Program Reviews

I can confidently say that my three weeks in Ghana with Projects Abroad were three of the most transformative weeks of my life. To know a little bit about me: I am an 18 year old year from Manhattan starting at the University of Pennsylvania for undergrad with the hopes of eventually attending medical school. I spent my three weeks in the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital on three wards: pediatrics, OB/GYN and the delivery suite. Each department changed me in its own way. I bonded with patients, nurses and doctors. I still stay in touch with many of the people I was working with at the hospital. The most memorable nights of my life were my night shifts at the delivery suite. I was able to watch natural births, cesarean sections and other vaginal procedures. I fell in love with every baby I saw. The Projects Abroad staff in Ghana was incredibly approachable: I had every staff member on Whatsapp and felt comfortable reaching out to any of them for anything. I lived with a family who truly made me feel like I was part of their family. One thing to note is that anyone considering this trip has to be willing to really leave their comfort zone, but know that it is completely worth it. By that I mean you must be willing to talk to new people and explore new areas in order to make the most of the trip. To anyone considering traveling with Projects Abroad to Ghana, go for it! I promise you will not regret it. 

My 17 year old daughter just arrived home following a two week High School Specials Public Health Placement in San Pedro, Belize. This was supposed to be an amazing learning opportunity that would help her make decisions regarding her future including her desire to pursue Nursing as a career and to gain skills towards further travels abroad. The provided itinerary seemed very "full" and exciting with a balance of volunteer work time during the day and evening social/recreational activities. This seemed perfect as my daughter is a very active young woman who thrives on being "busy". The composition of the placement was NOT what the itinerary reflected.
Our daughter was one of seven girls participating in this placement. They traveled each day to the Projects Abroad office, which is where they spent more than 50% of their daytime hours each day. Sometimes, it was the whole day. The amount of time they needed to be in this location was a fraction of this - so much time was spent talking to each other or being on their phones/laptops to pass the time. The staff would not adjust the schedule and certainly did not work to find them other things to do. Any time spent in the field ACTIVELY volunteering (as my daughter had assumed she would be doing), was thoroughly enjoyed and rewarding. Following much time spent in a small office most days, the girls then went back to their very small apartment where all seven of them stayed. Some nights they had activities but when they did not, the girls had to stay from 5:00 pm onwards in this location as they were not allowed to leave unsupervised and there were no staff members to take them out. After we complained as parents, this slowly started to change but our daughter perceived that the request for exercise or outings in the community were an "inconvenience" rather than an expectation.
Most importantly, our daughter and her close friend who attended with her were ready to come home after a few days. They were bored, frustrated and very sad to be so sedentary in such a beautiful country with so many opportunities to volunteer, help and make a difference. To have sent them this far to primarily sit in office space or an apartment seems unacceptable - especially given how expensive the placement was and what we perceived the activity level was going to be. Following much discussion, we convinced our daughters to stay and finish the placement. They are glad that they did as there were rewarding moments but many of their lasting memories are not positive ones.
I am choosing to post this information as all of these complaints were raised with our placement supervisor throughout the two weeks. She was at times responsive but mostly defensive. Change was forced on the staff but we did not think that so much effort should be needed on our part to have acceptable conditions or experience. We would NEVER recommend this company to anyone moving forward and are very disappointed by the outcomes. We are hoping to protect others from the same experience and can only hope that by making the information public, it will result in some change moving forward.

I spent 4 weeks in Hanoi through Projects Abroad's medical internship program. I chose Vietnam because I have family just outside of Hanoi, so I never even considered any other destinations. My time overseas was truly an extraordinary, life-changing opportunity, all thanks to the incredible surgeons of bệnh viện nhi as well as the spectacular Projects Abroad staff.

Primarily, I simply spent my days observing surgeries. However, in the last few days of my internship, I was presented with the amazing opportunity to close after a laparoscopic surgery. On my last day (which was also my birthday) I was granted the unforgettable chance to close a neurosurgery, which was the most exhilarating and fulfilling experience of my life. I am so unbelievably grateful to the wonderful surgeons at BVN for the many learning opportunities that they provided for me.

The Projects Abroad staff truly went above and beyond to ensure that my trip was as fantastic as possible. I truly felt that they valued me as a person rather than viewing me as just another volunteer that they had to talk to because it was their job. In fact, I really felt like the staff were my friends, and genuinely enjoyed my company. Without their sincere concern and care, I wouldn’t have felt so safe and secure. During the majority of my stay, there were only about 2 or 3 other volunteers in the house with me, which meant everybody got their own room. I felt like the smaller amount of people allowed us to get closer with each other and develop stronger bonds. In fact, we still talk most days in our group chat, even though we’ve all gone our own separate ways now. The relationships and bonds that I formed in the house are just one more of the abundant takeaways that I will cherish forever.

