Program Reviews

My GIVE trip to Nicaragua was my first time traveling out of the country, and I am SO glad I decided to go this route.

I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and I certainly did. It was the time of my life! I climbed two volcanoes, sandboarded down one, learned to surf, released baby sea turtles, taught English, and got to know a vibrant and loving community nestled in the northwest corner of Nicaragua.

Not only was it fun, but it was insanely educational and enlightening. It taught me about traveling responsibly and to be environmentally conscious. I learned the importance of spending my dollars on people who really need it rather than corporate tourism companies or fancy hotels. I think every human being should do something like this in their lifetime. Getting out of your comfort zone and learning about other cultures is the best way to experience this big wide world.

I am SO incredibly grateful to have experienced some life changing moments with this incredible organization and my group of volunteers. GIVE is the bomb.com and I highly recommend going on an adventure with them. <3

I have been involved with GIVE as an organization since my freshman year at college. I joined the student group of Give at JMU and immediately fell in love with the mission, values and people of Give. I felt so inspired by the upperclassmen and wanted to be just like them.

Quickly after joining Give at JMU I became extremely involved, applied for and was accepted onto the executive board the following semester and have been on exec ever since! I plan to become President after the fall semester.

I had wanted to go on a Give trip ever since I saw that there was a way to travel more responsibly. Everyone wants to go places, but it can be difficult to navigate traveling if you're unsure if you're leaving a good impact behind. Specifically with Hawai'i, a lot of people travel there but have no idea the magnitude of the history and culture within the islands. I wanted to learn about Hawai'i and give back to the people native to the land. I also longed for making new connections, as I had seen my roommate experience beautiful friendships on her own Give trip the prior summer.

Surely enough, the trip was everything I could've hoped for and more. My guides, Traven, Ella, Carly Jo, and Kelly were so incredibly inspiring, knowledgable, wise, funny, caring, all of the above. I never felt unsafe, I never felt doubt, I never felt stupid for asking questions. Meeting them as well as the rest of my volunteer group is one of the greatest gifts I could have in life.

We spent each day volunteering with a community partner and then doing recreational activities such as hiking or playing sports or shopping afterwards. We found joy in such simple things like card games or van rides to the worksites or playing with the farm dogs. The entire trip as a whole was the most transformative experience for me, even with having a lot of GIVE knowledge up my sleeve. I learned so much and I truly feel like a whole new aspect of GIVE has been opened up to me. I could write a book about it. I couldn't recommend this trip enough. My group of volunteers already want to go on another one together. GIVE is a life changing organization that I could not be more happy to be apart of.

I arrived in Managua with rather low expectations for this trip. I could have gone in with the highest expectations possible, and they still wouldn't have matched the actual experiences we had. It changed my mindset on so many things completely, I learned so much, and I made friends for life. Every single person I met there was full of love, adventure and laughter.
You know those pretty Tiktok videos you sometimes see that make you go "I wish I could experience that."? Give is that ×100.
If you're thinking about going on a Give trip, do it. There is no chance you will regret it.

In the fall of 2022, GIVE Volunteers held an information session at my University (Rutgers) outlining their different programs and locations. To be honest, the program sounded so amazing that I was a bit skeptical of its legitimacy in the first place. After doing some research and reading reviews like the one that you are right now, I decided to make my deposit and secure a spot on the Tanzania excursion for the summer. Long story short, that was one of my finer decisions!

As the trip got closer, GIVE was super helpful in answering any questions that my parents or I had regarding the logistics of the trip - whether that was over the phone or via email. When it came to submitting the required documentation, my volunteer profile page walked me through exactly what I needed to do and made the process super smooth and understandable. In fact, I even received email reminders to make sure that all of my documents and payments were submitted if their due date was coming up. Even though I did not end up booking my tickets through Student Universe (GIVE's travel booking partner), they were very helpful in providing me with quotes and GIVE made sure that I met all of the necessary requirements for my personally-booked flight.

The trip itself was absolutely amazing and something that I will never forget. Over the course of two weeks I became very close with all of my fellow volunteers, the guides, and even the local citizens of Kairo (the Village in which we stayed for most of the trip). From teaching English to our students to swimming with Dolphins, this trip was the perfect mix of work (which was always fun) and play. I enjoyed the layout of two volunteer days followed by an adventure day because it kept us fresh and allowed us to explore the amazing things that Tanzania has to offer. We were also given the opportunity to sign up for Swahili and weaving classes in our free time when we weren't hanging out on the beach or swimming in the Indian Ocean. I would also like to mention that all of our meals were fresh and delicious and we always had access to clean drinking water. We capped off the trip with an amazing water and land safari in which we got to experience the more rural parts of the country and see countless animals up close. It truly reminded me of The Lion King and served as the perfect ending to our time in Tanzania!

