Program Reviews

I was in Tianyar for two weeks and have met some of the most incredible people I've ever known! The village feels like a home away from home and you'll always be greeted with a smile and a "Hello, how are you?" - a truly amazing atmosphere. Program by the Sea gives you are great opportunity to experience Balinese life at all levels.

The children are an absolute pleasure to be with and love having your attention. It's amazing how even in a short period you can form such a strong bond with these children and you can really see how grateful they are to have you there. During your first couple of lessons it is occasionally tough to find new ideas to bring and inspire the children but once you know your class, you will find your feet really quickly.

There's 3 major things to remember about this project, the first being that the children have fun and want to return for more classes. The second is that you must be positive, patient and outgoing. And finally, be prepared for big class sizes. Don't come to this project intending to improve their grammar, what you need to do is improve their conversation English - this is the most important tool for their future.

It can be challenging at times as there is no curriculum to follow however, this can also be a benefit as you are able to teach whatever your English language passion is. One tip of mine would to make a list of things you would like to teach them and then amend the difficulty to suit their needs. The hours are 2 one hour and a half sessions from Monday to Friday which means you have time off at the weekend to explore Bali.

There are probably 101 things I've forgotten to say about the children and Yayasan because they are just fantastic. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone as it is hugely rewarding, but you must be prepared to think for yourself and throw all the time and energy you have into the program. It will be an unforgettable experience should you chose any of the projects.

I found the Ubud program to be a really positive experience for me. It was challenging at first because I had no previous teaching experience plus no experience working with kids. However, it is important to challenge yourself which is why I chose to do this program. After the first few days you will easily be able to get into the swing of it because the kids were eager and motivated to learn, the classes were fun plus the program staff and other volunteers were wonderful. If you want to immerse yourself in a different culture, language and way of life while having the time of your life then you should do this program.

this was the best part of my life so far, this program was the best decision i ever made, first i had a really big connection with Bali since day one, i felt m home, everybody is welcoming, cheering, smiling, social... volunteers where family, the family we leaved with, was literally a family, where i teared when i left and said goodbye, the coordinators are such an inspiration that you will admire, full of energy happiness and fun. the students are the best part, when you know how to get to their heart and have that connection with them, you will earn their love, they are all smart, ambitious, love work, and they really make your day with their laughter, it is so fun to teach them and put all your energy in teaching with fun, games, laughter and craziness just free yourself from boundaries and act a child, you will love it. believe me when you leave, you will be sad, you will cry and you will never stop thinking about them, you gave studies and literacy, and they will give you love, happiness, peace and they will change your prospective about life. you will learn a lot that you will appreciate it a lot. ubud is such a great place where everybody will make you feel home, it is really safe, and everything you need is near and close, the food and fresh juices are really amazing. just be careful on getting sunburns, dont be exposed to sun for more than 3 hours, and if you will drive a motor cycle be carefull. rather than that, everything is just perfect. you will just wish that you spent the rest of your life there...

We volunteered together with a friend at Program Ubud for 2 weeks in January 2014.

Ubud is one of the loveliest places on Bali - it's safe, there're many things to do and see (morning yoga, jewellery making classes, batik painting, white water rafting, those famous massages, various performances and so on) and there're a lot of good places to eat at. Even though the classes lasted for 3 hours in the afteroon, we were never bored.

The program was very well organized - from picking us up at the airport and the accommodation to the support we got during the program itself (from Kimberley, Jose, Novia and our homestay family).

Teaching kids was the biggest highlight of the program itself :) It was a very fun, exciting and interesting experience. BUT please do keep in mind that it involves hard work - be it preparation for the class or the class itself. The kids were very eager to study and absorbed all the materials very quickly.

Also you do get an opportunity to travel around during the weekends. Due to its convenient location, it's quite easy to get to different parts of the island - the choice is yours - surfing in Kuta, enjoying wwaterfalls in the north or diving in Amed.

Bottom line - to go or not to go? Definitely yes! Trying is much better than listening to others - you'll never know what it's like until you're there :)

Overall, I really enjoyed the program and am glad I made the decision to participate in it. Working with the kids was impactful for me as I don't get to work with young children in my day to day job, and haven't done much volunteer work with young kids before.

My main challenge however was not speaking any Indonesian, I think preparing with basic vocabulary and/or simple instructional language would have been helpful prior to my visit. It was somewhat frustrating not being able to communicate directly with the children, as I felt this limited my ability to teach them (even with Novia in the room).

This is an excellent experience and very fulfilling. Make sure
You bring some resources because they can be limited and try and get
Comfortable riding a scooter or can can get expensive getting lifts everywhere even in Bali

Program orientation was very useful at the day of my arrival. I had no previous experience of teaching but I received some useful tips on teaching and what do students expect from the teacher that appeared to be important and very practical. Although some resources are limited and there's some lack of teachers, most of the students in (program by the sea) are very active and very eager to learn. They are very smart and respectful. I started to connect with the kids at the end of my volunteering period and I wished that I could stay longer to make a bigger impact. My overall experience was amazing and I would definitely recommend this program to others who enjoy new experiences/cultures and want to meet new people and make new friendships.

20/1/14
I enjoyed everything about this program and wish I could've stayed longer! The organisers were fantastic, the homestay was beautiful, and the students were amazing!
Having classes in the afternoons was great as it allowed us to experience the culture and lifestyle that Ubud had to offer. Some of the activities we did before classes included: silver jewellery making, yoga, white water rafting and shopping :) The restaurants in Ubud were great and you could find anything you wanted. Everyone was really helpful and friendly and there was never a time when I felt unsafe.
The students at the school were so appreciative and fun to teach and I really looked forward to spending my afternoons with them. I never experienced any difficulties as there was always someone around to help (Novia, Kimberley or Jose). There were so many highlights to my time in Ubud but definitely playing games with the students and watching them create and perform role plays. I also really enjoyed meeting new people and learning more about the culture that we were immersed in.
I had such an amazing experience and would definitely like to participate in this program again in the near future!

I'm writing this review from my home in Washington, D.C., and with every word I write my desire to return to Bali grows. I am eighteen years old and currently taking a gap year. The concept of traveling by yourself at such a young age is foreign and unheard of in America, however I had a thirst for new experiences and knowledge that only travel could quench. Considering how young I am, it was important to me that I not only find a volunteer program that I felt actually made a difference, but also a program in which I would feel safe and supported. I considered many different programs taking place in Bali, and I had already signed up with one when I finally came across VP Bali. I was instantly attracted to the non-profit program, and fell in love, applying to VP Bali and changing my flight to Bali a week before I was meant to go. I volunteered for eight weeks at Program Ubud, and for one month at Program by the Sea, and visited Program WG. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I am a nanny at home, and children are my passion. The students crave knowledge and laughter, and give back as much, if not more, as the teachers. The culture is rich and mesmerizing, and more than once you may find yourself caught up in the spiritual magic that seems to envelope the island. The people are perhaps the best part- the locals are always smiling and willing to help and talk, and you create bonds with the fellow volunteers that can only be born out of sharing amazing experiences...like volunteering with VP Bali. I have no regrets about joining this program, and neither would future volunteers. During my time there I felt only happiness, with tidak apa apa (no worries).

During my stay as a volunteer I worked for the disabled children. It was a pleasure to help these children. It did me good to see how happy these children are as they can learn new things, like counting in Dutch, recognize colors or mention the weekdays in English. I have also talked with the parents during parents-teacher conference about hygiene and better physiotherapy support. Improvements will be implemented. The gratitude of parents and children is overwhelming. Will you do something for disabled children than I can highly recommend you to volunteer. If possible I will be back next year!