Program Reviews

The 2 weeks I spent volunteering in Oxapampa with GVI were 2 of the most enriching weeks of my life. GVI brings in volunteers and interns to support the work of a project started and run by local conservationists at CDS. This former passion fruit farm was purchased by a couple a little over a decade ago and now, thanks to their efforts, provides habitat for an incredible amount of biodiversity. In my time there we learned about the process and methods used to revive the forest, from sifting compost, to potting saplings, to planting young trees in future forests. The field guide, Duggie, knows more about the local flora and fauna than I could believe possible. He lead us on night walks where we found glass frogs, bats, and countless incredible insects. We conducted bird surveys, came across beautiful Peruvian birds, and learned how to set up camera traps and log sightings of mammals. Evelyn the program manager was incredibly organised, supportive and friendly. Together they and the CDS staff made our stay a really incredible experience.

In January 2022 I was involved in the GVI Chiang Mai project. As part of the project I helped with the collection of health and behavioural data on a group of Elephants in the mountainous village of Huay Pakoot. Each weekday we hiked to where the elephants were eating their breakfast and observed them, recording their behaviour and interactions with other elephants at set intervals. Seeing these creatures in the wild gave me a greater understanding of why it's so important to protect them. I didn't fully comprehend the complexities of the tourism industry surrounding Elephants but speaking to the locals and GVI staff has educated me on the most ethical ways to experience these animals- in their natural habitat! I was lucky enough to be able to complete this project and travel to and around Thailand with my boyfriend. I'd highly recommend having a travelling companion because it's wonderful to share the experiences together and reflect on the trip when back home. However, I wouldn't let a lack of travel buddy stop you from travelling! You meet so many amazing, like-minded people along the way that you soon have a great group of friends to share your time with. Before deciding to volunteer, I had no idea what I wanted to do with the next stage of my life. I thought I'd enjoy doing something that involved helping others and protecting the world around me but I wasn't sure what that looked like. Having this experience has reassured me that I really want to be a part of something important and impactful. If you have the opportunity to volunteer with GVI, take it.

Sadly a really really poor experience at GVI Seychelles, please don't be duped into spending your money here. Maybe I just got unlucky, but I am surprised to see so many good reviews considering the feeling of the volunteers whilst I was there.

From a research point of view- there was nothing to do, and far far too many volunteers to spread the little amount of work out between. There was very very little in terms of education or learning, not regular presentations and lectures as promised. None of the results of the limited data collected was shared with the volunteers. I left with the feeling that all I did for the environment was pollute the air with CO2 on my flight over. You basically just pay to hike around the (very lovely) surroundings and stand aimlessly around on beach for a bit.

The diet is extremely limited and poor (although it is hard for the staff to source good food in the Seychelles as it is limited). Any basic extras, or to even leave the island, you had to pay for yourself. The levels of hygiene in the kitchen was horrendous- there was a fridge that wouldn't even stay on so food would rot. There were rats running through the camp (and in people's beds) at night (although rats are a hard pest to control in an island environment). I did not go with expectations of any kind of luxury, but the standards were a joke (some volunteers had beds under a roof that leaked water onto your face every time it rained).

It was clear that there had been absolutely no investment in the base in a very long time; the fridge, cooker and kitchen area was abysmal, the solar panels were unable to provide any power past about 9pm, there was no fans to cool down the rooms. It is an absolute joke that GVI also tried to charge me £200 for 'cleaning expenses' on base (a plastic box with hand gel in- which we had to use as communal for the toilets).

I am left feeling ripped off, and with a sinking feeling in my stomach when I think about how much money I wasted on what was supposed to be a once in a lifetime trip. The volunteers pay thousands of pounds to be there, and I cannot see where the money goes because it is not going towards conservation, it is not going on investing in the base and it is not going towards staff salaries.

Overall, GVI is a for profit company, and the bottom line will always be profit. If you would like to do good in the world, get in touch with local organisations directly any bypass the middlemen such as GVI and don't fall for scams on the internet like I did.

I have been in South Africa in limpopp for 2 weeks. It was the first time I had to travel alone. GVI helped a lot before I even left. So nice with a constant help if needed. It was so amazing, and knowing you are making a difference. And experience the culture of the country you are traveling to. Is in itself ladle fantastic. I have met the most amazing people, and made friends from different parts of the world. One reason I chose GVI was that you knew in advance that the animals were living their best lives. They live in the "free" nature. Something I do would back up. Just have to say. Not the last time I travel alone. Good advice along the way. "Allow yourself to dare to jump into the upcoming adventure." The overwhelming, but us the coolest. I still have the biggest smile on.

