Program Reviews

I was looking for a volunteer project in the summer of 2015, I was 16 at the time and discovered that very few organisations offer projects to people 16-17, until I came across Projects Abroad's website. I was immediately interested and started browsing through the many projects, for me it was the high school specials and i was particularly interested in care and community in Africa. I emailed projects abroad as I had so many questions, they were very very helpful and even arranged for me to meet up with a previous volunteer where I live. She was lovely and answered all of my questions and concerns, that was when I made the decision to go to Ghana for 4 weeks.

I was overly excited (especially as this was a year before I was actually going!), when I got my "my projects abroad" webpage I swear i checked it every day waiting for new information to be uploaded about my project. About a month before I went I received lots of information about my project (about the schools I'd be going to, my host family and accommodation and even an itinerary that told me what I would be doing each day in Ghana).

I emailed back and forth with Projects Abroad staff and always got a quick response.

From the minute I set foot in Ghana I was supported and guided by the staff, I was met at the airport by them and they were very friendly. My supervisor was my rock for my month in Ghana. He became a close friend and he and my group of volunteers became a little family, helping and supporting each other. I felt like I could talk to him about anything whether it was because I was unwell, needed help, for a laugh or having to be forced out of bed in the morning! We were given a lot of responsibility which I felt was very important, on the project we led classes and organised what the pupils would be doing (which was harder than it sounds!) but it gave us that a purpose and made it a much more valuable experience.

Projects Abroad took good care of me and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a worthwhile, safe and enjoyable experience.

My experience with Projects Abroad was like no other, I had so much fun working with kids and getting to know the other people on the trip and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! I felt like I was actually making an impact in the children’s lives which is so fulfilling and it made me want to help even more people around the world. The social part of the trip was great as well, they took us all around Cape Town to do loads of different activities including cycling, trampolining, surfing and going out for dinner. We also did a few community projects in the township where we gave out food and helped with a women’s day event, this was an incredible experience as we got to know loads of the people in the township as well as the children. If you want to travel and make even a small difference in the world, I’d 100% recommend projects abroad!

The human rights team at projects abroad Tanzania were more than accommodating and the work you do is actively beneficial to the women in the community. Remember to bring a laptop as this is crucial to the work. Irene makes it easy for you to get settled in and there is a wealth of information provided to you on arrival to learn about Tanzanian law. Salma house, the host family I stayed with were lovely and very welcoming. The organisation have social dinners every Thursday which is a good way to meet people that you may not necessarily be working with. All people from all projects come together on this day and the community day. The community day is a great way to try something new and experience a different project. This takes part the last Friday of every month. Arusha is a lovely town with lots of cafes and restaurants and day trips.

My trip to Sri Lanka has been the most meaningful and unforgettable journey I have ever experienced. I will never forget the people I have met. They have all made a huge impact on me and taught me so much. I stayed with a host family, and they made me feel secure at all times. They taught me a new way to experience life, obstacles and relations. This journey has made my perspective so much wider, and made me appreiciate my conditions. I have been introduced to a whole new culture, and to a whole new way of living, and I was loving every second of it. I was volunteering for a school for children with special needs, and I loved every minute I spend in that classroom. I now I was making a difference and helped those who needed it, and im grateful for that.

I decided to travel to Ghana for the medical volunteering program to understand if medicine was really the degree I wanted to study. It was pleasing to know I was following the right path, which wouldn’t have been possible without this experience.

The first impression was not really good, as I arrived to the airport and found an unpleasing weather and couldn’t find the staff members who were supposed to take me to the hotel. But after this first moment, I felt very welcomed. I spent the first night in the capital (Accra) and the day after traveled to Cape Coast, where I met the other volunteers. I believe that what made my experience special, besides the wonderful activities, was my group, that was composed by a variety of nationalities. Thanks to them, I developed team work abilities, time management, and learned not only about Ghana’s culture, but also about my friends’ culture.

All the bonding was linked to the activities I did, such as community services, travels to the leprosy camp, awareness lessons about malaria and cholera in local schools and day spent at the city hospital to observe the nurse and doctors’ work. I couldn’t have done none of them without the help of our supervisor, Mohammed, that was always careful to show us the right procedures and made sure everything was fine.