As a side note, the guides were all so caring and willing to help throughout the entire trip that I did not feel out of place even on another Continent. They were with us every step of the way, from picking us up at the airport on the first day to dropping us off on the last. They are the ones who truly made this trip worthwhile and memorable!

This was different from any other trip that I have ever taken as I genuinely felt that I was making a positive impact on the host community and its people. One of our guides said something which has stuck with me: spending your time to invest in somebody's education will go much further than spending your money on souvenirs (as a casual tourist would).

I am proud to say that I have walked away from this trip with new friends, lifelong memories, and the motivation to continue traveling with purpose!

To say this trip changed my life would be an understatement. I have never felt so at home at a place than I did in Zanzibar. The people of Kairo are incredibly special. They are the most kind-hearted, joyful, and welcoming people I’ve ever met. The GIVE staff creates such a positive environment from the moment you arrive and does everything possible to make the volunteers feel prepared and ready to work. They are organized and are always available to help if need be. The care they have for the Kairo community is truly inspiring. It was amazing getting to be surrounded by like-minded people who all had such a giving heart for others. This is such a unique organization because it perfectly balances hard work and leisure/play . Yet I loved that even the “play” you experience, such as swimming with dolphins or going on safari, is still giving back to the community. The education coordinator (MC) and all of the construction guides (Khamis, Fani, Big Head, Smile, Baboi) helped make volunteering feel effortless because of the joy and energy they brought every day. I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience and would recommend it to anybody who is looking for a safe, responsible way to travel, while impacting the lives of others. A piece of advice I would give to future volunteers is put yourself out there as much as possible and soak up every moment. There is absolutely no judgment, so if you allow yourself to be 100% your authentic self, you will feel more confident and your relationships will blossom right from the start. This trip will not only change your perspective, but also your heart. <3

Truly the best experience ever. I made amazing friendships and learned SO much. The volunteer work we did was so impactful, and the activities we did outside of volunteering were awesome!! This is a great option for solo travelers, as well as if this is your first time traveling to a new country. GIVE plans the entire trip for you, from start to finish, including flights through their partner company. There is great communication between the leaders and volunteers so everything flows smoothly!!!

I cannot recommend Give enough! This trip was legitimately one of the best experiences of my life. Everything we did was incredible, and I left feeling like I had gained so much experience and community, both with my fellow volunteers and the communities we were working with. This was my first time doing any solo travel, so it was a bit scary for me before going, but all my fears went away when I got there. The whole trip was very well thought and at no point did I feel unsafe or worried. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is considering it!

My give trip tanzania summer 2023 was an absolutely incredible experience. They were so helpful before the trip answering all of my questions and From the very first day meeting Hannah, Faith, Baboi and Fani I felt like I was home, like I was part of the family. I felt so safe the entire time, everyday was filled with so many laughs smiles and incredible memories. Everyday topped the last day, the staff that we continued to meet were the most incredible human beings. The food was absolutely delicious and they were great with dietary restrictions.

I can’t even begin to explain how much I recommend give, from the staff, to the amazing and fun volunteering to the day trips with the safari at the end.

GIVE was the best thing I have ever experienced. It has changed my life in so many ways. The people you meet while on these trips are shockingly nice and form everlasting relationships with everyone. I highly recommend this program to everyone, I will definitely be attending a second trip because I loved my first one so much! I met so many new friends and had such amazing experiences while being able to help a community in need. The memories that I made are unforgettable and I hope you have the same opportunity as me.

I completed the WILD course with GIVE Volunteers this past March, and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had as a student. I honestly did not think I could learn as much as I did within one week, and the course was a perfect balance of learning and fun. Not only did we get to learn in the classroom, but we would venture out into the Cascade Mountains and do real-time wilderness first aid scenarios with the instructors, which solidified our knowledge of the topics we discussed. The lodge staff was so kind and went above and beyond to ensure we had a comfortable stay, and the fellow students I met during the course were awesome and we have stayed in-touch with one another since! Those running the course were not only great teachers, but created an inspiring, nurturing, and fun environment for each student to step into their own leadership roles.

So, if you are looking to receive your Wilderness First Aid Certification, become a better leader, or just want to have an educational week while exploring the Cascades, this is the program for you! You won’t regret it!