Program Reviews

After spending 2 months in Cambodia volunteering with Projects Abroad (cost $4400 Australian not including flights) I came away asking where has the money gone. Apparently PA allocated $4.50 US each day for each volunteer to eat. The organization gave the school that I was working at $100 US for my placement and allocated a further $40 for me to buy resources for the school. The accommodation was worse than any basic hostel I have seen. The mattress I slept on looked like it had been dragged out of a rubbish tip. So where did the money go In fact where did the $18 million profit that this company made in 2016 go? Well according to PA (as per an email they sent me) "In Cambodia we make considerate donations to an NGO called Khemera for their 8 daycare centres..." Interesting use of the word "considerate" when Khemera's 2016 financial statement indicates that Projects Abroad donated a mere $42,469.00 some of which was made up of the $100 per volunteer placement contribution made to 8 childcare facilities operated by Khemera. Further investigation uncovered the mother company of Projects Abroad....Beech View Holdings Ltd. The company's financial statement 2016 makes for an interesting read: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03286143/filing-…. And if you're not fully convinced about the profit making focus of this company, here's another article: https://www.incomediary.com/peter-slowe-interview-running-t…

I took the leap at the young age of 16 and decided to fly half way around the world to volunteer with Projects Abroad. I signed up for their High School Projects without evening knowing where Cambodia was!!! Projects abroad helped and assisted me with everything. My trip leader was beyond amazing, a real support buddy and I later learned that the team did an incredible job at supporting my Mum with all her nervous questions!!

The Staff at Projects Abroad were there to support us 24/7 in country and back Home. It was a well run program and I felt I was in safe hands. I recommended this program to someone else and they had an experience very like my own which was great to hear. It’s great to know that the team at Projects Abroad believe in what they do.

Accommodation was great, basic but very comfortable. I had my own bed, shared bathroom and space for my suitcase at the end of my bed to store my belongings. Accommodation was always clean, neat and tidy. Drinking water was always available. At night there was a night guard although it did feel it was in a pretty safe area.

I am so glad that I went with Projects Abroad for this trip and couldn't imagine having gone with anyone else.

Back in June, myself and my friend took a huge step and travelled to Nepal with Projects Abroad. As two 18 year girls we were terrified as neither of us had travelled on our own before but Projects Abroad put us at ease instantly. They were with us from the moment we emailed them inquirying about Nepal to departing back home. We did the Care and Community project in Kathmandu for a month. We taught in one of the local school's, teaching children from 3-12 yr old about Science, Computers, Maths and English. We let them do Art if they got their work done and the Art I came home with are drawings I'll cherish forever.

After a day's work we would go get momo's or meet up with friends from other projects in a different town and explore. We made friends for life over there and some are even coming over to visit us for St Patrick’s Day!

When we got back to our host family, everyone in my house would gather in one of the rooms and talk about our day. Dinner was always delicious. Even a fussy eater will love it. My host was the friendliest woman. She would often talk to us about her day or try to accommodate her schedule around us. Her children loved that they have volunteers frequently and talk to us when they aren't busy with homework or playing on their tin whistle that we brought over.

Project's Abroad contacted us frequently with updates about workshops and asked to meet up in café’s to talk about how we are settling in and if we have any problems or even just to talk. They even made sure our living conditions were appropriate. They couldn’t do enough for us. Even when we arrived home we got an email asking us if we enjoyed our trip. This organisation isn’t a business, it’s a caring environment that want to see both parties benefit and honestly I think we both did. I will forever cherish the memories I made in Nepal and the friends I’ve made for life. If anyone is considering travelling with Project's Abroad, it would be a decision you won't regret!

My first time away from home volunteering experience was fantastic with Projects Abroad. Upon my arrival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I was welcomed warmly and amazingly. I was given a city tour and introduced to the local cultures/language the first day there. The following work days, I worked alongside qualified professionals at various places such as child care center, kindergarten, impoverished communities and center for disabled children ((different activities every single day), providing basic health services and education on illness prevention. The evaluation procedures were easy to grasp with the help of the experts. Through the outreach processes, I’ve learned how to test and screen for illnesses and prescribe relevant medications in addition to build quality interactions with the patients.

