Program Reviews

I was really impressed by the entire experience of this program. I lived and worked in Udaipur for 10 weeks this summer. The staff in San Francisco and Udaipur worked seamlessly to coordinate a great experience. I fit really well with my host family and was really impressed by the lengths at which the Udaipur team will go to make interns feel safe and comfortable. The outside immersion trips were well-planned and there was plenty of freedom and support to travel with friends to other places, as well. This was a unique immersion experience that I wish everyone could have-- if you're thinking of applying to the program, do it!

My internship through FSD at the end of 2007 was incredible, a truly foundational experience for me that changed how I see the world and the role I want to play in it. I learned about other cultures and world views, about self dependence and international travel, what it is really like to be a foreigner, and about the complex challenges facing sustainable development. Kenya was a wonderful place to be and learn, and the support and logistics provided by FSD were outstanding. I would do it again in a heart beat!

I was on the FSD trip to Nicaragua in November, 2013 as part of a company-sponsored pro bono program. We worked with a number of microfinance organizations in the area, delivering impactful projects over the course of 4 days. In addition, we had a lot of fun touring the city and FSD did an incredible job of ensuring our safety and managing all of the logistics. Most importantly, the staff was incredible! They were so friendly and I continue to stay in touch with them.

FSD is a fantastic organization. I interned with FSD for 11 weeks in Jodhpur. The program staff was absolutely amazing and I feel like I learned a tremendous amount about international development, specifically asset based community development. I also felt like my hard work would have a significant and lasting impact on the community. Beyond this I had a great time. My host family was amazing and by the time I left i felt like I was really a part of the community. A great experience all around. Would highly recommend!

I had a wonderful experience interning in Kenya. One thing to know is that there isn't much guidance. Like the headline states, it's a very do-it-yourself kind of program. While you receive some guidance from the program staff, they're not with you everyday in your field placement. I'm not sure how it was for everybody, but based on my experience and the other interns in my group, our host organizations didn't provide much guidance either. They were eager to help and extremely excited to have interns, but expected you to be an expert on everything. Coming straight out of undergrad, I, unfortunately, was not. However, what better way to learn and gain experience than to be thrown right in and expected to find a problem and solve it on your own.

It's was an incredible experience. Not just because of the internship, but living in a developing country with the locals. My host family and neighbors constantly reminded me how excited they were to have someone from the US in their village who was there to get to know them as people and to help them. Apparently, most people from the US and Europe that go to Kenya are only there for the animals and the landscape. So while the internship was intended for work experience and to help the people in the community, it was way more than that. Not to be too cliche, but it was a life changing experience and I feel like the community members and my host family helped me way more than I helped them.

I won't sit here and lie, saying that it was a piece of cake. There were lots of tough things to deal with such as the language barrier, many shocking/uncomfortable cultural practices, lack of time management and structure in working conditions, the food, and the living conditions in general. There were also the obvious "issues", if you will, of being the only white person in a village and being fairly isolated, but again, I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. All the absurdities, all the awkwardness, all the frustrations, all the loneliness, all the hardships were completely worth it and resulted in an amazing growth experience, both personally and intellectually.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone who has an interest in development work but doesn't have much or any experience living abroad, isn't sure they want to devote 2 years to the Peace Corps, or just wants a new life experience.

I chose FSD's Kakamega program because I knew it would get me out of my comfort zone. There are very few Americans there so it was like being in a fish bowl (something everyone should experience at some point in their life).

I lived with a great family, I enjoyed the organization I interned with. I don't know if I made a huge difference but that is expected when you are only some place for a short period of time. I was definitely impacted though. I really appreciated my relationship with the other interns and two of the staff members (they are no longer there though). The onsight FSD director was pretty much non-existent my entire time there. We also went on a couple really great trips which made it easier to explore the area.

I'm happy I had this experience in my life.