Program Reviews

It was such an unforgettable experience for me to take care of abandoned disabled orphans. 70% of them are disabled and 20% are HIV positive. I am amazed by the overall environment for the orphans. It is actually quite organised. As I understand I was the first Singaporean to volunteer in Nutrition Center Phnom Penh, and it was also my first time taking care of disabled orphans, I was worried and nervous. Nevertheless, I managed to pick it up very fast. I encouraged more Asian volunteers to support such program for the disabled orphans. The local teachers are very friendly and helpful. They helped me to understand the needs of each individual orphans. We had a great fruitful time during my 10 days in Phnom Penh. I would definitely be back to visit them again.

My friend and I took a month long trip to Moshi, Tanzania. We went through IFRE Volunteers. This program is very trustworthy and safe. We had the time of our lives!

We stayed with Mama Alice and it was better than what we could have hoped for. She opens up her home and life to volunteers from all over the world. This woman will truly change your life. She is amazing. Her housing for volunteers was incredible. So spacious. So beautiful. You live amongst a huge garden and feel right at home.

Monday through Friday, we volunteered at Upendo Children’s home. An orphanage with 50+ children ranging from 5 months to 12 years old. For the greater portion, we cared for 20 two-year olds. We played with them, fed them, and loved them. These children don’t have anything except love in their hearts. It’s truly a blessing to see the smiles on their faces.

During our stay, we did many things that we never thought of doing. We watched the sunset with friends from town, made coffee on the side of a mountain, swam under a waterfall, and danced in an African style wedding.

This trip was absolutely life changing. Every person needs to stay with Mama Alice. She will make you a better person. You will find a family in Moshi.

I am applying to Physician Assistant school and wanted to have a better perspective of global healthcare. I fell in love with medicine while volunteering in Cape Town, South Africa. There, I was fortunate enough to volunteer at Green Point Clinic, where I was able to gain more than just the skills to diagnose and treat patients; I left feeling reassured that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Tasting the rawness of medicine from rotating between the different fast-paced environments, seeing a patient’s face light up, and having them even wish me luck on my future career, has made this journey worthwhile. I found joy in serving others, interacting with patients, and in helping them with their conditions. The PAs and nurses welcomed me apart of their team and communication to direct patients to diagnosis and treatment options. Being exposed to this environment has given me a better perspective on healthcare. Experiencing this rich cultural immersion has allowed me to be a witness of the plight and struggles of these developing countries. I became apart of their community, and they have enabled me to have personal growth from being a volunteer. In this journey abroad, I was able to reflect on wanting to show my gratitude towards the healthcare community since I was given a second chance at life from my open-heart surgery. One of the moments which have been the greatest things I have been able to cross off my bucket list has been hiking Lion's head because before my heart surgery, this would have been impossible. I had the privilege to visit the Sacred Heart Museum where the first human heart transplant took place. I fell in love with this country from its beauty in the mountains to the views of the sea, and the food. I have traveled as a mission trip volunteer before to many countries, but South Africa is the place where I have wanted to stay forever. I cried leaving because I felt that I have experienced a peace of heaven in this beautiful land. I have to return soon.

I am applying to Physician Assistant school soon and wanted to have a better perspective with global healthcare. I felt that I needed to see the health disparities with my own eyes to understand that I was fortunate enough to receive excellent care when I had surgery, recovery, and currently today, but it was not the case for the non-privileged patients of these developing countries. Many healthcare professionals in developing countries face the challenge of having inadequate facilities, limited resources, and understaffed clinics and hospitals. Being out of my comfort zone and working in the challenging settings in Kenya has helped build my character, enhance my abilities, and encourage me to collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide the best possible health care keeping in mind the circumstances. The last weeks have allowed me to develop adaptability and resilience in these clinics will make it easier to navigate a profession in the health field. The PAs and nurses welcomed me apart of their team and communication to direct patients to diagnosis and treatment options. Being exposed to this environment has given me a better perspective on healthcare. I felt safe in this environment since my accommodation was in a gated community with security guards. I missed home, and to have a home cooked meal every night in my program coordinator's home allowed me to feel comfortable and consider it a home away from home. I knew that if I came to Nairobi that I had to experience a safari and the culture. I was amazed by the beauty of the big five in Nairobi National Park, the elephants from the David Sheldrick orphanage, the giraffe center, and the Bomas of Kenya. This volunteering trip has been one of the greatest things I have had the privilege to experience and I am leaving taking all of the knowledge I have learned to apply in my future profession.

As a new traveler, I was super careful about what program to sign up with for my trip. When contacting IFRE Volunteers with all my questions and concerns they were on the ball with following up and making sure I had no worries. They were so proactive and helpful over the months before my departure. The country coordinator for Tanzania was also contacting me separately to make sure I was prepared and reassured for the upcoming trip. I left for Tanzania with no hesitation because of all the help I received from this program.

