Program Reviews

Hi.

I recently went to Quito, Ecuador to volunteer at school for kids ranging from the ages of 2 to 5 years old. This was my first time traveling to Ecuador, let alone South America; this was also my first time traveling alone. Initially, when I left the US I was very nervous about adjusting to a whole new country, with people I did not know and a language I did not understand. However, by the end of my trip I had fallen in love with Ecuador and the kids at the school.

When I registered to volunteer through RCDP, I was given the option to stay with a host Ecuadorian family or at a hostel. Of course, I chose to stay with an Ecuadorian family to get the full experience and it was one of the best decisions I made. The family was extremely personable, sweet and helpful. They cooked amazing food and the house was very clean at all times.

The coordinator in Ecuador ensured that I was picked up from the airport and routinely asked if I was doing okay. At the school, I helped the teachers with the kids lunch, getting them cleaned up after lunch, taught them a little English here and there and mostly spent a lot of time playing with them and consoling them if they were upset or got hurt playing. The kids were an absolute delight to be around.

I would return to Ecuador again and volunteer through RCDP.

Having no experience traveling on my own I wanted to find a company that would provide me the security I needed to have everything organized beforehand so that I didn't have to worry about organizing things while I was in Nepal.

I found the organization "RCDP International" which in my opinion is amazing. As soon as I got to the hostel it felt like we had our own little family there. Everyone in the RCDP is so welcoming. You feel like the hostel was a second home with good food, new friends and in the center of Kathmandu so trips to attractions around were very easy.

The second part of our stay in Nepal was a visit to Chitwan national park followed by volunteering at the conservation project in Rampur. We had one of the RCDP staff accompany us on the bus journey to Chitwan so they ensured our safe arrival. Lila, the RCDP representative in Chitwan was straight on hand to help us get out. The trek would not have been half as enjoyable if it hadn't been for our guide Gokul (hired through RCDP) who helped us step by step and managed to get us a night sleeping at base camp with an expedition team.

All the coordinator from Kathmandu and Chitwan are helpful. My host families are also even kind to me. I would not have been able to enjoy my experience quite as much if it hadn't been for them guiding me and helping me chose the best possible things to see and do in Nepal.

I stayed in Galle with the host family. I really loved my life here. I felt at home from the very first day I arrived in host family house!!! The whole family was so open and they helped us whenever they can. They showed us places you would never see as a 'normal tourist', for example a wonderful Batik or a secret beach...Host father was so kind, he helped me to arranged a bike, so I can go to the orphanage by bike and we went on a four-day-trip with him, it was amazing.

The work in the orphanage in beautiful, it feels so good to make all the children and the babies smile and to help them in their daily life. It was wonderful period of life to spend a time with these cute children. Everything is so natural and familiar.

When you stay with host family house, you learned so much about the culture, the traditions and the religion in Sri Lanka and you get to know many friends and relatives from the family.

I also had the opportunity to join a film project with friends from the family; it's one of the best experiences I've ever made!!!

Also the location is a dream, the house is right next to the sea, so we can go swimming whenever we want and it's very easy to get to Galle Town by walking.

I decided to join the RCDP Mini-Adventure Program and went through their web profile and found myself very much addressed with their program and enrolled myself to one of their program.

The project started with an introduction about Indian culture and language, which was really interesting. Throughout this program, I learned a lot about Indian culture. We went to visit the orphanage and it was a great experience during my volunteering period, I was involved in different activities like teaching computers and games for kids which was very challenging and rewarding for me. They made me part of their family and I learnt a lot about Indian culture from them. In the evening, we went to visit different places in the city and watched different traditional shows that are very common in streets which were very interesting.

After finishing my 8 days in the volunteering program, I was so intrigue that I joined for further 4 days mini-adventure tour. With that program we went to Agra where we spent 1 night-2 day stay where we participated in a Festival. In the same day we visited many historical places like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Taj Festival, etc. which were splendid. The food and accommodation was excellent.

After Agra, we went to Jaipur where we spent 2 nights-three days and a wonderful time. We visited all the historical places in the town and we even were invited for dinning with an Indian family. They hosted us and gave us an unforgettable evening giving us the taste of Rajasthan and its culture. Next day we went to visit many different places such as Habba Mahal, Jantarmantar, Zoo, Museum, etc. Everything was perfect. We had fun dancing and looking at different shows that were presented specially for us which gave me a fantastic impression.

My coordinator in India was really helpful. He organized everything nicely for me. The staffs were very nice and helpful at all times. The overall experience was wonderful learning about Indian culture, their customs and life style. It has really created a good impression of RCDP and its Management skills. In future I am planning to do this program in Nepal.

My host family was amazing they always made me feel like I was a part of their family. I had my own room and my privacy was always respected. My host mom cooked delicious meals and made sure my clothes were washed. We always had a great talk and laugh especially in the evening! I was also able to practice speaking Spanish with her, which was fun. My host father was very respectful and sweet! I never felt uncomfortable in their home.
My country coordinator was very professional. She made sure my accommodation, placement and project was always smooth and in order. Whenever I faced any problem she was always there to help me.
Volunteering at Coffee Farm was one of the many highlights of my month long trip. My responsibilities included maintaining trails, Planting trees, cleaning streams, Fundraising and finding grants, assisting with the office work. I enjoyed every bit of the program. Wish I had more time to work on the farm. Sometime in the near future, I plan to return to Costa Rica and visit all these wonderful people again.
PURA VIDA!

Thank you for this great opportunity!!

I lived in the small city Weinan, an hour away from Xi’an city. There I lived in a school with kids that also were living there. Every morning a teacher of a school (kindergarten) in or close to the city (small villages in the countryside) would pick me up and bring me to the school. I would teach all the classes in the school English. In the afternoon I would rest and at 14:00 a new teacher would come. I went to more than 10 different schools so I really saw a lot of China: both the city and countryside. That was what I liked most of the experience. In the weekend I could stay at the volunteer house in Xi’an and explore the city. The volunteer house has a very nice Chinese family. Overall, I had an absolutely fantastic experience in China!

Communication pre-arrival was great. Hom was so helpful and answered all my questions perfectly and made me feel at ease every time. On the first week I did the language program. Pratima the teacher made the class fun. She was very good. The hostel in Kathmandu was nice with good food and family kind of feeling. 2nd week was rafting, and national park- It was amazing. I started my project on the third week. My project was based in Rampur, Chitwan. I volunteered at the orphanage (Asna) and also at the school. The orphanage runs very well. The school was bit different than what I had imagined. You will have great fun but you will need to be prepared, patience and willing to work hard. Both students and teachers know very little English. This makes the work more challenging. Language course proved to be very useful while communicating with the staff and the students. Staying with host family is a must! I also was fortunate enough to witness a Nepalese Marriage Ceremony! During my day off Pratima took me off for Sightseeing and Trekking. The overall experience was great, I will be back again. I love Nepal.