Program Reviews

I did the childcare high school project in Peru in the summer earlier this year..I met an amazing group of people similar to my age from all over the world who I still keep in touch with! I absolutely loved teaching and playing with the kids in the nursery and staying with a host family. It was an amazing and unique experience and I 100% recommend everyone to go on a trip like this.
I went on this trip to Peru (a spanish speaking country) never having learnt any spanish! But by the end I could communicate very basically with the locals..with thanks to a spanish lesson we did! We also got the opportunity to do a Salsa dancing lesson on the third day!! which was a great icebreaker!
Overall it was an incredible trip with lots of memories made!

I was almost 17 and I signed up for the 2 week education in Argentina for Highschoolers. It was my first time ever being out of the country so it was an amazing experience in the way that I was living in a whole new culture. Out of the 14 high school volunteers, I was the only one signed up for the education program- the other two programs were human rights and medical. My first week I went to the school I was assigned to, however there were only 1-3 kids depending on the day (and one was a 1 yr old that slept the whole time). Most days I would do nothing in terms of interacting with the kids. While I understand that this can be unpredictable, I feel that a little more organization was needed on the Projects Abroad side. It required many phone calls with higher up people in the program to try and switch projects- it was not very easy. I finally switched into the human rights program, though, and so I felt a little more immersed in the culture there. However, one of the main downsides of the whole program was the amount of time we got to spend in the community. We had to have 24 hr surveillance at all times, which could have worked fine, except that there was not enough staff to take us out often. This meant we were cooped up in a small courtyard for most of the trip. On the weekends, though, we went to a farm and had a cookout with locals and did a scavenger hunt in the city, but those were the few times we actually got to see Córdoba. The food was descent and the housing felt very secure and friendly (with 4 other girls in the program). My flight was actually cancelled the night before I left, along with a few other people. Since I had let Projects Abroad book my flights, I expected assistance from them in getting me on a new flight. I received none, and my parents had to call in the middle of the night to work something out. I ended up staying for an extra 2 days and they ended up being the best days of the trip. Only one other person could not get an earlier flight, and since we were technically not part of the program anymore, we were allowed to stay at the same residence but come and go as we wanted. We were able to figure out how to take the bus to the city and walk around the markets and eat at different restaurants. I wish that we had more freedom to do these things during the two weeks with the program, as this was the time that I felt fully immersed in the culture, was able to talk to locals in Spanish, and take initiative- all things I signed up wanting to be able to do. I don’t think I would recommend this specific program to others simply because I didn’t get to see and experience as much of Argentina as I felt the program had promised when I signed up. Also I think that they falsely advertised the education program, as I had the impression hay I would be teaching lessons to the kids. However, if you have not been outside the country much and want to get out of the bubble of your own city and culture, I would definitely recommend doing a program similar to this, as it really opened my eyes to all the new things I have yet to experience in the world.

I took part in this project through Girl Guiding international trip. It took me out of my confort zone and into a rainforrest filled with bugs and insects but i didnt mind. Mainly because I had the most amazing experience on that I will never forget. On my trip I conqured so many fears and was put in situatiuons which I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams but I wouldnt have changed it for the world best 3 weeks of my life Ive spent. The projescts abroad staff were so accomodating, I personally didnt have any experience with speaking spanish, let alone Costa Rican spanish! So i felt very very out of my depth in that regard. But the staff knew a lot of english and were alble to teach me a few words and phrases. My favourite of all id 'Pura Vida' or pure life, a manta that Costa Rican Ticos live by.

I took part in this project through Girl Guiding international trip. It took me out of my confort zone and into a rainforrest filled with bugs and insects but i didnt mind. Mainly because I had the most amazing experience on that I will never forget. On my trip I conqured so many fears and was put in situatiuons which I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams but I wouldnt have changed it for the world best 3 weeks of my life Ive spent. The projescts abroad staff were so accomodating, I personally didnt have any experience with speaking spanish, let alone Costa Rican spanish! So i felt very very out of my depth in that regard. But the staff knew a lot of english and were alble to teach me a few words and phrases. My favourite of all id 'Pura Vida' or pure life, a manta that Costa Rican Ticos live by.