This was an amazing experience!! Nepal was such an influential country to visit and opened so many opportunities for me to continue travelling all thanks to Projects Abroad. It was very easy to connect with in country staff members to have my questions answered and help
me with any needs I may have. My first day there, my supervisor showed me around Thamel and where the ATMs, grocery stores, health center and shops are.

My host family was amazing. They always made sure I had enough food and safe drinking water. They showed me the way to my placement and the local stores to get snacks and cash. They were incredibly nice and the house was very clean and not far from the school. The other volunteers are people whom I will never forget. My fellow volunteers made my trip so much fun.

My placement was amazing. The kids were so eager to learn and excited to see me every day. I taught them everything from Math to English to Geography and Dancing!! It was such a beautiful school and the staff was so helpful with communication between the students and I.

Nepal was an amazing experience that I would do all over again if I could!!

When I volunteered with Projects Abroad, I was a junior and biochemistry major at Northeastern University. I traveled to San Cristobal island, in the Galapagos, from Boston, Massachusetts during my summer break in May-June of 2018. One thing I would recommend, if traveling from the east coast, is to book a hotel room in Quito at the Wyndham near the airport. Typically, you arrive at the airport at around midnight, and the Galapagos flight does not leave until 9 or 10am; by booking a hotel room, we got a few hours of good sleep that worked wonders the next day. I volunteered with the ESL program, joining other volunteers to teach English at a rural location. When you arrive at the Galapagos, you are greeted by an open-air airport security center and a beautiful view. This is a far cry from dreary Logan airport in Boston! William Puga, the coordinator from San Cristobal, greeted me and my traveling partner Lindsay; from there, we took a pickup truck taxi ride (get used to these!) to our volunteer camp.
The volunteer camp is a beautiful, well-maintained row of dormitories about a 15 minute ride from the main town on the ocean. There are free bananas hanging from vines, comfy hammocks, and a clean common area where all the volunteers hang-out and get to know each other. We were taken care of by our host family, a couple in their twenties with a beautiful baby girl. My host family was nothing but professional and friendly. The rooms were kept clean, the meals were plentiful and nutritious, and I got a real taste of San Cristobal by living with them. The host “mom”, Abi, even did our laundry with a one dollar deposit per load! Speaking of food, they were also able to accommodate my traveling partners unique dietary restrictions, something that really left a positive impact on our experience.
As aforementioned, my traveling partner and I worked teaching English at a rural school in Northern San Cristobal, about a five minute walk from our placement. This was an incredible experience; we taught 7, 40 minute classes per day, from 7:15 to 12:30. If we had to form a lesson plan or do research, we would typically stay from 12:45 to 3pm at the volunteer office in town until our job was done. The teachers were very accommodating of our impromptu class scheduling and seemed excited about their students learning English; with so much of San Cristobal’s jobs being related to tourism, it makes future employees very marketable if they know even a little English. We formed our own lesson plans based on given material, and taught each age level at a different pace. I am happy to say that we finished the majority of what we had set out to teach by the end of our placement, namely high-yield vocabulary and verbs. Forming relationships with the kids and watching their English knowledge progress made getting up early really easy. All of the inside jokes and play-time during “Recreo” (recess) made teaching the kids a lot more fun and engaging. When the kids had a week of school off during our last week of placement, our coordinator, arranged for us to work in the tutoring center in the center of town. Here, we worked with three age groups and two other volunteers. It was very interesting to see how Lindsay and I viewed teaching English compared to the other volunteers, as we had been designing lesson plans independent of one another; the majority of the teaching was very similar and flowed cohesively with me and Lindsay’s knowledge.

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.

