Program Reviews

I joined the High School Special project in Peru for 2 weeks on the archaeology project and I loved it. It was only two weeks and I definitely should have stayed longer! It's such an amazing location and as a history geek, it was an amazing experience. Projects Abroad organised a trip to Machu Picchu as well, which I can recommend to anyone (it's a must see in Peru). My coordinator was so friendly and he really looked after us, and Dan on the Archaeology project is a brilliant teacher.
I then flew for one week to the Conservation project... again, I should have stayed longer and I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. That project was one of the best things I have ever done; living in the Amazon rainforest, surrounded by nature and helping protect one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet is an unforgettable experience. The staff here are great (special mention to Elvira who is so kind) and so passionate about what they do. You get a perfect mix of looking after rescued wildlife and conservation activities, so anyone who is passionate about animals should definitely join this project.
I can't recommend Projects Abroad enough!

I did several volunteer programs in Nepal and was fairly disappointed. If you want to actually have an impact on the community, you definitely should not contact Projects Abroad. Projects Abroad is part of the "voluntourism" industry. Instead of actually contributing to the local community, it is offering services (experience abroad, cultural experience, you name it) to its customers. Some projects make sense, such as the conservation project in Ghandruk. Others don't, such as the care oder medicine project. In case you thought you actually get to help out in hospitals or other medical institutions, I will have to disenchant your illusion: the only thing you will be doing, is observing. Yes. you get to observe every detail and even operations but you will be doing for the community.

To concluce, you will have to decide whether you just want to get out of your national/local bubble and experience other cultures in the comfort of Projects Abroad, receive instant-graftication for doing nothing or whether you actually want to get out of your comfort zone and contribute to the local community. In the latter case, I suggest looking for other programs that probably do not cost you anything but own expenses.

Before I left to Peru I was quite nervous as I had never been so far away alone and really didn’t know what to expect from the project. I can now say it was one of the best things I have ever done and I’m happy that I took the plunge and really thankful for the way it worked out and the impact it had on me. I was teaching in a small school in a very poor area of Cusco. It was really hard work as the kids are quite behind in their learning and classroom discipline was scarce. However I really put my mind to trying to help them and help the teachers with their tough job. The reward was immense. The kindness and love from the children really struck me and they were so appreciative of my help. The staff in the Projects Abroad office in Cusco are so kind and helpful and genuinely nice people so that made being so far away from home a lot easier. Also it was great to get to know other volunteers and socialize with them as you are all sharing a unique experience. For me the experience was a perfect mix of voluntary work, traveling and socializing and I would really recommend it to someone looking for a unique gap year experience also in such a lovely, interesting country.

My husband and myself spent a month with the team in Phnom Penh. I can only recommend to share such an experience with your partner - you will be never able to communicate all the experiences you made.

It was hard for us to see what "real poverty" is and how families cope without health insurances, having decent jobs and poor living conditions. We spent a lot of time with the applicants for a 120 USD loan and it was great to see that this little amount of money could change their lives.

Do it!

I’m a gap year student who lived in Cambodia for three months, volunteering in teaching. Without question, it changed my life. By chance, I was ill for a great chunk of my time there and suffered other misfortunes, but I could not let myself feel sorry for myself. Not when I knew that, just down the street, people could barely feed themselves and, by the time I left, the country was suffering a drought and electricity shortage. Through all my bad moments, Projects Abroad were there for me. When I messaged my coordinator late at night to ask to go the hospital the next morning, he got back to me immediately, and always made sure I had a member of staff I previously knew to accompany me to the many places I had to go in order to make myself better/sort things out. On days when the project was unexpectedly closed, they organised other activities for us, which allowed me to take part in the public health programme a couple of times, and experience an entirely different environment.

For the most part, people are lovely, and are always wanting to make new friends. Even if they only just met you, they are willing to take day trips with you, go away with you, and find it continuously fascinating that you grew up in a small farming village on the edge of nowhere, without a major highway for miles.

