Program Reviews

Volunteering is not an easy thing and it’s definitely way out of my comfort zone but 100 percent one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things you’ll do in your life. Seeing different cultures and realising how happy you can be with so little made a big impact on me and being able to connect with the kids at the program was a favorite moment of mine. Being in the outdoors with the kids and moving most of time made me feel very fresh and ready to be back to work back home. The weather was amazing and enjoyed every moment in the program.

The last six weeks changed my life - I have learned so much about who I was, made some friends for life and a culture that is founded on love and care. Chios is so beautiful, with many hidden beaches and rich history, weekends were never dull. The teachers on my programme welcomed me like family, the children give you their attention and admiration so freely, and i just can’t wait to go somewhere with Happiness Volunteers again! The team were absolutely excellent! They responded to all my messages in extremely short time with great recommendations for food and travel. They checked in on us regularly and were extremely kind! The team in the kindergarten were so welcoming, kind, and made me an integral part of their team. The teachers were so willing and excited to be able to practice their English, as well as let me pass that knowledge onto the kids. The kids were so welcoming, and by the end they were teaching me so much more than I could ever teach them! I wish I could go back as by the time I left I felt like family, and was treated as such. I cried as I left and I look forward to going on another project with Happiness Volunteers ASAP!!

My favorite moments from this volunteer experience was talking to children and their dreams for the future. I got really attached to these kids, my last day I wished I could stay with them. These kids have motivated me to figure out what I want to do with my future, I used to be between a career in social matters or in the medical field but now being with them and seeing the struggles that many children go through has given me a million reasons what I want to do. If you're still hesitant about volunteering, just do it, and you will gain so much experience. It's an opportunity that many don't have and need to be at peace with themselves. Volunteering has a huge impact on you and it's for the best.

The entire volunteer experience was wonderful. Each day was filled with wonderful and heart-warming moments. The friendliness of all the staff was wonderful and they were very accommodating. Seeing the smiles from the children everyday and to be apart of any new accomplishment (even if it's only them learning a new sound or word) they achieve. There are no moments I could single out. The entire experience is something I will never forget. Something that I will always keep in my heart and mind to grow.

The guidance was perfect, the personal contact persons as well as the website.
The local team were also just fantastic, thank you so much! I felt very much welcomed and surrounded with all kind of support.
The entire experience is a mixture of all facets of the volunteer program: the destination, the project, the volunteer team, the local team, weekend trips & tours, travelling alone before / after the stay. The total impact is a very deep experience which I wouldn't get from any other job or vacation.
Great location, the house is very suitable for the kind of usage, the freshly cooked food was great!
The very positive feedback from the project participants gave me a strong self confidence doing new things I never did before.
You can't compare it with any vacation or job abroad. It is a 360° holistic and very emotional experience. It us a challenge to leave the comfort zone, but the outcome is worth it a 100 times. No other trip gives you authentic insights about a culture and a the topic of the chosen program. If you want to try out completely new circumstances, you can do this ideally with a volunteer project as it provides you a very safe framework.

A treasured moment is meeting lots of new people from around the world and living together for a week and also at the end getting a certificate. The biggest impression the program had on me was being able to grow as a person by becoming more confident and going out of my comfort zone. Just do it and go outside your comfort zone, you’ll be surprised what you can do when put in the situation and the feeling at the end when you know you’ve helped clean the forest is amazing. Doing out part of saving mother earth is amazing.

I felt supported and was provided with all the information I needed. It is very hard to pick just one favorite moment as I loved the whole experience. I made great friends, we had great conversations, we traveled together, we eat together, we worked together, everything was so much more than I ever expected to be. I found my favorite quote and it inspired me to live by it: When you keep everything you lose. When you give, you keep everything forever. My advice is just do it, future you will thank you!

The program is so much fun and full of outdoor activities for nature lovers. We cleaned the forests from plastics. The local team is very supportive and kind. The accomodation was great and clean. The highlight for me was the program views! It was stunning. I came during winter thinking that I will not see green but here I am; I saw so many green trees, land and amazing nature. The food is just delicious, deserts are outstanding and cheap. I bought so many souvonirs and gifts as the prices are pretty low.