Program Reviews

This has been a great experience. I was pick-up from the airport and taken to the hostel and had a day to rest! I was also feed at the hostel and was told about Nepal and its custom and about the orphanage I was going to. The orphanage has been great the kids are the best part! The staff is so nice and helpful always answering my questions and helping me. The orphanage and apartments are safe too. The staff is so helpful as well letting you know things to see and places to avoid to be safe. Being with the kids is the highlight of the trip and an experience I will never forget!

I did a hands-on medical program in Katmandu with 3 of my fellow co-students from Denmark. The host family was so sweet and made sure we were having a good time staying with them. Overall the food was good, but mostly carbs (rice with potatoes) which was a bit hard in the long run.
The hospital stay was okay, mostly observation. Some of the doctors were really good at informing you about cases, some were not.
We made arrangements with the family so that we were allowed to stay out late some days which was nice.

I went to Nepal to do a hands on medical program in Kathmandu. I traveled with my three co-students and lived at a homestay with the nicest family. The host mom cooked us breakfast and dinner every day. The food was good but not that balanced, while it was mostly carbs as pasta, rice and potatoes with a small amount of vegetables. The program has strict house rules regarding dinnertime and when you have to be at your room. We didn't know about the rules until the fist morning at the house where we had to sign the acceptance of them. If you want to go somewhere in the evening it is possible to make an agreement with the family which helps alot.
The area neighborhood where we lived was nice but a little far away from the hospital that we worked in. But to our luck the host dad drove us to work many days.
The hospital was great and the staff was mostly nice and welcoming. The program was not as much "hands on" as you could have hoped, but if that is because of missing initiative from ourselves or because of skepticism from the doctors I am not quit sure of.

Already before we arrived at Nepal we were assigned a coordinator who took care of all the practical circumstances and answered all our questions at any time, which was really nice and reassuring. The coordinator welcomed us when we arrived and made sure we settled in well at our homestay. She was also very nice and helpfull with everything.

Overall I had a great time with IFRE in Nepal and the hands on medical program. It was nice to have local people arrange our stay because they know their country and how things are done there. Also it is very valuable to have local contacts who can introduce you to all kind of things.

This was my first time visiting this beautiful country and my trip and experience was well facilitated by the IFRE staff. The sceneries and beaches in Galle were breath taking. The people were welcoming and respectful. The food was really good. On one weekend, the country coordinator, Michael took us to the 'Elephant Orphanage' where we learnt about the Asian elephants and their life cycle. We also go to ride the elephant, feed her and give her a bath and in return the elephant showered us with water from her trunk. It was a great memorable experience. On the contrary, the hospital experience wasn't as 'Hands On' as expected. It was more of an 'observation' rather than actually being assigned tasks to perform.

I have had the privilege to do a medical volunteering experience in Galle, Srilanka. Firstly, we stayed with the host family which were very nice and hospitable, made sure we felt comfortable during our stay.
Secondly, the medical exposure was a bit of a let down. Due to the main reason being the language barrier between me and the patients as well as some of the healthcare workers, which made me shift my program from the pediatrics department to the emergency medicine department which was a much better decision, the cases I saw were much more interesting and the doctors their were more engaging. However, the overall medical volunteering experience felt more of a medical elective rather than a hands on experience.

Overall, our experience in Costa Rica was incredible. My friend Erika and I went together seeking to volunteer as Physical Therapists. We ended up having a wonderful host family and placement, with plenty of free time to explore Costa Rica on the side as well. The program directors ensured we had everything we needed to feel safe and comfortable throughout. I would say our only complaint was not receiving many details about our home stay and placement until we got in the country. We weren't given any specifics and were not guaranteed to be doing Physical Therapy before we actually stepped foot into the country, and this originally made us uneasy. The coordinators we spoke with kept repeating the same things regarding how they can't tell us more due to privacy reasons, and all responses to our questions felt vague. It felt a little sketchy and like we could be scammed, but we weren't at all and everything ended up being amazing once we got there. We felt safe within the country too as we always stayed together and followed basic safety precautions like not carrying valuables, walking alone or at night, taking Ubers instead of Taxis, etc. Despite our initial hesitations throughout the sign up process, we ended up loving every second of the week long trip!

Overall my experience in this program was a good one. With the help of this program I feel like I have grown so much. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

My partner and I stayed with Michael and his family, which were all just incredible. Michael was an amazing host, he guided us throughout the entire two weeks of our program and even after we left to travel around the country, he was always ready to help through Whatsapp. Michael organised our daily transport to and from the hospital which was great. He also organised trips for us which were also so much fun. They prepared food for us every day which was delicious. He and his family are very caring and always with a smile on their face. They thought us so much about their culture. We will definitely stay in touch with them.

The actual medical exposure was also eye-opening. We could see how the medical team makes use of little resources to provide the best health care that they can. Nonetheless, my partner and I were a bit disappointed in the fact that the program was not a voluntary type but a more of a medical elective. We did not participate in any medical procedures, something which we both thought we will do.

Sri Lanka Medical experience was an eye opening experience I was able to observe and see medical pathologies and conditions that we do not really get in the western world. During my 2 weeks placement at the hospital I was able to appreciate the art of clinical diagnosis via examination, something that again in the western world is being lost due to the increase accessibility to radiological and laboratory investigations.

The host family that we were living with in Sri Lanka have been amazing, they made us (my partner and I) feel at home. Michael (Host), is an amazing guy, he used to help us and guide us through everything we wanted to do in Sri Lanka both throughout those 2 week while doing our medical placement and even after since we decided to travel around Sri Lanka after finishing the placement.

The only disappointment that both my partner and myself have expressed is that this is not a volunteering project but instead this is a medical elective, but none the less we still made the most out of it and we were still able to obtain some medical knowledge both from the doctors themselves and even from the other medical students.

My first volunteer experience in Cusco. Poor advice on local accommodation. Local transportation not provided. Feeding on your own. Language barrier a major factor. Limited site orientation. Airport pickup on arrival. Arranged a private accommodation. Feeding and accommodation cost should be separated from the fee. Provision of interpreter should be
explored. Overall, it’s a unique and interesting experience. Regular training should be offered to country coordinator and staff. Improving the presence of IFRE in a country should be made a priority.

My time in Kathmandu within the photojournalism volunteer placement was a fulfilling experience. My instructor, Ram, had detailed knowledge of photography and the city’s culture. All coordinators were accommodating and helpful making for a great support group. I highly recommend for those looking to embark on international experience as Nepal is an exciting and welcoming country for tourists. There are other volunteer options available which I’m sure are just as impactful, however, I’m partial to the photojournalism placement as it allows for travel access to city’s main attractions and newly equipped photography skills for which to store lasting memories!