My best memories and my heart will always be at the school. The word used to describe them is ‘energetic’ and they are definitely that, but I fell in love with them all anyway. They are innocent individuals with a passion for learning, lots of respect, who love to connect with you and tell you the likes and hobbies they have. It was nothing short of beautiful learning all of their names and where each of their talents lied, especially when I could use these in my lessons. And I did play on what I knew of them often, just because I loved seeing their little faces when they recognised I’d listened to them. They are grateful for everything you give them, and give you the biggest hugs when you leave. Like I said, my heart will always be with them.

I travelled to Fiji for two weeks and lived and volunteered in a local village there. I was 16 years old at the time and so for me to travel overseas by myself, live with another family and being immersed in a new culture was overwhelming and equally exciting. Projects Abroad were absolutely incredible with making me feel at home, answering any questions I had before and during my trip and making me feel safe and secure. My experience in the village was (as cheesy as it sounds) completely life-changing. I came away with so much perspective on different cultures and people, I built my own confidence and independence, met some amazing people, challenged myself and was able to help people and make a difference. Projects abroad were really good at providing lots of information before I left and made me feel reassured. I would definitely recommend everyone to complete a volunteer experience like mine at some point in your life. I was amazed at what it can teach and show you.

I joined this program for 2weeks. There were many new things for me like the language which used in Mexico is Spanish. In particular, the life in the camp was very unique and interesting time for me.Then I learned a lot of things during this program! I could find the individual meaning of this programs too. This is because the way of conserving sea turtles was made by multidirectional view point. I thought that this program was same as what I envision! Therefore, I want you to recommend this program to know example of how to preserve the environment. In addition, I have regretted about the long of spending for volunteer because it was too short for me to conscious the essence of conservation and volunteering. So l hope that a lot of people try this program with a long spell and find out them.

One year it's already gone since i had the best experience of my life as volunteer in Thailand.
I really enjoy the time spent there. Being volunteer with childrens it's amazing.
I was teaching them english in a primary school in the south part of Thailand.
Together with local teachers day by day we were planning and executing a study program for the kids. What i also remeber it's the unforgettable time spent with all other volunteers and project abroad staff . We had the opportunity to travel around the country with the others volunteers during week ends and with the help given by our coordinator we had the opportunity to get ourselves into the local culture and traditions.
My overall experience was amazing and uforgettable and it changed my prospective about life.
I would really like to thanks again project abroad for this opportunity and i will do it again in the future whenever it will be possible.

I loved the time I volunteered in Samoa. Not only were all the staff lovely, but the host families and people you met along the way, were as well. On the days that you experienced the local way of life, it showed you how truly beautiful an island life is. Not to mention the activities and other planned days are absolutely amazing as well. Working with the staff and students, was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Not only, were they all very lovely but also the amount of satisfaction that you gain from this experience is amazing. For me, this project ticked all of my boxes. I have always loved working and helping children out, as well as doing community service as well. Lastly, the places that you visit are absolutely beautiful and will make you want to revisit again, I certainly am.
Naomi

I ended up choosing Projects Abroad to fulfill my study abroad requirement (French major). The flexibility of their program helped me fit the three week minimum requirement into the term between fall/spring semesters.

Full disclosure: I’m timid and socially anxious, but I really felt safe in Senegal because of Projects Abroad. I knew enough French to get by, but I’d recommend future volunteers really brush up on it and use the Wolof tools available. I knew what I was getting into by volunteering in Senegal (ie that it’s not a vacation and it’s hard work) but I thoroughly enjoyed doing what I could with the limited time I was there.

Saint-Louis is beautiful. It’s easily walkable, and I never felt unsafe walking through the market (even as a single woman in her early twenties). Men did make sexual comments but it wasn’t anything more serious than the catcalls I get in America and, frankly, the encounters were never violent/threatening.