I had a great time! The IVHQ staff were friendly, helpful, and made me feel right at home. Nati reached out to me via WhatsApp the day before and Lichi emailed me letting me know exactly how things would go at the airport. My stay was comfortable and affordable. The food was delicious and the house was clean and neat. The host family really made me feel like a visiting family member versus a guest. They even threw me a little going away dinner.

The staff at my placement were also very nice and helpful and seemed so happy to have me there. As a qualified healthcare professional, I wasn't able to utilize many of my skills so the placement is better suited to a student. Intermediate to advanced Spanish would have made my time easier but I loved the experience nonetheless.

This experience was one of the best I have ever had. I was very apprehensive about taking this journey because I have never traveled alone. However, I would not let my nerves get the best of me, so I decided to travel alone for the first time to Buenos Aires. I have always wanted to volunteer and see other parts of the world. I came across IVHQ just surfing the web for safe and affordable programs. I am starting graduate school this fall so I did not have too much extra money to spend on traveling. I did research on some of the countries I was interested in and Buenos Aires seemed to be one of the safer choices so I felt comfortable in my decision to travel there.

My Spanish speaking skills are extremely basic. I definitely struggled to speak to some of the locals, but I was able to get my point across. Also, I was never alone unless I chose to be alone which was comforting. All the volunteers would go out to eat together and explore Buenos Aires together! All the volunteers who were in the same program would travel to their volunteer accommodation together. Where the childcare program is located is not a good area, but again, you are never alone. I always felt safe because there would always be 6 to 9 of us going together to the program and no-one was left behind. The kids in the program truly have a piece of my heart. It was hard for me to communicate with them since my Spanish skills are very minimal. So while I was there, I focused on playing different sports and activities with the kids such as soccer, jump rope, catch, skateboarding, using the scooter, drawing, and etc. Even tough I couldn't speak the same language, some of the kids truly gravitated towards me because they could see I was smiling, laughing and trying to have fun with them. It truly amazed me how close I felt to some of them even though I could not have real conversation with them.

I am so glad I went out of my comfort zone to volunteer in Buenos Aires because the memories and friends I made on this trip I will cherish and hold close to my heart forever. The kids I met during this project I will miss forever and cherish the memories I have with them. This trip truly gave me another perspective on life and truly helped me grow as a person. I would highly recommend taking this journey to anyone.

I want to leave an honest review. This experience was truly amazing and impactful. It was my first time ever doing a volunteer abroad. I was doing research and making sure it was legit and it really was an amazing experience. Volunteer HQ communicated throughout my time until I was off and then the local team communicated picking me up, having an orientation tour and the local staff are so kind. The volunteer placement I was in was childcare of 3 year olds and it was so fun and sweet. It was a walk (30 minutes and then 10 min bus ride) to the place. However, the kids were so sweet and I absolutely enjoyed my time in the program. I ended up adopting a dog too and the local staff team helped tremendously having her come back home with me. :)

I chose the teaching project from IVHQ first of all based on how affordable it was in comparison to the other websites I had visited. Second of all, as a future med student I wanted to try a different way in which to help society, so I decided to go abroad where I could share my knowledge to others who don't share the same privilege as me. This project ensured I could do what I had in mind and it also helped me to appreciate what I have and how much happiness you could give someone just by dedicating some of your time to them!

I created such a special bond with the kids I was teaching, even though we didn't speak the same language, something I didn't know could be possible. The other volunteers there were friendly and I was heartbroken to leave such friendships behind. I will definitely sign up for another project next year too!

My experience volunteering abroad in Argentina with IVHQ was phenomenal. The staff was very supportive and welcoming, and I felt safe the entire time I was there. It was amazing to know that I was helping out a community in need every day by working in a daycare with impoverished 2-4 year old children. This experience was incredibly rewarding and I learned a lot about myself. Also, the volunteer accommodations that were provided by IVHQ were great, including the volunteer house and the food served daily. I highly recommend traveling with IVHQ - you won’t regret it!

I went through IVHQ to Córdoba, Argentina for 3 weeks, from May 14th, 2018, to June 3, 2018. I'm 19 years old, was born and raised in Houston, and go to school in Chicago, Illinois. This was my first volunteer abroad trip, and I went during my summer break I had never been outside of the country before, and I'm so glad I did!! In this program, you stay in a volunteer house with a host who's native Argentinian, and are served two meals a day by the host. My host, José, was an awesome host-so lively and fun to be around, he always made sure that the volunteers were comfortable, and an amazing chef! We also had Spanish lessons every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for about $80 pesos a week-really affordable. On Tuesdays, we had professional Zumba instructors come in and we did Zumba for about an hour! For my project, I did teaching, which was helping elementary and middle school kids with their math and Spanish homework at a tutoring center. I had it Monday-Friday, for about 4 hours a day, and had it in Villa Allende and Saldan. Villa Allende is about 15 minutes by bus (their public transportation) and the school in Saldan was 5 mins walking from the volunteer house. Bus trips are between 25-38 pesos. None of the students or teachers knew any English, so my Spanish skills were put to the test! The school was welcoming, and the students were eager to learn! It was a lot of fun to help them, and a cool cultural-exchange. The other volunteers were really sweet and fun to be around, and we hung out a lot in the house, and even went on a trip to Buenos Aires one weekend! I would recommend IVHQ to anyone who is interested in volunteering abroad.

I spent 2 weeks in Córdoba doing the Healthcare project, and had a really good time. The atmosphere at the house was super chill and welcoming, and I always felt very at home- not to mention José made us some of the best food! The project was interesting as well, as I spent my time shadowing in a local clinic- definitely a good way to practice your Spanish as well! The IVHQ staff were all very welcoming and willing to answer any questions. Overall I had a great experience and would recommend Córdoba IVHQ!

This program is well organised and supported. There is a great degree of flexibility involved within the placements themselves, meaning that you can open yourself up to variety of different experiences. The volunteer house is comfortable, and the people involved do a great job in making you feel welcome. Travel is also encouraged, allowing you to do a bit of sightseeing in your spare time. Overall a quality program that is worth doing by anyone who wants to gain a bit of experience abroad while also helping out communities at the same time.