The only complain I would make is about the food, which wasn’t very good, but bearable for three weeks.

I hope everyone who decides to live the same experience will find it as pleasing and amazing as I did. And I strongly recommend this program to any student who is studying, or willing to, medicine. :))

I am a solo traveler from Australia and then was my first time traveling overseas on my own. While any new experience has its nerves, Projects Abroad were there to support me. From the induction on my first day, weekly cafe meet ups, group supervision and our whatsapp group chat I had support to flourish in this environment and make the most of my project. I volunteered in a school for children with disabilities and as a social work student used my skills to promote different teaching styles for children with disabilities to extend their learning experience and outcomes. In a classroom where English is limited this is quite difficult to achieve but through my ProjectsAbroad supervisors guidance I was able to achieve this in a way that didn't undermine the teacher but still allowed the children to benefit. My highlight was seeing one of the little girls smile while learning words in English. Another aspect of my trip that surprised me was the social side- I was on my own in Nepal, quite shy and didn't expect to mingle but ProjectsAbroad supported this with weekly activities so that I met new people and we would all go out and travel on weekends. These social activities like scavenger hunts, traditional cooking, yoga and trivia brought people from all over the world together and was a great opportunity to get to know each other. This gave me the confidence to travel around with the group and visit 8/10 world heritage sites in Nepal and travel to several different towns to experience more of the country. Overall this trip was empowering for me as a young woman as it not only allowed my to do something that I love- working with children but it put me out of my comfort zone and demonstrated that I really can do anything I set my mind to. This was my big crazy adventure and I'd recommend it to anyone who is willing to embrace the unique country that is Nepal.

I was in Cape Town for a Human rights and law project. We had a supervisior who always stayed near us, so we never felt insecure. Also our host family was super cool, we felt save and got the best meals everyday. However also the project was great. We met a lot of people, who were so impressive. They showed us, how they live even if most of them had no money. We tried to help them every time we were in the townships with cooking or creating schools. We also had a moot court to see the legal aspect in South Africa, it was an unbelievable experience to work on a case which really happend. To understand the whole topic between black and white people we visited a lot of museums and historical buildings. And next to all the beautiful moments, we met a lot of new people and found friends for life.

This Summer I had an amazing experience in Mongolia. It was my second project with this organisation because the previous Summer I went volounteering in Peru which also helped me to understand that Medicine is what I really want to study.
In Mongolia I had the opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world and local people as well. Mongolians are really kind and always make you feel comfortable. What about the medical experience? It was really hands on thanks to the many workshops for example sutures, IVs, installing nasogastric Thebes, CPR and BLS. Moreover, I was given the opportunity to take ambulance shifts for 3 days and I also watched two surgeries (a lung abscess and ENT operation). I’d really recommend this amazing project!

My experience with Projects Abroad has been amazing for many of its aspects.
My volunteer work consisted in teaching English to some Mongolian children that live around the capital (Ulaanbaatar), and creating with them a garden where they could play all together. I had the opportunity to meet their families who have been very kind to us and I have been lucky to get in contact with a community of people that made me feel useful and who appreciated my help.
This experience also enriched my personal identity in an absolutely positive way. I have been honoured to offer what I had to give, and doing so made me understand that, if we are determined to do so, we can make a difference in this world.
In addition, this project has helped me to better understand what are the topics and issues that interests me the most and helped me to decide which study career to attend : it is thanks to my volunteer experience in Mongolia that I am studying International Relations and Global Affairs in my first year of University!
I strongly recommend to everyone to participate to a program of Projects Abroad because it is an experience that can change your life only for the better!

In the summer of 2018 I went to Sri Lanka together with a friend of mine. I have had an amazing 3 weeks during the medical volunteering in Sri Lanka, for real the time flies when you are traveling with projects abroad. The programme was perfect because of the variety. We had time to see the beautiful culture of Sri Lanka, visit different hospitals and most important to help the people in disadvantaged community’s. And I am really thankful projects abroad made this experience possible. So thank you!!