Projects Abroad

Program Reviews

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Ryan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Extraordinary, Worthwhile, Eye-opening

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Response from

Dear Ryan, thank you for sharing! We understand that as a young student you want to take part in medical activities to make sure that's the area you want to focus your career in - it's a huge commitment! That is why we arrange our Medicine High School Specials in such a way that you are exposed to medicine and can see how it is done in the real world so you can learn as much as possible. We are glad this experience reaffirmed your passion! Good luck with your future studies!

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Kali
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wonderful experience with Projects Abroad!!!

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What would you improve about this program?
This project was amazing and I could not fault one aspect of my trip or experience with Projects Abroad.
Response from

Dear Kali,
It's great to hear you had such an amazing time in Cambodia! We do understand that you are traveling very far away to a distant culture - often for the first time and on your own - which is why our staff members work hard to prepare you for your trip with all the necessary information before you leave and keep that support up throughout your entire stay. We are happy to hear you had such a rewarding experience with the kids you helped with and with the other volunteers. Hope to see you again in another one of our projects soon!

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Kristina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Worthwhile Experience!

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What would you improve about this program?
Projects Abroad Jamaica can best improve by improving its program function and staff support. Just because at times, your day to day tasks were unclear. Although, this does allow you, as the volunteer, to speak up and to have more of a say in what you are interested in doing in your day to day. However, this disorganization does become frustrating for volunteers dedicating weeks and weeks and months in Jamaica.
Response from

Thanks for sharing, Kristina! It's great to hear you had such a rewarding time in Jamaica teaching children about Human Rights. Indeed, this is a subject that is very unknown by the population in general, which is why the help from proactive volunteers from around the world is much needed. Your assistance was greatly appreciated!
We also welcome our volunteers' feedback, which is why we will take your comments into assessment with our local staff in Jamaica - we are always looking for ways to improve!

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Kate
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Most incredible experience

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What would you improve about this program?
Maybe having more free time - but the staff was very flexible and willing to work with us on this!
Response from

Dear Kate: It sounds like you had a wonderful time in Tanzania! We are glad you enjoyed being part of our Medicine & Healthcare project - there is indeed much to learn and observe in hospitals in developing countries! We are sure that this is an experience that you will treasure for the rest of your life.
Our staff works very hard so our volunteers are always busy so they can make the most of out of their time abroad but we agree that social activities or excursions are also an important part of the experience.
Thanks for sharing!

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Eliza
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Projects Abroad Ghana

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What would you improve about this program?
I seriously cannot think of many ways that I would change this program.
Response from

Dear Eliza: Thank you for sharing! We are glad to hear your experience in Ghana was so rewarding - hopefully, it will help you get into Medical school in the future! It does sound like you have a true passion for medicine and for helping others. Congratulations on getting out of your comfort zone - this is also a very important life skill that we are sure will help you achieve your goals. Hope to see you again soon!

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Cary
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

San Pedro Belize - High School Special Public Health Placement

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What would you improve about this program?
Increased volunteer hours actively in the community - less office time.
Daily social and recreational activities that are healthy including exercise, time outdoors and exploration of the community.
Accurate itinerary that has increased detail pertaining to volunteer work activities
Response from

Dear Mrs Kruger,

Our goal is for all our volunteers to be safe, to be happy, and to have a positive impact while on this project. I am sorry to hear that your daughter did not feel this way and we’re sorry you’ve felt the need to leave this negative post.

We take all feedback seriously, and without diminishing how your daughter felt, we think it’s also important to stress that her feedback was very much out of line with the majority of volunteers on exact same project at the exact same time as her.

Allow me to share, with her permission, this recent email from a volunteer who was part of the same group as your daughter -

“I was in Belize for four weeks and the entire experience was so incredibly rewarding and more than I could have ever imagined. In fact, I am already planning another trip with Projects Abroad to further my medical exposure and explore my interests. If you took initiative on this project, there was always work to be done. I believe that the experience you get out of any volunteer or internship program is what you put into it. I was always ambitious and open-minded to learning new things and gaining experiences.

Over the course of my four weeks, I worked directly with communities, focusing on sustainable, healthy living. One of the most prevalent issues we focused on was mosquito borne diseases, including Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika. I was given the opportunity to begin a partnership with the Red Cross on an 18-month Mosquito Borne Disease project, which aimed to further education about Zika specifically. Every week, we hosted mobile clinics in three different impoverished communities, performing blood sugar and blood pressure testing, free of charge. In addition, we provided BMIs, educated on healthy lifestyles, and gave referral cards for a free consultation to any patient with abnormal results. We worked with the Polyclinic, the largest medical facility in San Pedro, to organize educational tools to provide at their testing day. After extensive training, we created informational resources about HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment, as many community members have little to no knowledge about either. Countless patients were tested in a single day, all of whom were very grateful for the opportunity to know their status. Furthermore, I also collaborated with different organizations, including the Kidney Association, Ministry of Health, Zika Prevention Force, Belize Vector and Ecology, and the Health Education and Community Participation Bureau to host a community-wide Health Fair. The health fair was featured on the local TV and radio station, and there were over 100 people in attendance. We also worked at the local primary school, where we began constructing a greenhouse. It was so incredible to see the day-to-day direct impact we were having . It was always fulfilling to hear the supportive patient feedback. It reassured me that what we were doing was meaningful when I would hear that what we were doing was needed, appreciated, and helpful”