If you are passionate about our planet and want to contribute first hand to conserving it, then GVI is the company for you! I met so many likeminded people, fell in love all over again with the ocean and had an absolute blast contributing to marine conservation.
I couldn’t fault the staff here in Mexico! Miguel was an absolutely fantastic programme leader, he made sure everyone felt safe and happy, and he had an absolutely fantastic team of staff working with him. Everyone is very down to earth and always happy to help out!

I couldn’t have imagined how amazing my month in Ghana could have been. Not only did it give me a different cultural experience and perspective to various issues in my women’s empowerment programme; it helped me gain more confidence in my abilities both socially and on the projects. The projects were amazing and working with the local community and the kids was so rewarding. The social aspect was also so much more than I expected. Weekends away, social nights and the freedom to explore gave me the independence I didn’t think I had and helped me make some amazing friends.

It’s hard to begin with talking about what I enjoyed while on my program. For starters, I’ve done volunteer work before and I loved how I finally really had the feeling that I was making an impact and honestly doing something good instead of just being able to put something nice on my CV. Aside from that, all the help I received pre-departure made this all so easy. The only I issues I encountered while on base was with Covid but it’s a world wide pandemic and dealing with it is a double edged sword so I believe GVI did well. Also, the staff on base is amazing and the people I volunteers with are friends for life. I definitely recommend volunteering with GVI, this really was an experience of a life time

I've been interning with GVI in Limpopo, South Africa for a little over a month now and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have always wanted to do conservation work in Africa and GVI made that dream possible. Interns work 6 days a week with Sundays off. We go on two game drives, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. We all have different responsibilities on drives whether its entering data, using the telemetry or preparing snacks for mid drive. Every day you can see something different. My favorite sighting so far was when we witnessed a leopard chase down an impala. Or it might be when a herd of elephants walked right passed the cruiser. I don't really know there are just too many moments! If you intern with GVI in South Africa you will definitely experience moments like this as well. It is a lot of work here but it is rewarding. You meet new people who have the same interests and goals as you and they can turn into lifelong friends. I recommend doing an internship with GVI.

I was able to complete a virtual internship these past two months with GVI and I'm so glad I did. I was able to work with a charity in the field of Marine Conservation, which I want to go into and so this was an incredible opportunity that I would never have gotten otherwise. The charity I was able to work with really fit well with my career and personal goals, so it was amazing to be able to work with a group focusing on something I'm really passionate about, The communication and support I got from my GVI supervisors was great, I would 100% recommend!

Trying to describe my time in Ghana is one of the hardest things. I don’t think words can adequately express how incredible my 8 weeks with GVI was and the impact it has had on me, but I’m going to give it a go!
The most heart filling, sometimes challenging, but always rewarding, fun, and exciting experience I could have ever imagined, which greatly surpassed any expectations I had.
I signed up for the international development internship, and through which I helped organise the GVI Ghana Earth Day event and fundraising. This consisted of going into three local schools in Kokrobite to give a presentation on reasons for keeping the community clean in how this can be done. Following this we hosted a mass beach clean collecting 900kg of rubbish with 100 members of the Kokrobite community coming together with us to start to make the change. This then developed into the Keeping Kokrobite Beautiful (KKB) Campaign, which aims to continue and develop the beach cleaning as well as starting the KKB Action Team which is working towards finding viable solutions to the lack of waste disposal for all those in the community.
I loved the flexibility GVI Ghana offers. Although I signed up for the International Development Internship, I was able to also get involved with our partner schools. I spent everyday getting to know, learning from and being inspired by the amazing children of Divine Home.
The weekends also offer so much, being able to explore the bits of paradise in Ghana. Travelling up and down the coast with your friends, seeing some incredible places and meeting even more beautiful people.
If you travel to Ghana with GVI you will have a life changing experience in which you gain so much from the people you are surrounded by, and are driven everyday by the impact you have.
I miss this country, community and everyone in it so much, and I’m hoping to travel out next year.
If you are reading this thinking twice about signing up, do it, please. Best 8 weeks EVER!!!❤️❤️❤️