I found it quite impressive that this program brings together people from many cultures with varied work experiences and different perspectives on strategic and organizational challenges. The team members come from different countries and functional backgrounds always work together to manage complex conditions and evaluate the care of patients. Moreover, the accommodation was also mind-blowing, you get private room and personal bathroom, hotel like bedding, AC, 24/7 guarded gate, 3 meals a day healthy diet plan that matches your preference with plenty of fruits and vegetables, convenient and cheap transit service, flexible schedule etc.

Overall, my 2 weeks stay there was comfortable with kind and caring attention. Everything went smooth from arrival to departure. I was almost fully immersed through interaction with the local culture and I also picked up a little of the local language. The experiences that I had have shaped myself as a person. If I am to volunteer abroad again, I would definitely come back to Projects Abroad and get a duration of a longer program.

My time in Nepal was life-changing, and not just because I was in one of the most naturally gorgeous and culturally rich countries in the world (although that, of course, was part of it!). A big part of why my trip was so rewarding was due to the people who made it possible. Projects Abroad staff made sure that every aspect of my journey to and time in Nepal was perfect, even beyond my project. Even before I left I was in contact with PA staff who walked me through my pre-departure preparations, with any answers I needed being just a phone call or email away. This staff accessibility continued throughout my journey, with my volunteer coordinator and other staff at my placement actually becoming good friends. Even after my placement ended, PA staff was there for me whenever I needed it-they even helped me to organize my solo travel (a trip to Chitwan and time in Kathmandu) so that I didn't have to worry about a thing! The community was also fantastic; I made friends on my trip who I will keep in contact with for the rest of my life, and loved getting to know both my fellow volunteers and the locals who call Ghandruk home. I also greatly enjoyed my day-to-day; I felt truly fulfilled by the work I was doing and further had a lot of fun doing it. I can't wait to travel with Projects Abroad again!

I've just returned from Cusco, Perú where I worked for the last three weeks. In January I decided to join Projects Abroad, a project that wasn´t well known in the country where I live (Buenos Aires, Argentina) but I made my research and decided to go for it. In february I arrived, unsure of what I would find there, but everything went excellent, I have absolutely no complaints. My host parents were nice and welcoming, and I lived with other two volunteers from Australia and the UK with whom I became really good friends. My role at the placement was working with little children in a Wawawasi, which is Quechua for a daycare center. I helped making activities for the children, teaching maths and hebrew to both students and teachers; helping with the cleaning, cooking and others. I feel as I received much more than I gave; everyone was so caring and lovely that they were constantly telling me how much they appreciated my visit. In fact, the teacher invited me for lunch to her place the last day and cooked for me a typical peruvian dish! I couldn't be happier for my experience, and I would definitely recommend it to others, and even repeating the experience in the future.

I spent 6 weeks volunteering in the maternity unit of a public hospital in Togo's capital city Lome in 2018. The overall experience from start to finish was very smooth, with staff communicating with me from pre-departure to after my return. The staff at Projects Abroad Togo are extremely helpful and are always available to answer questions. The success of your work placements is really individual to each volunteer, and its really up to the individual to assert themselves in the workplace or else they may not have lots of work to do. I personally had an excellent placement, although due to the significant culture difference there were tasks I didn't feel comfortable completing as they didn't align with my personal training (this is not at all the fault of Projects Abroad of course). Projects Abroad organized weekly events for the volunteers to participate in- some with an "outreach" purpose and others simply for socializing among the volunteers. The only downfall would be that at times it did feel a bit overbearing as Projects Abroad closely monitors their volunteers (enforcing curfews, chaperoning trips and outings, etc) although of course this may be a very desirable quality for someone who is traveling for the first time. Overall, I would recommend the organization and feel that the price was reasonable and mainly fair for the experience you get (travel insurance, food, accommodations, airport transfers, 24/7 support). It is clear the the experience is very much what you make it, but as far as the staffs' willingness to help and always be available, this they succeeded at 100%!

A few years ago, I did some volunteer work over the course of three weeks in Rabat, Morocco. Having only been there on holiday, I was a little nervous as to what to expect. After attending a volunteer fair in Toronto, I decided to register with Projects Abroad. I have to say, their communication and organization put me at ease immediately. All my questions and concerns were addressed in full detail and I knew exactly what to expect when I arrived.

They placed me with another girl volunteering with the program. We lived with a Moroccan family in the old medina in Rabat. We ate and chatted with the host family every evening. It was also Ramadan so it was interesting to see what traditions the family celebrates during this time. Talk about getting immersed in the culture!

