Program Reviews

Projects Abroad was such a terrific experience. I've never been so far out of the country before (I'm a New Yorker) and I'd been looking to do some work overseas for a while. In the beginning, it was quite disorienting-- naturally, the culture of Tanzania is different from what I was personally used to. However, living on my own and managing day-to-day work life with my fellow volunteers was such a new and exciting experience. We were immersed in the local life, did extremely important work in the community, and dived into the culture! Living without wifi and convenience stores, I think, is something everyone should do at some point. The organization of the program was sometimes a bit discombobulated-- but that's what made the experience so memorable. It was like diving head first into the deep end of a pool. Even if our schedules were constantly changing, my team and I just went wherever we were needed, typing up reports and giving presentations whenever we could. Tacking our papers to trees, scrounging for markers, sending emails wherever we could get service. Extremely eye-opening, and impeccably gratifying. I would recommend this program to anyone who isn't scared of trying new things-- and who is willing to be bold for a chance at gaining something huge.

Truly a meaningful two weeks volunteering alongside like minded people from all over the world. Gained much insight about shark/mangrove conservation scene in Fiji, certainly heart warming to have to opportunity to play my part in environmental conservation work away from home. Project coordinators were friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming, I had a great time during the project. Highly recommend this program to undergraduates/anyone who is interested in marine conservation/shark ecology. You will have a blast!

My 5-week volunteer placement in Brasov (Romania) was an extremely valuable experience for me.
In 2 different projects, where children and young people with special needs are cared for, I was able to take part in the daily routine from the beginning. The supervisors know English and were very eager to explain everything to me and met me with appreciation. It was a pleasure for me to deal with the children and young people and it was easy to get in touch with them (although I only know a little Romanian). Even if you don't have any experience in working with disabled people, if you enjoy working with children and playing, you are at the right placement. Every morning you will be welcomed with warmth and joy by the children.
The town of Brasov has a very charming and interesting old town center and is located in the Carpathian Mountains. The rural areas, the villages and castles around, invite you to explore. There is plenty of time to go on excursions by bus and get to know the country and its people.
Last but not least, I would like to mention the Projects Abroad team in Brasov. I was warmly welcomed right at the airport in Bucharest, had a personal guided tour in the "Old Town" on my first day, was invited to dinner and was given all the information about the place, the conditions, the project, etc. I am very grateful to them for their help.
During my assignment, I was in constant contact with the Project Abroad coordinator on site. She really took great care of my personal well-being. I was connected with other volunteers in a Whatsapp group and we could exchange our experiences and plan joint activities.

My 17 year old daughter had a wonderful seven weeks in San Cristobal island in the Galapagos. She did conservation work and teaching English to children all under the expert care of William Puga who is in charge of the project there. He stood in as a parent for us when she had an accident in her last few days riding her bike outside of the project, and looked after her in hospital and arranged for transport back home with our insurance company. We always knew she was in excellent caring hands.
She loved staying at the reserve with lots of other volunteers and also in a kind host family in the fishing village.
The Galápagos Islands are very safe and beautiful and our daughter learned Spanish in the company of the islanders and cannot wait to go back.
After two years of Covid, Projects Abroad was the perfect way to start experiencing life again. Thank you to everyone there!

If I could give the program more than a 10 rating I would! From the initial application, the staff have been so involved in helping us prepare - everything was organised almost flawlessly. The arrival in Cambodia was also very welcoming and I felt very safe the entire time. My Projects Abroad experience was such an enjoyable, enlightening trip where I not only got to make a genuine impact on the local community but also got to meet other volunteers from around the world. There was a perfect balance of construction work, teaching, and even tourism, definitely something for everyone!

Going to Guadalajara, I was able to immerse myself in things I had never done before. I love travelling and I would recommend this program to any teen who likes to adventure and wants to spice up their resume. Travelling alone was a smooth and breezy process and Projects Abroad helped me through every step of the way. I was so excited to meet the five people I spent the duration of my program with. Together, we were able to set up a travel clinic and aid those who needed medical assistance and we even had the opportunity to tour two of the busiest hospitals. On weekends, we would go to tourist attractions and we even went to the Melaque beach. Patty, the person we stayed with, was super nice and gave us access to the Wi-Fi and did our laundry when we needed. She provided meals three times a day and the food was excellent. I made friends in my accommodation that I will keep for the rest of my life and I am so happy that I spent my summer at the public health internship. :)

Great experience! So many nice people around the project. I felt very safe and welcome at my host mom’s house, the staff around the basketball project and the Projects Aboard staff too! There was a good balance between free time alone, to enjoy and experience the city on my own, but also activities with the other volunteers in the city.

The only thing I could have missed, was a little more influence on the basketball practice/the work, but with help from the coaches to translate from English to Spanish

I can definitely recommend Projects Abroad!

Excellent organisation and a very supportive family s/o to Patrick Ruiz for making this program incredible!
The program was very fun and interesting, seeing another culture and try to gain a lot of experience by helping them develop their skills.
Peru is an incredible country for volunteering and you will never regret the travelling.
In the future I hope I can re-volunteer and connect with the great people that I knew during my staying and see another time all the kids that I helped during the basketball practices.

I’m very thankful for my trip to Peru. It gave me some clarity on what I want in the future, I felt very safe there, the country was beautiful and filled with culture and history, and my house family was the absolute best. My host family and those that worked for the organization were available at any moment and were so willing to help with anything. This internship confirmed that I definitely want to do medicine overseas. I always look back through my pictures and feel very thankful for the opportunity and the growth I experienced there.

This project left in my mind the memory of what I heard during these 2 months passed there, a precious thing for South African native people = The live is wonderful. It's what I understood with this project. It's remind that every moments in life must be full lived, loved, as for you than for me. To help and bring something of new to a disease or disable child or someone else, we have to love them, share and to live with them the full life. Definitely the world will be better when everyone will live like suffers, relax and kind.