Program Reviews

I loved every single moment of my trip from meeting my host family and the children to being able to witness a funeral, learn the language and about the culture. I felt truly at home in Kpando and I hope to have a chance to go back in the future to visit. If I had a question I usually asked locals I became friends with. When packing skirts and dresses are advisable as well as items that cover your thighs and bra straps. Also items that dry quickly are easier to wash. Pretty much every moment of my trip was my favorite but overall being a part of the community and the best host family I could have asked for as well as participating in the lives of 31 of the most special children I have ever met.

Teaching at the Primary School, I would use phrases and words my students didn’t know and after I would explain it to them, they would always say them everyday after that. They would also sing and dance for me, which I thoroughly enjoyed. They were so fun to teach and be around! The teachers at the nursery school hardly had any actual teaching materials, and they were all so grateful for the donations I gave them. I only wish I could have brought more. I was also surprised by how everyone is so friendly and happy to see you. Everyday, my students would be smiling and are happy that I’m just there. I would bring school supplies, teaching materials, or exercises if you plan to teach young ones. The teachers at Nursery School were pretty open with what you could do so if you want to teach younger children, I would bring activities for them to do. I would also bring as many donations as you can. Pack light for yourself and bring donations. My only regret is that I wish I brought more to give away. I’m really glad I went to Uganda. I’m also happy with where ABV placed me. It was fun to teach the younger aged kids (5-6 year olds) as well as the older ones in P5. The kids I taught were all extremely good students and hard workers that I feel they deserve much more than they have to get a good education. I was also not certain if going into education was what I wanted to do with my life. But being able to teach students firsthand has solidified my decision to want to go into education and work with children. I had such an amazing time working with all the kids and teachers that I really want to go back.

The kids. They’re so great and so excited to have a guest teacher. Getting to know them over time and watching them learn was a great experience.
Understanding what to worry about safety-wise. The quick answer is don’t worry in Bulenga unless its been dark for a while and all the people have gone home. Of course there is no need to take unnecessary risks either, such as walking alone anytime at night or carrying lots of money or expensive things with you at night. Kampala and taxis are a little different and of course have pickpockets, but it’s easy to avoid all that by just walking with your hands in your pockets when you’re in Kampala, especially whenever it gets crowded. Kampala is a great experience that should be done via taxi at least once (but probably more), just don’t take more than you need, try to be aware of pickpockets, and enjoy the sights, sounds, stares, and congestion.
Everything will get dusty, but it all washes out. I was more comfortable at the school and around the village in travel pants and shoes rather than shorts and flip flops, but it seems you can wear whatever you’re comfortable wearing. Bring ear plugs. There’s a school next to the volunteer house and the kids sometimes play loudly early in the morning, but I found ear plugs made sleeping through it super easy. If you want fruit and vegetables they’re easy to get, I ate a lot of them and had no problems at all. Weekend excursions or short safaris are also easy to arrange through tour companies if you’re interested in that.

What I learned through my time spent in Tanzania cannot accurately be expressed in words. It just won’t do it justice. All I can say is the children I was privileged to get to know forever changed my life. My volunteer experience taught me to be patient, selfless, and to open my mind and heart. If you’re considering volunteering, do it! I am better person today for having let the people and life of Tanzania humble me and make me grateful for my blessed life. The children were so open and receptive to me. I had thought it might take some time to gain their trust and friendship. Instead they were warm from the beginning. Finally I understood that they wanted nothing more than to have that kind of desire for closeness from me. Leave your reservations at the door and jump in! I learned there is no set way to “properly” volunteer. I just did it with my heart. I learned to be silly with the children, hold them, and love them without holding back. I made a fool out of myself and danced to make children laugh! It’s about making the most out of the brief time you have, because that time can never be replaced. I cherished every moment I got to spend with the children as learned about who they were individually. Discovering each child’s likes, dislikes, personality traits, background… etc. is what made for wonderful memories. I will never forget the closeness I felt to each child as I held them, played with them, even became a kid myself with them!

Nepal was a great learning experience and the children at the project were wonderful. The volunteer home was wonderful and welcoming. The safety of the neighborhood was great. The entire family was very accommodating and helpful with whatever I needed help with. I’m so glad that I had a chance to meet a family as wonderful as them. In the end when I got stuck at the airport and went over to the Indian embassy and they said there was nothing they could do to help me out, Raj came and helped me handle the situation and called the coordinator and the other volunteers to go meet me at the airport and try and help me out there. After nothing worked the coordinator and the volunteers took my bag back to the house and Raj assisted me at the Jet Airways office. I’m so thankful that they were there to help me. Definitely travel on the weekends to different areas of Nepal to help broaden their view of Nepal because not every area is like Kathmandu. Traveling also helps learn how the different communities in Nepal function and it’s also really fun and relaxing to get away from the city. I would recommend going to Chitwan and staying at the jungle vista resort and visiting Bhaktapur and Nagarkot. Also bungy jumping was a big hit in the volunteer house. Future volunteers shouldn’t bring anything of importance and if they do it should remain locked in their suitcase at home. They should have a suitcase lock anyway if they don’t want their stuff to be gone through when they’re not home. As for clothing, women should cover themselves even though our generation is expected to wear clothing that a little less decent but if they don’t want the extra attention then they should show as little skin as possible.