I volunteered at a day care centre just outside the medina with the loveliest women. We would care for children under the age of five. There were different activity centres we had for them, reading of the Quran, snack time and nap time. I work with children for a living so it was a wonderful experience being able to care for children and learn more about the day to day life in Morocco.

Representatives from Projects Abroad were always available for us. They were so helpful when it came to the smallest things (i.e. buying the right kind of "savon noir") to checking in on us when we were ill (and I got REALLY sick!). They also organized get togethers for volunteers in the city so that we were able to share our experiences with other foreigners there as well.

I traveled to Nanyuki, Kenya in June of 2017 and it has been an experience that has changed my life! Just like many first time volunteers abroad my feelings were nervousness, fear of what to expect and home sick, but all those feelings went away within the first week of my placement. I could not have been put at more ease when I walked into the Projects Abroad office the first time and meeting all the wonderful staff. Every staff member was welcoming and wanted to make sure you felt "at home" during your placement. They were there anytime you had a question or a problem. The staff as absolutely remarkable and made my volunteer experience just that much better.
I was placed at a school called Hope & Home where I was teaching Physical Education. This experience was eye opening and I was able to learn a lot about how the schooling works in Kenya and what struggles they face on a daily basis. The staff members at Hope & Home were so welcoming and kind when I first arrived. They all appreciate every little thing you are able to help with and the kids there are so amazing!! On average I would spend about 6 hours a day at my placement and was able to help with not only teaching Physical Education but teaching English as well.
In my free time I was able to explore the town of Nanyuki, go on weekend trips to other parts of Kenya and hang out with the other volunteers. The staff was great in helping you find things to do on the weekends and was able to set you up with someone that could set up safaris and day trips to other locations.
The thing that made this trip wonderful was my host family. My host family was amazing!! They were so welcoming and overjoyed we were staying with them. I loved that they had younger kids and we were able to learn some of the basic cultural traditions during my duration of my stay. Overall, My experience volunteering with Projects Abroad in Kenya was amazing. The staff, my host family and everyone at my placement were amazing. I would recommend this program to anyone that wants to experience something they never have before.

This was my first experience with Projects Abroad, and I decided to go to Fiji for a care and community project for teenagers. I can honestly say this trip was one of the best experiences of my life. There were so many things that made it as enjoyable and memorable as it was. Some of these things include; the amazing support staff during and prior to the trip, the placement and what I did at the placement, the host family and the other wonderful volunteers I was able to share this experience with.

Prior to the trip, you have a correspondence who helps you with all the necessary documents and forms that you need to fill out before you leave. My correspondent for my trip was absolutely so amazing and helpful. She was able to email me everything I needed to know from the technical documents to what my average day to day during my placement would look like. She answered all my questions and queries that I had and we sent regular emails and also phone calls once a week around 2 weeks before I left. She was so kind and willing to help which made things so much easier.

What I did during my placement was so much fun and such a great experience.
A typical day was spent with the children at a local village in Nadi, Fiji, teaching them basic english and numeracy. Bonding with these children was definitely the highlight of the trip. Then we typically spent around 2hrs redecorating the local kindergarten, repainting and drawing murals all throughout the classroom. Finally, we would either go on a fun day trip to one of the activities Projects Abroad had planned or went to our host home to chill out and rest for the rest of the night.
This was the main chunk of your day and was definitely the most fun and rewarding. Although as much fun participating in all the touristy things was, playing and teaching with the kids was 100% the best part. They are so high energy and just love life which is really so inspiring. Not only the kids but their parents and community, in general, were all so welcoming and lovely to us.

My host family made the experience so much better and it was nice as I was able to be placed with my friend. The accommodation was up to a great standard and the food they packed us for lunch and dinner was really tasty. My particular host family had 2 children whom I loved playing and spending time with. As they were on school holiday, they had a lot of energy that they needed to burn off which gave me the opportunity to play with them all afternoon which was definitely so much fun.

Being able to spend the trip with a bunch of other volunteers was really fun. There were girls from all around the world literally, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Canda. And interacting with people who were also invested and interested in volunteer work was such an awesome feeling.

Being given the opportunity to travel overseas to give back to a less fortunate community was so incredible and I truly couldn't recommend this trip enough. It is a jam-packed adventure which is really eye opening and gives a greater perspective on life.
Thank you to all the people who made this trip possible and a special thanks to Projects Abroad for having such incredible opportunities available to people.