The house we stayed at was clean and the family made sure we had everything we needed to live comfortably. We were provided three meals a day and Mama Alice made sure we were full and had enough to eat every time. The property was gated and safe and the family made sure we had proper transportation if we traveled far away or somewhere during the night. The town of Moshi was exciting to explore and primarily safe. We were able to explore waterfalls, hot springs, nearby cities, coffee plantations, and shops in town. We felt comfortable and like we belonged in Moshi just after a few days.

From the day we arrived in Tanzania I was greeted with such love from Mama Alice and right away felt like family. She helped us get everything sorted and made sure we were comfortable to start our life for the next month. I couldn't be more grateful for all the help and love we received on our trip because it made it the most impactful and heartwarming experience. We even extended our stay because of how great it was going. The Children's home we worked at was excellent and the kids we met were incredible. The day we left was so sad and tears were shed because of how amazing our trip had been. This trip overall was life-changing and I am so grateful for the family I gained in Moshi.

Experiencing Cusco was amazing, the host family was extremely nice and made great meals. Our country coordinator Roger was extremely helpful and was very experienced. It was so much fun playing cards and talking to the host family and Roger as they taught us many things about Cusco. At the start of the clinic I did almost nothing but each day you get rotated to another position so my experience at the clinic got progressively better throughout the week and you really start to see how the clinic is run. The only problem is if you don't speak Spanish, then you will barely be put to any use at the clinic. Once our volunteering was over we did activities such as Machu Picchu, rainbow mountain, and an ATV trip, all of which I would highly recommend.

Volunteering in the clinic in Cusco, Peru was an incredible experience. I was able to learn about the Peruvian healthcare system while also working on my Spanish skills. I was able to volunteer in different areas in the clinic such as in the triage, wound care, with children and in gynecology. I was able to help the nurses, doctors and patients during the entire experience. My host family was so much fun and the food was amazing. Maria is such an incredible cook! Roger took such great care of me and my friends the entire time. Spanish was also very enjoyable for me and my friends and we were also able to travel around Cusco between the clinic and Spanish class. Overall, this trip was amazing and I had such a wonderful time. I was able to see so many areas of Cusco while learning about the culture and healthcare system.

The experience at the orphanage was incredible, life changing and deeply humbling. When you embark on an experience such as this there is a lot that goes through you mind. You wonder how everything will be and you hope that your time is part of a bigger picture that is helpful and I guess important.

The children at the orphanage were a true delight! Mischievous, good, kind, funny and at times, yes naughty! All the things you would expect from any child around the world! They are a real mix of personalities and you can see despite the reason that has brought them into a government system that they are still individuals with a lot to offer the world.

Michael, the Co-Ordinator is lovely.

Sri Lanka overall is a beautiful country with amazing, kind and helpful people. I was there when the bombs went off in Colombo. The people were devastated by what happened and rallied together. There is a great fear that this will completely destroy the tourism industry that has started to boom. I felt completely safe in Sri Lanka, more so than any other country I have traveled to. Remember - something bad can happen anywhere in the world at anytime. Do not let this make you change your mind in going there. It is a special country.

I do enjoy the program. At the first day of my arrival, the in-country coordinator has a lot of patience to wait for me at the airport. He picked up me even I did not call him (the net in the airport doesn't work). He helped me buy a sim card and also exchange money, and then directly sent me to the program. I live in an intern house, which is very quiet and safe. And one lady cooked breakfast and dinner for me. The food is delicious and nutritional. The program I do volunteer encourages women who are HIV positive to build them new life. They already supported a considerable number of women and their families. I think it inspired me a lot. I will 100% recommend this program to my friends, hope they can help more Kenyan women. Overall, it is an excellent experience in Kenya, worth to try in your life!

I served with IFRE volunteers for two weeks total, spending one at the construction project in Machakos, and the other split between AlGadhir and Revivial Med Clinic in Kibera.
Agape school is an excellent fit for anyone with teaching experience, and the kids love spending time playing soccer or learning from you. The construction project I went for was very hands on, as I was able to spend two work days working right alongside the stone mason crew as we constructed a new school building.
At AlGadhir, I was able to volunteer in any specialization for three days, but it was much more of a shadow experience for me and a marketing one for IFRE. The staff was very welcoming, and I’ll miss working there even though it took a couple days to find a niche. If you want to volunteer for a medical clinic work at Revival Med clinic in Kibera. There I was able to assist hands on with a trauma and help delive a child on the same day. The staff there is also very welcoming and I found your time is more necessary in Kibera than AlGadhir. For the price, IFRE provided many incredible experiences that I will never forget.