After reading your review, we have done a thorough investigation the other volunteers’ Online Debrief reviews on this particular programme. Our High School Special Belize Public Health volunteers have rated our programme this year -

95 score on the question of “The staff in Belize were professional”
100 score on the question of “The staff in Belize were reliable”
95 score on the question of “I received good guidance and support for my project work from Projects Abroad”
90 score on the question of “My role was clear to me”
90 score on the question of “I was happy with the amount of project work I had on a daily basis”
100 score on the question of “I was able to contribute towards the goals of my project”
95 score on the question of “Projects Abroad volunteers play a useful role in the community”

During our investigation it’s become clear that there were other factors that influenced your daughter’s experience. We’re more than willing to discuss directly and privately with you, please feel free to get in touch through the details below below.

For your other specific points, I understand that your daughter didn’t enjoy the research time in the afternoons. However, the volunteers are doing serious public health work in the local community every morning with the mobile clinics and healthcare campaigns, and it is crucial that they are equipped with the relevant cultural and medical knowledge before they participate, alongside local health workers, in these programmes.

A quick note on the evening activities. As you know, the program includes 3 or 4 evenings of activities (trivia quiz night, Garifuna traditional dance, outdoor movie screenings, and a trip to the best ice cream place in town). On those nights when our volunteers have free time, our lovely host mom is always happy to take them out into town or to walk along the beach, knowing that she has to supervise our high school volunteers at all times. And over the weekend, the programme was packed with exciting trips; snorkelling in the barrier reef, climbing to the top of Mayan ruins, cave tubing, etc.

We take the allegation of theft really seriously. However, we’d like to make clear that no staff member has access to the host family apartment - only the host mom and the volunteers can come in unsupervised. All our staff undergo tough criminal records checks, and all are trained in child safety and safeguarding. If any staff member were caught stealing they would be fired immediately.

You say that your daughter heard an inappropriate comment from one of the third party boat drivers that we rented for that day’s trip. This is totally unacceptable. We have already reported this incident to the boat company owners, and removed the company from our list of suppliers. We will not work with them again. Of course we operate a zero-tolerance policy on any kind of sexual harassment.

Once again I am sorry to hear that your daughter experience in Belize was not what you had hoped for. All of your comments have been taken on board and relayed to our staff in Belize to ensure that improvements are made. We are always free to discuss this further and can be contacted on the details below.

With best wishes,

Somi Cho
somicho@projects-abroad.org
+44 1903 708300

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Angela
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Experience of a Lifetime!!

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What would you improve about this program?
please lower the costs!
Response from

Dear Angela,

It's great to hear you had such a wonderful experience in Vietnam! We work very hard to make sure we partner with established multi-specialty hospitals and clinics, so volunteers can work under respected local doctors and have a genuine learning experience. We also employ our local staff directly in each destination where we work, including Vietnam, to make sure that there is someone always available for you to ensure that everything is going smoothly with your host family, your placement, and your experience in general. All these efforts are included in the cost so you can have the best volunteering abroad experience possible.
Thanks for sharing!

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Nina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Projects Abroad Care Volunteer Nepal

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Response from

Dear Nina,

Sounds like you had a wonderful time in Nepal! We are indeed very proud of our host family community; they always go above and beyond to make sure you feel comfortable and safe.

We bet your students are very grateful for your lessons. Thanks for sharing!

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Evan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Teaching English in Ecuador!

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What would you improve about this program?
I have no criticisms!
Response from

Dear Evan,

It sounds like you had a wonderful time in Ecuador! It's great to read you had such a positive experience with your project and your host family. Thank you for sharing! Hope to see you again soon!

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Cecilia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Projects Abroad Nepal

Volunteering with Projects Abroad in Nepal was absolutely incredible! It was an amazing experience. When I first got to the airport in Kathmandu, I was picked up by a taxi organized by Projects Abroad and went straight to Prince Hotel in Thamel. I had my orientation there. During my time in Nepal, I did three projects. I did the Teaching Project, Himalayan Conservation Project, and Building Project. Each one gave me new and exited experiences and unforgettable memories. The staff was friendly and welcoming and they were always there if you needed anything. All three projects were organized, and I always felt safe.

Response from

Dear Cecilia. It's wonderful that you got to be involved in so many different projects in Nepal! There are lots of ways to make yourself useful in this beautiful country so it's great that you were able to pitch in in different areas. Which one was your favorite?
Thank you for sharing!