Hi my name is Sara Stewart. I am an early/childhood education major at SUNY Cortland. This past winter I went to San Cristobal in the Galapagos islands in Ecuador.
My project that I had was teaching children in Ecuador English. I taught four classes every weekday and I planned lessons in the morning for a hour. All of the classes I taught were very different from each other. The first class I taught was a beginners class. This ranged from students who were typically five to six years old who barley knew any English. The next class I taught was advanced. This class consisted mainly of seven to eight year olds. The advanced class has mediocre English skills and the aspect that these students struggled with most was grammar. The third class I taught was level five. Level five consisted of eight to ten year olds. These students spoke some clear statements, but these students as well struggled with grammar. The last class I taught was a conversation class. This was the most advanced class I taught. This class consisted of twelve to fourteen year olds. These students when I were there had a one on one helper and I was one of the students helper. The whole time you would talk in English and ask the students any questions that cam dot your mind. This program had many supplies that you can use in your classroom and were willing to add anything you thought would be beneficial to the classroom.
The staff support was amazing. They provided me with transportation the minute I got off the flight. They introduced me to mu host family right when I got there. Later on in the first day they showed me where I would be working. They explained to me what was expected of me. Then they walked me around to show me where some cool places were. The first day of volunteering they picked me up and made sure I learned the walk to the work place. They also help me meet other volunteers. They also helped me to get adjusted to teaching ESL learners. They provided me with the resources I needed to teach the children. They even let me work on the conversation for a morning to see the turtles.
There are many activities to do on the Galapagos. I wish I had more time because there was so much I wanted to do! One thing I would recommend when being on San Cristobal is doing the 360 tour. During this tour you are on about ride. The boat ride takes you to many beaches that you couldn’t get to other than by boat. It then it takes you to other amazing snoring sites, such as my favorite kicker rock! When Snorkeling in kicker rock I saw hammerhead sharks and a few Galapagos sharks. I also saw sea turtles and many exotic fish it was a great experience! This tour was very affordable and I would highly recommend it. San Cristobal has another beautiful site, which is the volcano. The volcano doesn’t have may tourists that come to visit, but it is one of the most beautiful sites on the island. On the island there are tons of beaches, there are tons of beautiful hikes and tons of water activities that are worth checking out. The wild life is also amazing! The turtles park is a must see., They have a conversation for the turtles. You can see really tiny ones up to ones that are huge and are older
than one hundred years old. San Cristobal is an amazing place. Anyone who has the opportunity to go I would highly recommend it. I would also suggest going to the other two islands, that is the one aspect that I regret not doing most!

I had a great experience in Cordoba, Argentina, and I would recommend it again! I stayed in Cordoba for ten weeks as a human rights intern.

The human rights internship is good for any age or professional level, as it is flexible. We participated regularly in three to four main activities, but we often went to other events and were asked to create our own research projects. My favorite regular thing we did was act as peer mentors for young women in a correctional facility, and my favorite event was marching on International Women's Day in favor of safe, legal abortions and to bring awareness to femicide.

Cordoba is a good city to live in for volunteers with tighter budgets like myself. The city is centered in the Sierra mountains, so there are LOTS of places with day-trip potential nearby, and the buses were inexpensive and reliable. My favorite trips involved hiking--Capilla del Monte and Las Cascadas. In Cordoba, there are art fairs, street performances, and events all the time, as well as some really good art museums.

I would definitely recommend that volunteers brush up on their Spanish! I went with very little, and I was not able to afford PA's Spanish lessons, so I relied mostly on immersion to learn. I learned quite a bit, anyone like me with little Spanish would be able to do it and have a great experience--however having a better grip on the language will give you a more dynamic experience overall. Having spent two and a half months in Argentina I am motivated to learn more Spanish, so that my next experience will be even better. I am planning on taking Spanish when I start school next fall.

I genuinely recommend this project for anyone looking into human rights work as a career, like me. It gives a good, in-depth look at work in the non-profit sector. Additionally, Argentina's past struggles with human rights in the 1970s and 80s gave me context for everything we were working on--it is a good country to learn in and from if you need an introduction to human rights advocacy.

Over the spring break, I went to the Taricaya Ecological reserve in Peru, and I loved it! This was technically meant for university students, however Projects Abroad was super accommodating and still let me go even though I am in high school. I received lots of information and my contact was incredibly helpful, and answered all of my questions quickly and thoroughly. They offered to book flights for me and sent me an option, but I ended up finding a cheaper option and booking them myself. Once I arrived in Peru, there were always staff around who were very helpful and kind. I loved working Taricaya, doing research and conservation work, and I felt like I was genuinely being helpful, rather than just volunteering to make myself feel good. The only thing that I wish could be improved is the overall cost, as it was a little expensive. All in all, I had a fantastic time, and Projects Abroad was very helpful during my travels.

My experience was very enjoyable and I would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to partake in an overseas immersion experience. The staff in the country were well experienced with the program and itinerary and also about the local culture. The staff were also very friendly and were able to connect with the kids to ensure we got the most out of the trip. The support provided prior to the trip was also extensive and helpful and once it came time to leave for Cambodia I felt very prepared and I knew what I was to do once I arrived due to the conversations I had been having with Projects Abroad staff prior to my departure.
At our placement we spent our days painting, teaching and we built a pond at the primary school. My favourite part was seeing the excitement on the faces of the children. This motivated me even more to continue the good work I was doing and assured me that this trip was worthwhile. I enjoyed every moment on placement and to see the impact we had made once our trip was over was a life changing moment for not only myself but all people involved.
One of my biggest concerns when embarking on the trip was the people I would be sharing the experience with. However, I didn't need to worry as I made long-lasting friendships in the people I went on the trip with. What I found even more interesting was that the individuals on the trip came from across the world and were all of a similar age to myself. I truly believe the people I shared the experience with made it even more worth it.
Overall I believe the trip was prepared and managed well from start to finish by the Projects Abroad staff. I never had a doubt in doing a program with Projects Abroad and I plan to do more as I loved the first one so much.