Program Reviews

My name is Brooke Stoddard, and I travelled to Kenya in October 2017 to volunteer with Projects Abroad. At first, I was quite nervous about the whole adventure, since it was my first time travelling so far from home. Not only was I travelling far from home, I did not know anyone either. When I first arrived, I, as well as many other volunteers, thought "What am i doing here?". However, once I arrived to the Projects Abroad office in Nanyuki, all my stress had dropped off my shoulders. I was so relived. The staff was extremely welcoming, and make 100% certain that all their volunteers are safe at all times. The volunteers felt like family to me for the 3 weeks I was in Kenya. The volunteering was a life changing experience. I was working in the orphanages, and the children are so appreciative of everything we do for them. They simply may just need a smile, or a hug to make a difference in their day. It is truly heart warming. Every week day, all the volunteers were brought back to the Projects Abroad office where we could all interact and socialize with one another, which truly was great. Also, the staff organized social events every week, in order for the volunteers to simply get together and have fun. I guess i could go on and on about this volunteer trip, but if i have one last thing to mention, its that I highly recommend Projects Abroad. They are all simply amazing. From the moment you sign up for the trip, until the last day you leave the destination to go home. I, for one, loved every second of my adventure, and I will certainly be back to volunteer soon with Projects Abroad.

Volunteering with Projects Abroad was a life-changing experience. I was nervous going to a place so different from anywhere I had ever been before, without my family or anyone I knew, for three months, but the support from Projects Abroad made it seem possible. From the get-go, the Projects Abroad team answered all my questions at their office in Toronto, and by e-mail. They sent me all the information I needed to know, and then some, so that I felt prepared for my trip to Tanzania. In country, they picked me up from the hotel I was staying at with my family (I went on a safari trip for two weeks before starting my internship) and took me to meet my host family. They gave me a thorough orientation of the city and how to get around and made sure I knew exactly how to get to my placement using the dala-dala bus system. My internship at Inherit Your Rights, a local non-governmental organization that works with local widow groups in the surrounding villages regarding human rights issues, particularly inheritance and property law, was an incredible learning experience. I was able to meet and work with the local people, as well as with other volunteers from all over the world. My host family was also so welcoming and made me feel like family. I was continually pushed outside of my comfort zone, but through it all, Projects Abroad was there to support me and make sure it was a positive experience, one that expanded my view of the world and taught me more about myself and the world I live in. Hands down – I would recommend Projects Abroad for anyone looking to volunteer abroad for the first time!

Hello!
My name is Kevin, I am an American university student who recently went abroad to Shanghai China with Projects Abroad. It was an amazing experience, and I would recommend it to anyone. I was excited to volunteer abroad and was initially nervous. But Projects Abroad made me feel prepared even before I left the US. When I arrived in China, they made me feel warmly welcomed and continued to show me the beautiful large city of Shanghai. I made several friends in the city through Projects Abroad. We had a lot of group events which I appreciated because this way I can connect with locals, other volunteers around the world, and engage in the setting. Soon I fell in love with Shanghai. I feel like my placement where I worked in Shanghai is perfect and is everything I looked for that matched what I wanted to do and similar to my studies. I was very gracious to have this opportunity and would 100% do it again. I would recommend Projects Abroad to anyone!

I had a great experience with Projects Abroad. My parents were a little worried about security and the political situation the country I would volunteer in would be so I picked Peru and it was a great choice! Projects Abroad always made sure we were happy and if we wanted to do change something in our schedule all we had to do was ask! They were very welcoming. I met so many great people like my host family, other volunteers and the staff. Not only did I volunteer but we visited Peru and its various cultural sights. Overall I had a great time and I would definitely do it again!

My two weeks of volunteering in the Public Health program in Cambodia through Projects Abroad was hands-down the most amazing experience of my life. During my time there, I practiced hands-on medicine in a way that directly and immediately helped impact the lives of people living in some of the poorest regions of Phnom Penh. We worked with kids in the mornings and adults during the afternoon, and in our free time, most of the volunteers explored the city or even ventured to other cities on the weekends. The other volunteers quickly become some of your best friends: whether you need someone to have an impromptu water-gun fight with, or someone to be your support during a long day, they are there for you. Some of the people I met, though we were only together for 1, maybe 2 weeks, are people that I feel certain I will remain in contact with for the rest of my life, even though we are from places as spread out as Australia, Switzerland, UK, and Alaska! While I would highly recommend this program to anyone thinking about volunteering abroad, I will say this: research the area, the project, and what to expect prior to arriving in the country. Some people expect it to be an easy, comfortable experience, and I will tell you bluntly that it is not. Is it fun? Yes. Do you learn a lot and meet incredible people? Absolutely. Will it change your outlook on life? Most likely. BUT it is not an easy experience. One of my roommates came expecting that her lifestyle could stay the same; she also was not mentally prepared for the heat, humidity, or cultural isolation that comes from not speaking the native language. Needless to say, she was miserable for a good majority of her project. I, however, researched extensively and arrived prepared for hardships galore. I was, thankfully, pleasantly surprised that it often was not as bad as I thought it would be, but you will have a much more enjoyable experience if you mentally prepare yourself for it to be a challenge.
While the incredible people I met, the work I did, and the unforgettable memories all play an enormous role in my reflection of this experience, I know that the program itself is to thank for most of this. The volunteers were incredibly well taken care of, and there was never an instance where I felt that the program had been ill-prepared to handle the situation; we always had a safe place to stay, clean/safe food and water, and ample opportunities to communicate with our program leaders if we ever needed extra help or support. Leaving a small town in Alaska to travel to a developing country on a continent I had never been to before was, understandably, only marginally less than terrifying, but the constant support from the Projects Abroad staff—which starts nearly the moment you send in your application—helped alleviate my concerns and was one of the factors that helped me decide to proceed with my volunteer experience. I have no reservations in entirely, whole-heartedly recommending this program to anyone wanting to volunteer abroad.

