Program Reviews

The experience I've had with Big Beyond in Uganda was simply unique, beyond all my previous experiences.
First of all, Bwindi forest and its surroundings is a magical place to work at.Every time you wake up and see the misty hills or the rising sun, you just have to be amazed. At least I was.Every morning you start with a big smile on your face, not only thanks to the place where you stay, but also thanks to the georgeous, friendly, warm and hospitable house stuff and amazing breakfasts they make for you.
The most amazing thing about Big Beyond is the fact, that you don't have to be qualified or to have some previous experiences to volunteer out there.Me, as a student, I was a bit afraid of being useless as I haven't had some stable job or practice yet.But in fact you don't need any of such things.You only need openess, flexibility and energy to give out.Every simple human being has absolutely different skills that can be useful when you're able to transfer them.And then it's simple - THE MORE YOU GIVE, THE MORE YOU GAIN. You'll get incredible experiences and after some time spent in those places, you reevaluate things and kind of realize what's important and what's not.
Another great thing about BB is that all of the projects are tailored according to your own skills and abilities.Me, as a person interested in health care and nature lover, I could be involved in health care and conservation projects, as our knowledge is simply much higher than their, even without being a doctor or whatever.
At the end I would say that I do not regret any single day I spent there. Even though you sometimes get the feeling that you don't make a big impact, the big impact is composed of many little things each person does and I'm very very happy to be a part of it.

I loved every second of my time with Big Beyond in Uganda and have since been back with them 2 more times. They totally welcomed me into the Big Beyond family and I felt safe and well looked after at all times. I was immersed into the local community from day one and made firm friends with local people as well as other volunteers during my time there.
Big Beyond adapted my program to my interests and skills and I had a diverse and extremely enjoyable teaching program. I worked with a range of local teachers and I know that the work that I carried out will have a sustainable impact on the community.
This organisation is the only one I have found which has real, sustainable impact and I could not imagine volunteering with another organisation.
Big Beyond make work fun every single day and I had so many brilliant and memorable experiences with them.
I would recommend anyone to go with this organisation to Uganda, go with an open mind, positive energy and you will have the time of your life whilst supporting the welcoming local community.

I completely loved my time with Big Beyond in Ethiopia. You are totally immersed into the fascinating and amazing Hamar culture. I was living, working and hanging out with the Hamar tribe every day. They are totally untouched by tourists or cultural changes and it is a completely unique experience. I cannot describe how inspiring they are and how much I enjoyed spending time with them. Big Beyond created a project for me based around my passion and skills, mainly teaching, and supported me to create an impact in this amazing community.
I am so grateful to them for this opportunity and I would recommend anyone who is thinking about volunteering with this program to 100% go for it, you will not be disappointed.

Ernest Hemmingway said; " I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and was not happy."

He wasn't in Bwindi, nor even Uganda, but the statement still applies. I spent an incredible few weeks on the Big Beyond project here, having arrived not knowing what to expect of the rainforest - all my Africa experiences had been desert and bush. I ended up staying for an extra week, enjoying one of the happiest and most meaningful Christmas's of my life, and am soon to return for a second visit.

This is probably the most rewarding volunteer project I have ever undertaken, being not only fun, educational and inspirational, it is also sustainable; giving a real purpose to the lives of the local people, and a sense of worthwhile achievement to the volunteers. I came away with the feeling that I had seen a very rare and beautiful part of Africa, carried out important work where it was needed, made some lifelong friends, and left a good impression behind me.

I would list this experience amongst the best things I have ever done.

I came to Big Beyond because I wanted a volunteer experience beyond tracking gorillas for a day. What I found at Big Beyond was an incredibly dedicated staff, both foreign and local that are focused on helping the beautifully warm and friendly people of Bwindi. I spent 7 weeks getting to know local artisans and working with them to enhance the marketing of their art. While I don't believe my efforts left a big impact, little by little things can change and I played my part. Certainly the local people know that others care and that means a lot. The challenge for me was to learn to take one day at a time and to accept and appreciate the things at home I take for granted.

The Hamar tribe is used to tourists arriving to witness bull jumping, the ritual where a boy becomes a man who can marry. Tourists pay a neat sum and stand around during the bull jumping and at other occasions you can pay to take their picture. The whole situation seems somewhat bizarre, almost like a human zoo. As a Big Beyond volunteer however, things are different. You work with the Hamar tribe and you get to know each other. After a while you may be able to socialize and document their life as their friend, not as a tourist who will just pay and disappear. This a chance to get to know a traditional African tribe and that is a rare opportunity. Sit down on what could very well be the world's smallest chair and have a chat.

Big Beyond is here because of Bwindi impenetrable national park, but not just to work with park conservation issues. Instead, the central part of Big Beyond's work is the relationship beteween the locals and the park. As the organisation has good connections locally, it also means special opportunities for volunteers. Entering Bwindi usually means one mere objective, to find mountain gorillas as fast as possible and spend an hour with them before exiting the park again. However, with Big Beyond you can enter the park safely with a ranger and collect seedlings for the locals. When you do you can move at your own paze and really experience the forest, which carries a natural beauty that cannot be explained in words. Regular tourists will never have that opportunity and they will probably never be invited to lunch at a private residence either.