Oftentimes when you tell people that you’re going to volunteer in an orphanage for several months their immediate response is to tell you what a good thing it is you’re doing, how lucky the kids are to have you there, how more people should do the same and devote their time to helping those in need. I have to say this has always bothered me, mostly because in all situations where I have volunteered with underprivileged children, including during my two months at the Hogar, I found that I was the lucky one. I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend so much time with such wonderful, beautiful children, and also with the amazing staff who have dedicated themselves to raising them. During my two months in Chile I have learned so much: how to change a diaper, all of the charming intricacies of Chilean Spanish, how to cook pollo al jugo (thanks to my host brother Cristian), the fastest way to walk to the centro, and so many more little things I will never forget. But most importantly that no matter where you go in the world, you will find people that—no matter what language they speak, no matter how they take their tea—are kind and loving and whose presence in your life, even in a fleeting moment of it, will inevitably and indelibly change it for the better. Gladys and her family were FANTASTIC! I felt at home with them right away. They are incredibly warm, kind, accommodating, and most importantly, present, people. I got the amazing opportunity to see Los Andes, Santiago, and Andacollo with them during my stay when they went to visit extended family in those locations. I always felt that I was treated not as a temporary house-guest, but really as part of the family. Cristian, Gladys’ 19-year-old son and I referred to each other as brother and sister. Coming from a close family at home with two younger brothers, having Gladys and Cristian really helped me feel comfortable during my three months in Chile. One of my favorite parts of Chilean culture is that when you integrate yourself into a family, you don’t only get the nuclear family, but all of the members of the extended family as well. Throughout my stay I was able to meet countless relatives and really feel like I was a part of this large, loving, wonderful family. The only suggestion I have for future housing of volunteers that that two volunteers with the same first language (especially if the proficiency in the second differs significantly) not be placed in the same house (without their explicit request or consent). One of the main reasons I had for coming to Chile was to improve my Spanish, and it is far more difficult to do that when you are living with another volunteer who not only keeps speaking in English to you while in the presence of the non-English-speaking host family members, but is unable to communicate with them in Spanish, therefore leaving you to have to translate for her at almost every interval. It is detrimental to the quality of the immersion of the volunteer with the greater proficiency in the host language, and does not force the volunteer with less proficiency to have to learn anything or improve language skills—basically, a lose-lose situation. In general, I think that the most important relationship a volunteer will have during his or her stay is with the host family, and having two volunteers in the same house at the same time really hinders that bond and dilutes the power of the immersion experience. The Hogar was wonderful. The women working at the project who I was with on a daily basis were kind, helpful, and enjoyable to be around. Angela, the woman who worked in the nursery I was in the mornings, was instructive, kind, and really great to talk to. I came to work in the orphanage to be able to spend time with children, but I got the added bonus of substantial relationships with the “teachers” in each classroom. at a project this size, it was nice to know everyone else’s name and have everyone know your name, something that would not be possible at a project of greater size. Having this sense of familiarity with the staff and with the children really augmented not only my comfort at the site but also the richness of my experience on the whole. It is key to remember that if you’re coming during the winter months (what would be summer in the Northern hemisphere) that you bring warm clothes to sleep in, because there is no central heating in the houses. Get used to wearing jackets inside. As for donations to the volunteer site, it is better to bring money with you and purchase things at the end for the project after you've seen what they need most throughout your time volunteering. Travel as much as you can, even if it’s just going along with your family on day trips to visit relatives. I got to see a lot more of Chile that way than I would have if I hadn't taken advantage of those opportunities. But my most important piece of advice relates to the best lesson I learned during my experience: try to live your time away without fear. Say yes to things, try new foods, go whenever your family offers to take you anywhere, spend as much time integrating yourself into your family as possible. You can walk away from this experience having spent time holed up your room at home and going through the motions at the volunteer site, or you can walk away with meaningful relationships, a deeper understanding of the host culture and a greater capacity for the language. It’s up to you, you just have to go out and get it. My favorite memory was not one particular moment necessarily, but having the privilege over the course of several months to watch the children in the orphanage grow. I worked with infants in the morning, ranging from a few days old to six months old, and being able to visibly see the developmental changes taking place in their lives was astonishing and moving. One of the babies, Vicente, did nothing but cry for his pacifier when I arrived, was not responsive to interaction, and did not yet possess any significant motor skills. I remember the unique and startling joy I experienced one day after a month and a half or so when I went to feed him in the morning—he smiled and gurgled as I greeted him, wrapped his tiny little hands around my fingers as I held the bottle to his mouth, and laughed with vigor when I tickled him after being changed. Getting to witness this distinct moment in a person’s life, where each day and each week brings about significant physical and mental growth, where each moment a personality is gradually beginning to form, was a breathtaking experience I’ll never forget.

