Program Reviews

The experience was as expected and designed by the ABV staff. I spent 2 weeks in the cultural immersion program. My daily activities included breakfast, volunteer work at a local orphanage in the morning, lunch back at my host family's house, spanish language class in the afternoon, dinner back at the house, free time in the evenings. My Cusco host family was very helpful in arranging various side trips for me. I made friendships that continue now that I am back in the USA. I was able to visit MachuPicchu and lake Titicaca and other places too. I really encountered no difficulties and fealt very well prepared due the the thoroughness of the ABV staff in the USA and in Cusco. I recommend this program for anyone considering a Peruvian mountain and spanish culture experience.

I had the most amazing experience in Honduras. I met life-long friends, traveled to place I'd never seen before, helped children in need, and had a lot of fun.

I volunteered in the mornings at a special needs school, helping the kids with their studies, teaching a little bit of art, and learning as much Spanish as possible.

In the afternoons, I volunteered at an orphanage. It was so nice to put a smile on the faces of the children living there. They are smart, and funny, and love new volunteers coming into the home. I really enjoyed learning to cook traditional Honduran foods for the kids.

On the weekends, the other volunteers and I would travel around Honduras. We spend time on the beach relaxing, scubadiving on the islands off shore, hiking in the jungle, and white water rafting. There were only a handful of the adventures we experienced together.

Not only did this trip teach me a lot about the Honduran culture, but it taught me a lot about myself. It was never hard to be far from home because I was surrounded by so many great volunteers and children.

Despite what you may have heard about the dangers of Honduras, it is a beautiful country full of wonderful sights and people. Listening to the volunteer coordinators, coming home before curfew, and pairing up with other volunteers at all times are important parts to ensure your safety and enjoyment.

This program is perfect for motivated optimists of all ages with open hearts and open minds. I was able to teach several subjects to adorable and well behaved children aged 7-12 the Orphanage. The children were bright and engaged despite the somewhat desperate seeming surroundings, and the adults were professional and generous with their time and resources. I felt safe, appreciated, and challenged during my unforgettable week with A BroaderView.

Highly recommended for those interested in later going into humanitarian work. The interactions and service learning are invaluable to what you will gain. interacting with the children is perfect for those like myself going into child and maternal health in graduate school. The best thing about the program is being able to play with the children .

The day of my arrival, while Mr. Tillett picked me up from the airport, on the way back to the children’s home, we ran into a bunch of kids who just got off from school. They saw us and rushed into the car. The car was fully packed. It was a warm welcome!

Seeing children play and learn reminded me of my childhood. PLaying and laughing with them have restored my long lost feeling of being a kid.

On our first day at the orphanage, as we walked into one of the classes to be introduced to the other teachers, one of the children ran up to me (Martin) and hugged me, no questions asked. He just wanted a hug.

The orphanage is well organized, and they take very good care of the children. They’ve got lots of clothes and toys; they eat good, healthy food. It’s a very good environment for the children to ‘grow-up’ in if the parents are unable to take care of them.

A Spanish language barrier. We understand some Spanish, but we speak almost none. But even with said barrier, the teachers at the orphanage were always helpful and they tried to explain to us if we misunderstood something.

As you get to know the children and when you’ve been informed how and why they ended up in the orphanage, it just makes you realize what a huge responsibility it is to bring a child into this world. It’s the Mount Everest of responsibility. Another lesson learned is that love and care overcomes all barriers – race, creed or gender.

Travel with an extra toothbrush, a small toothpaste and some extra clothes in your carry-on luggage. Just in case your baggage is delayed. It would make the first day or two more comfortable. Learn at least a few basic Spanish phrases that are applicable to your ‘volunteering environment’ and that are applicable to daily live.

We were fortunate enough to be placed with a family that has accommodation for a ‘couple’. We lived on their premises in a room of our own separate room from the actual house where the family dwells. It was very nice, as it allowed us lots of freedom to move about the city doing our own thing in our spare time without ‘disrupting’ the family.

The family is extremely inviting, friendly, loving and caring. From day one we were never treated as guests, but rather we were treated as extended family. We were treated like royalty! It’s a very humbling experience when a family on a different continent, with different customs, with a different frame of reference opens their door to take you in – whole heartedly. Apart from the family’s warm welcome, they took really good care of our ‘basic necessities’. We received breakfast in the morning, lunch boxes for ‘school’ with bread and fruit and candy, and every evening dinner was a feast fit for a king! All round an absolute delight! We had a very short running joke with the family that went like this “Chileno = mucha comida’!

Furthermore, we’d like to thank Lone and Sarah for all their assistance throughout our adventure. From the start Sarah religiously replied to every question we had, she reassured and guided us around every corner and every uncertain gap. Lone picked us up at the airport with smiles, kisses and embraces and throughout our stay she checked in with us [and our family] regularly to see how we were doing. Both of them, in their own way were absolutely pleasant!

A MASSIVE thank you to everybody involved in making this trip possible for us! Thank you ABV!

I have so many great memories, I don’t think I can choose just one. My favorite memory related to my actual volunteer work is playing soccer, throwing the Frisbee, and playing games in the courtyard with the kids at the Clinic. Also, I prepared little Christmas stockings full of gifts for each child and passed them out on my last day at the clinic. They were so excited, happy, and grateful and showered me in hugs. It was absolutely wonderful. My other favorite memory was cooking Thanksgiving dinner with the girls in the house for our house mom and celebrating the holiday with them. It was really nice that we were able to share something from our American culture with our house mom.

I had so much freedom at the Clinic in regards to choosing what I wanted to do and in what capacity I wanted to help. I was able to do exactly what I wanted and work directly with the children and didn’t have to do any “busy work.” I was also surprised that I felt so safe in the city. I never once felt uncomfortable or scared while I was out and about during the day and night.

The language barrier at the workplace. It was challenging working with teenage girls while trying to learn the language. It was intimidating, but it’s better to try and mess up than not communicating at all. As long as you have a good, positive attitude and continue to put effort forth they will be responsive to you. Perseverance is key.

My entire experience at La Serena is a favorite memory, starting with the time spent with my host family. Everyone in the family was extremely kind. They all made me feel welcome and like a member of the family. Despite being busy with their own lives, they always made sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed. They took me sightseeing, drove me to my volunteer locations, took me shopping, taught me Chilenismos, fed me a lot, and even taught me to make empanadas! They did so much for me – thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Work at both schools will also stay in my memory forever. Again, I was met with extreme kindness by all, including school staff and students. Daily, the kids received me with smiles and hugs, and when I finished my stay, I was given thank you/goodbye/que le vaya bien cards. I also learned a lot from them.
Overall, volunteering through ABV was both a language and culture exchange that I will never forget. I’m going to miss (echar de menos) everyone at La Serena. Thank you all!