Program Reviews

Together with my boyfriend I went as the first volunteer to this program. As we stayed only for a week we couldnt, of course, make any huge differences. But I could see the potential, and I belive that once INTVS can start sending volunteers regularly and if the volunteers can stay a bit longer than we did this program will really make a big differnce for these kids.

Before we went I was a bit worried about that the program would be more like a tourist attraction, more for me to take pictures with cute kids than actually helping. But it was nothing like that, and if you want to help this is a really good program to choose. In the rural areas in Cambodia, like Takeo, the english level is really low. But still, english is a really important thing for the kids to learn. All this they explained to us when we arrived, and after that I felt really motivated. As I met the kids and saw how much they want to learn and how much fun we could have together during the classes I felt so happy that I went there. Both the kids as well as the teachers seemed to share my joy and I wish I could have stayed longer to see the childeren improve their english level.

Apart from making a difference and helping, it was a nice experience because we got to see something else than the typical touristic places most of people see when they go traveling. We got to see the countryside, parts of the everyday life, eat local food and meet local people and so on. The people at the volunteer house took so good care of us, showed us around and helped us with whatever we needed.

All in all, we had an amazing time and I would really recomend you to go. But remember, this program is young and for example the teachers in the schools are not yet used to voluteers coming. This means that the first days you might feel a bit lost and things can seem to be a bit unorganized, but have patience and everything will be just fine. If you are a person that can take initiative or if you maybe have some experience in volunteering/teaching/traveling that will help you. But dont worry, the people at the volunteer house will support you and after a few days you will understand how things work.

I apologize in advance for the long review but it is hard to sum up the experience in fewer lines.

Before starting the program we went to Phnom Penh and visited the prison museum and the killing fields which helped us to understand the dark past of the country. By knowing what Cambodian people have suffered and the impact it HAD on their education, we found the program even more needed.

Teaching English, why?

Before going to the program, I was wondering how useful I could be in a program based on teaching English, being Spanish, not A native English speaker and above all not having any kind of teaching background, but what I learned during this week is the following: The kids need to know how to speak in English, and we didn't need to be English teachers or native to teach them as their level and sometimes their teacher's is very low. Indeed, without English thESE countryside kids have a big disadvantage compared to urban children who have a better level.

Important side effects of not knowing English is that they cannot use Internet to learn by themselves, and they don't have access to any external source of information.

The people:

At the volunteer house, we could get very attached with some of the volunteer coordinators. They are all Cambodian from birth and always willing to teach us about their country, culture and help for anything we needed, I have hardly met people with such amazing smiles and I haven't laughed as much in a long time, believe me.

The kids in schools but also in the rest of the area are wonderful,willing to learn during the class and waving at me while I was riding back to the volunteer house.

I have only been on the program for a week so of course I didn't feel like I completely changed their lives back there. But I could really feel the need of volunteers. Me and my girlfriend were the first volunteers to be sent to the program, the first to meet the children and the teachers but hopefully not the last.

So one more thing I can do for the program is to write this review and hopefully convince some of you to follow our steps and make a real change on a long term. As our volunteer coordinator said: "it's all about sustainability"

I’ve had the chance to live three months in Ho Chi Minh City, sharing unique moments with the children of the Pagoda orphanage.
I spent the day at the orphanage, taking care of children and playing with them. We stayed in a house with other volunteers; a very friendly host venue. Members of the association and the volunteers were always available and willing to listen. You can also visit Ho Chi Minh and its surroundings during the weekend, which allows you to discover the country.
I can’t find the right words to describe this extraordinary experience. I learnt a lot thanks to this volunteer placement, and I sincerely think this has changed my life. It’s an intense human adventure with regards to discovery, emotions and sharing. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the Vietnamese culture, a culture so different from ours. In particular, the children’s laughter, the long silent exchanges with the monks and the happiness of simplicity are my fondest memories.
I hope that with these few words I’ve given you the will to go there. You should live the experience in order to understand to which point it can impress you.

I spent four months living and volunteering in the beautiful Bolivian city of Cochabamba. This was my first time traveling abroad solo and I was looking for an experience that would complement my degree in biology while allowing me time to pursue language courses. This program was all of that and much more! I was able to find a volunteer placement that fit my needs (and boy were there many to choose from) and take all of the spanish classes that I could handle. I quickly found myself becoming more and more immersed in the culture as I developed wonderful relationships with the people I met along the way.
I definitely felt like I was helping to achieve a greater goal day to day at my volunteer placement, which was working to conserve endangered Bolivian amphibian species. I will note, however, that I had to be motivated and often push my ideas with constant reminders and meetings with my superiors in order to get things done. Other volunteers seemingly had similar experiences with their respective placements as well. This is not necessarily a 'bad thing' it just means that in order to feel like you are achieving your goals within the organization you may have to be ready to put some extra work in.
Overall I would highly recommend this program. I came for the language and volunteer experience and left with so much more!

It's amazing to be a part of the great work the animal center achieves. All the hard work is worth your time. The island is so beautiful, the people relax and de animals your best friends. I loved it! And I got the best sourvenir, my adopted dog from the center.

I had a great time in Cochabamba, 'the land of eternal spring'! The program was very flexible and enabled me to volunteer exactly where I wanted and do exactly what I wanted to do! It also gave me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in Bolivian culture and the language. The experience was unforgettable and will remain with me for many years to come as well as helping to shape my future plans!

I highly recommend this program!

A great introduction to marine turtle monitoring, I gained plenty of practical experience measuring, handling and tagging turtles. Volunteers monitor the beautiful 'Playita' beach which is part of a National Park and restricted to the public.

This program is an incredible way to both learn a lot and have a serious impact on the envrironment around Puerto Lopez. Having the ability to work with sea turtles is an incredible privilege. Along with that you aid in the effort to save an endangered species that desperately needs our help. I have traveled a decent amount and I really liked how this program was run and would recommend it to anyone looking to spend some time in Ecuador and was looking for a bit more than just beaches and relaxation.

I worked as an international volunteer in the community based language development program at a local NGO for 12 months. At the same time, I joined to run a volunteer club for national volunteers focusing on intercultural learning.

When I started this program I had no experience in teaching. Most of my learners were university students with a satisfactory level of English. So I focused mainly on pronunciation and improving their vocabulary. The time with my students was an awesome fun experience.

I made a lot of friends with Vietnamese people and the other international volunteers. In my opinion, volunteering gives you a great opportunity to learn much about a country, its language and its people.