I have wanted to do my Medical Internship with Projects Abroad for years, but I didn't realize how much I needed it for my growth and how it made me into a smarter and better person. I went to Peru alone and met some amazing travelers, doctors, and locals. I felt so lucky to go, and get credit for my University in New York. I was able to practice my language, live with a different family, and interact and learn from volunteers and local Doctors. The Doctors I observed from wanted me to learn as much as possible about their speciality, which I appreciated. Along with learning from Doctors, I was able to adapt to living in a completely different culture and situation than I ever has before. I ended up not only learning, but having a lot of fun on weekend excursions and meeting new people!

My journey started in London and it took me several hours to reach the final destination: Andasibe, a small village close to the capital of Madagascar. I was very scared and did not know what to expect... Despite the fear, anxiety and the uncertainty when I arrived I immediately felt at home! People were friendly and kind, the accommodation was superb as well as the food made by the hosting family.
I spent 2 weeks working with kids and I can certainly say that I will never forget their smiles and eyes! After that experience, my life has changed in a positive way: I see things from another perspective and I learnt how to appreciate even the smallest and obvious things I have in my daily routine. I truly recommend everyone to pack your stuff and experience something similar because your life will make much more sense afterwards!

I volunteered for two weeks in Chengdu, Sichuan province. As this was my first time away from home in another country, I was initially very nervous as this was so far out of my comfort zone, but as soon as I landed I felt wecolmed and realised this would be an amazing experience.
The first week was spent working with autistic children, helping with their rehabilitation, also we spent some time at a primary school helping the children learn about our culture whilst also learning about China.The second week we helped out at a panda conservation centre, helping feed and learn about China's most loved animals.
This program was an amazing experience and one that I'll never forget. I met some amazing people and learned so much about Chinese culture.
I definitely recommend this program, if you love meeting new people, playing with cuddly pandas, and working with kids; this is definitely the program for you.

It was my first volunteering experience abroad and it's definitely not going to be the last one! Going there and actually participating in a life changing made me realise how easy it is to make a difference and improve peoples lives with the smallest contribution.
The program is a very good introduction to the volunteering world at such a young age.

I feel that I made a difference and that what I did was really valued by the local people. I do feel that we made a better place for the kids and that it will improve their lives in a small way.
Although this was a very good experience and I made very good friends from all over the world (I'm still in contact with some of them), I wanted more. At some points I felt more of a tourist than an actual volunteer which is why next time I take part in a volunteering project I want to live with a family to fully understand and have a sense of what their day to day life is like.

With my best friend, we went for a month in Sri Lanka with projects abroad doing the high school special project. For one month, we took care of disadvantaged children in a small village one hour from Colombo. We teached them English, hygiene, we played with them ... We had an incredible experience in a beautiful country, with a culture completely different from ours. We were out of this world and had an amazing experience. Despite the heat, the humidity, and the very spicy food, we discovered a culture we do not know, a culture I loved, and sumptuous landscapes. Between wild beaches, dream beaches and mountains, where the air is much purer and pleasant, Sri Lanka also has a very specific and beautiful architecture. I would like to thank projects abroad and in particular the high school project staff who greatly helped us to live this unforgettable experience.

I have had the best experience of my life in Kenya! I met the best people from all over the world, the projects abroad staff was amazing as well! Great guidance, amazing job by everyone from Team Projects Abroad Kenya! You change lifes and create the best memories for your volunteers! I am so grateful!
The project was amazing, the childs were the best and way more. Projects Abroad really cares about safety and well-being of their volunteers! But Kenya cannot be the ultimate experience without seeing the epic marvelous wildlife! The organization is supporting her volunteers to do such safaris. And they were great! I saw all the big 5 animals and even more!
The best thing probably is meeting new friends! I still speak the most of them and I am so happy with that!
All the love to projects abroad and their staff. Cheers from a super grateful traveller!
Rob✌
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