In January this year, I was blessed to be able to spend two short weeks of my time in Mandeville, Jamaica. This opportunity was very rewarding and if I could I would of stayed longer! I spent my time volunteering in a local orphanage and seeing the smiles on the children's faces every morning made me realize how truly fortunate I am here in Canada. Projects Abroad was very helpful throughout my whole trip and they were always a call or text away! I would do it all again in a heartbeat and hopefully I will have the opportunity again some day!

I was part of a group of volunteers from the company I work for, and we had the great opportunity to be in Cusco, Peru doing some volunteer activities.
Before the trip, Projects Abroad assistant was very helpfull, we got to know the weather, traditions, type of food, money system, among others, ahead of time; that gave us the chance to be prepared and bring the right clothes for the trip.
In our volunteer activities, we helped in basic level schools, doing some projects with the kids and helping teachers with their classes, it was a very satisfying experience. Kids were very happy and they always participated. As a part of our volunteer duties, we helped painting part of the wall schools and desks.
From day one, Projects Abroad staff was there to assist us, since we got off the plane, they were waiting for us with transportation ready, they took us to our host family homes with a quick tour of the city. They'd be ready everyday with our daily plan and activities, on the afternoons, we'd have a meeting and feedback of our journey. It's essential to know the places we'd go, and situation we'd experience, with their help we were definitevly be more safe and calm, knowing that they're proffesionals and are there for us.
I'd reccomend to know the wheather depending the time of year you're going, so you could be prepared with right clothing. June and July are the coldest months.
It's definitevly a one-life time experience, Peru's landscapes of rainforest, mountains and of course Machu Picchu, are the extra ingredient to have a great volunteer experience. Go for it!

I had a great experience in Argentina with Projects Abroad. They were very helpful and easy to reach out to if I ever needed anything. I met some other volunteers who I worked with throughout my stay so it was really cool to be able to get to know people from other parts of the world. I also had some free time everyday after my volunteering in which I explored some of the city a little bit everyday. I enjoyed being able to have that free time outside of volunteering.

I have always had a passion for science. As a high school student, I decided to use my Semester Break to discover whether medicine was what I wanted to do I my future. I found the Projects Abroad program online and after a lot of research, found the perfect program for me: spend two weeks in Tanzania where I would learn about the basics of medicine while engaging with the culture of the place and doing volunteer work. Gaining support from the Projects Abroad staff from the moment I signed up until the moment I came back home, I couldn't be in better hands. With the help of their websites, calls with my supervisors and advise sessions with past volunteers, I felt secure and confident about the trip - even though it was the first time I was travelling internationally by myself.

I stayed at The Haus accommodation, where the staff was exceptionally kind and helpful, and where I could meet volunteers like me from all over the world. For two weeks, we became like a family, which helped us all with the culture shock. Today I still have contact with all of them and also with our amazing supervisor, Daniella, who I could not be more grateful for having on this trip.

This program actually overcame my expectations. It made me not only discover that medicine is what I want to do in the future, but also allowed me to seriously engage with the country's culture and live memorable experiences. We would have workshops about medicine and visits to hospitals to experience what we learned in first hand, as well as workshops about the Tanzanian culture, cuisine and art, which were all really interesting. There were even trips to the Tarangire National Park (my first safari ever!) and the Mount Meru Waterfalls on the weekend. The most unique experience for me was to visit the Maasai Village, where I had the amazing opportunity to see their traditional celebrations (jumping ceremony and drinking goat's blood -
yes you read it right : goat's blood ) and to engage with such a culturally rich African tribe. That is one of the reasons why I say this program made me more of a risk - taker and open minded person, which are benefits for a lifetime.

I am not the same person I was before participating in the High School Special Medical Program in Tanzania. It was the best experience I have ever had so far, and my regret was not living this experience for longer - I just wish I had chosen the four weeks program instead of the two weeks one. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to become more culturally rich, knowledgeable and open - minded, and to who wishes to gain new perspectives about the world we live in while helping others.

I really enjoyed this opportunity to work abroad. This is my second time using Projects Abroad with my first experience being a nursing internship in Nepal. This time around was a Public Health internship in the capital city of Phnom Penh. I traveled with my wife who was working with English Education and Projects Abroad was able to accommodate us with our lodging as well as transportation so that we were able to stay together during our time there. I had an excellent experience working in different districts in and around Phnom Penh, and I was able to truly experience the culture in the short time that I was there. The work mostly consisted of distributing medications to individuals as well as providing health education and giving cursory physical assessments. While I greatly enjoyed the work, we also had a great time traveling around Cambodia to such places as Koh Rong Samleoum, Siem Reap (Ankor Wat), and Sihnoukville. We were also able to tour the S-21 and the Killing Fields which are essential pieces to an an important time in the development of the country. I highly recommend traveling with Projects Abroad for a safe and inclusive experience as well as traveling to Cambodia both to discover more about the past and yourself!