I had an excellent experience working with this program in La Serena. When first arriving at the orphanage I was surprised at how much the children and tias immediately trusted us. It too some times for us to adjust to the way things were run especially since Sam and I did not have experience working with young kids. Though we knew it would be no means be an easy job working at the orphanage, we were definitely taken a back by some of things we saw. That being said this has been a life-changing experience and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.Throughout the past three weeks I have learned a great deal about the Chilean culture and about myself all while being able to contribute something to the wonderful kids and workers at the orphanage. My host family, Vilma, made me feel right at home and helped us to become familiar with the city. Pack clothes that you wont mind leaving as donations once you are done the project. Also take advantage of the tours such as Elqui and the Mamulluca Observatory.

Beatriz was ready and waiting for us at the airport when we arrived and immediately made us feel welcome. She made sure we were comfortable with our host family then a couple of hours later took us on a tour of the area to make sure we new where all out basic needs could be met. Beatriz got my work at the school off to a great start by explaining that I had repair and construction skills I wanted to put to use. She helped the Directora and me come up with a plan to build toys for the children. Anytime I had a question or problem, and there weren’t many, Beatriz was available to help. The amount of energy that 50 or 60 three, four and five year olds can unleash during recess! It was amazing to watch these children running, screaming, roaring, climbing and generally just having fun. Even though all of these children are from seriously troubled family settings most of the children don’t yet seem to know they are disadvantaged. I hope no one ever tells them that they are. It was difficult to tear myself from the grasp of 5 or 6 children that want to continue playing with you. If you swing one child into the air then of course all their friends want to swing into the air, including the first child who now considers you to be their personal playmate. There was a hunger for attention. But probably the most difficult aspect was seeing very young children, with so much enthusiasm, intelligence and potential, facing the challenges that come with poverty, broken homes and limited resources. I can’t say enough good things about the school staff that works so hard to help shape, encourage and care for these children. Read the materials that ABV provides. I thought the “ABV Pre-Trip Guide for Peru” really covered everything I personally needed to know. Once you are on site let the person who is directly in charge of the program to which you are assigned know if you have any talents beyond those that qualified you for the official position. It just might be that the program has needs or desires that your additional talents can help fill. Look for opportunities, be creative and work to provide what the people in charge of the program want. I had a wonderful time working at a school for disadvantaged children. Not knowing exactly what I would be doing until I walked into the school on the first day of my assignment was pretty exciting. My ABV coordinator worked with the director of the school to identify tasks that could take advantage of my personal skills. I really hit the jackpot in getting to build toys for the kids from salvaged lumber, basic hand tools and a limited amount of purchased supplies. Our home stay host family was very welcoming and made us feel truly at home from the first minute we walked into their house. Our meals were of course typical of the foods routinely eaten by our host family with lots of carbohydrates and a modest amount of vegetables. Our room and bathroom were fairly typical for Latin America where room sizes are generally smaller and hot water is often only available in the shower. I felt very secure in our home and in the neighborhood. We walked or took public transportation all around the city of Cusco without any problems or fears.

Layers!! Layers are the bread and butter of this town. Temperatures change fast so layers are useful. Beautiful climate however. Also maybe bring granola bars if you really like that stuff, because that is pretty expensive here. Also bringing donations on the flight is much cheaper and totally easy to do. You´ll always wish you brought more to give! The first day with the kids and enjoying their welcoming attitudes. So refreshing. I also really enjoyed all weekend trips. Tikal, Rio Dulce, Antigua, Chichicastenango, all so great! a.- Be open! b.- Stay positive c.- Don’t compare d.- Take it in strides e.- SMILE! It always lifts your mood and those around you! Overall I had a fantastic time here. The work was rewarding, I met amazing people I´ll be friends with for a long while, and the host family experience is invaluable!

The program is really great for people who want to learn or improve their Spanish in an enriching and interesting way. I found that volunteering with the kids required a lot of energy but I adapted pretty quickly and it was very rewarding. One month was a short time to see a drastic change in their skills but you definitely have an influence on them. They would chant my name every day when I would arrive and leave and were full of positive energy. The people in Cartagena are extremely friendly to foreigners and not once did my safety feel threatened, even when I was traveling alone. A Broader View does a really great and comprehensive job preparing you for the trip and satisfying some of the uneasy curiosities you may have about the program, lifestyle, and traveling post-program. The staff is very prompt, accessible, and friendly. I spoke directly with the co-founder of the program, Sarah, and her efforts to thoroughly answer my questions made me feel cared for and confident in the program. Luis, the program coordinator, was the best. He let me have my independence but always made sure he knew what I was doing….which was easy since he lived above me. My host family was A-MAZING! They were too similar to me and I really felt comfortable and felt like I was at home after 1 week there. Freaky! Spanish instruction with Libary was also, wait for it….AMAZING! She is very intelligent, funny, dedicated and wants you to learn and improve. The lessons helped build my skills so that I felt extremely confident to travel alone after the program. Thank you, Cartagena. You have an amazing city full of rich history, great energy and culture. To sum it up, Great Experience.