Program Reviews

This experience is truly so impactful and will be a week you will never forget. Everyday we did a project to help the community. These activities were usually not too laborious and you got to learn about the culture while doing them. In our free time we did lots of fun activities, like hiking, shopping, or playing game. The people you are surrounded by make this program even better. Everyone who goes on the trip is so excited and happy to be there, so the connections that are formed are unlike any other. I plan to hold on to my lifelong friends, memories, and valuable lessons that this program has allowed me to form.

There is truly nothing that compares to embarking on a journey with GIVE. My trip to Northern Thailand with GIVE was an unparalleled experience that will resonate with me for a lifetime. The adventure not only exposed me to life- changing activities like bungee jumping and bamboo rafting but also connected me with extraordinary, like-minded individuals who have etched a permanent place in my heart. Exploring the culture of Northern Thailand proved to be immensely rewarding, leaving me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Engaging in permaculture practices and teaching English at local schools added an extra layer of love to the trip. It's challenging to articulate just how amazing and life-changing this trip was. I am profoundly grateful for these experiences and the friends I made along the way. I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone, taking the literal leap (bungee jumping), and saying YES to a GIVE trip!

My experience with GIVE Volunteers and Hand2Trunk was nothing short of life changing. P’Ann was an incredible guide and friend who was so knowledgeable about everything she showed us; the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of elephant tourism and its history. I’m so grateful for my experience where I learned so much more in this hands-on, culturally immersive adventure than I ever could in a classroom. If you want to truly see the elephants of Thailand and their people, this is how you should do it.

My experience with Give was Incredible!
I went to hawaii with my best friend and made life long friends. I got to learn about the culture, land, explore incredible places, try new food, all while helping the community in a responsible way. It felt so good to be traveling the correct and safe way with Give. I still talk to all my friend from my trip to this day! Give us lifelong. I even celebrated my birthday on my Give Trip. It was the Best Birthday to share with all such lovely uplifting people. This experience was life changing and something everyone should be apart of.

I left for Tanzania three days after graduating from high school. Entering the classroom for the first time, I felt timid and under qualified to be teaching a group of adults. Instead, I was greeted with the most authentic and joyful people I've ever met. Their pure enthusiasm to learn lifted me up in the constant smiles and laughter and I was eager to come to class each morning. We were there to teach them, but in the end I learned more from the people of Kairo than I could ever learn in a classroom.
Most important to me was how GIVE engaged with the community and included locals in the work and highly valued their opinions. It was clear they wanted us there and valued our efforts in the community. We were lead mainly by locals and their knowledge of the area and the cultural values in Tanzania always made me feel comfortable and welcome. I cannot recommend this program enough for anyone who is wanting to find their purpose abroad!

GIVE Volunteers is truly one of a kind and has spent over 15 years building an incredible relationship with the beautiful community of Kairo and empowering locals in the community. Our own Education Coordinator, MC, started as a student taking English lessons from GIVE volunteers, and now, I was honored to follow the lesson plans he created to teach English to local men and women as well as members of the Masai tribe of mainland Tanzania at the GIVE Kairo school. I truly received an impactful, authentic experience and learned so much about the history and culture of Zanzibar. On top of that, I had an absolute blast with our kind, high-energy guides and fellow volunteers who started as strangers and now are lifelong friends. If you're looking into sustainable traveling, I couldn't recommend GIVE more!

Wow. It's hard to put into words how one week can foster such immense, positive change in so many different ways. Growing up, I have always dreamt of visiting Hawai'i, but not in the typical tourist fashion that most do. I'm eternally grateful for GIVE for allowing me to experience Hawai'i in the way I had always dreamt of: by being immersed within its rich, vibrant Aloha-centered culture & being deeply involved with the restoration of the indescribably beautiful land and local communities. GIVE gave me the chance to foster a relationship with the 'aina (land) and kai (ocean) in ways I never would have thought possible. Furthermore, the relationships that I developed with my incredible guides and fellow volunteers are ones that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I showed up at Kona airport with a full backpack almost feeling marooned. Fortunately, we volunteers were connected early through WhatsApp. We found each other quickly and the group dynamic took off without a hitch. It was heartwarming to be welcomed by the natives of the island of Hawaii for the recognition that I was there as a volunteer. The cultural chants shared to welcome us in, the ability to introduce myself in the Hawaiian language, and partaking in the traditional emu left an impression. I will carry that experience with me. I am also proud to adorn the green GIVE ribbon as a badge of commitment.

My experience with GIVE has been nothing short of life-changing. This past summer I went on a trip with GIVE to Hawai'i where we worked with local project partners and organizations to restore the land so it can be used to grow food for locals, restore and help rebuild a sacred archeological site, and so much more empowering work all over the Big Island. I gained a new perspective on the world, as well as a new global family of amazing humans who share my love for the Earth. I can't wait until I can go on another trip with GIVE!

Experiencing the wonders of Northern Thailand firsthand has changed my perspective on life in general. It was both inspiring and transformational. It also opened my eyes to see the world in a different light. To be out of my comfort zone and see the lives I was changing by being part of the action of contributing to help their local communities and everyday lives, I ended up being the one most changed by it. Additionally, the experiences in GIVE taught me how to feel alive again and live in the present moment. Meeting this group of people including the guides has indeed touched my heart which I call my family now. GIVE's Thailand trip was a SERENDIPITY that changed my life in the most positive and magical way! Go on yours now!!