminton, visited eerie NZ steam pools, went out for dinner and most importantly got to know amazing people and facilitators from around the world.

Only thing was, once you came home that was the challenge. How to keep focused and keep the support going, We wrote 3 month 6 month goals which were delivered via email from our friendly supervisor. My challenge was to keep moving forward so I engaged the support of Business mentor back home to continue to move forward step by step.

Thank you to Be the Change Facilitators for a brilliant week, we couldn’t have asked for more beautiful, friendly and supportive Team.

Whatever your background; Costa Rica and GVNs partner will make sure you are offered new experiences that will enrichen your life. That was the case for me as a Doctor.