Legally Volunteer Service in Cuba

My Global Volunteer experience in Havana, Cuba , was one of the most enriching and fulfilling experiences I have had on a placement. I felt that I made a difference. Living in a democracy, I had imagined many different things about life in Cuba. It was exciting to be there talking to people who are residents there. During my two-week stay, I got to know the people at my placement, the English students, and the volunteering sponsor, the Cuban Council of Churches community. and their staff. It gave me the opportunity to hear their anecdotes. I learned a lot about their culture. It also gave me a new appreciation for things that I take for granted as simple as retail options at a supermarket Their choices are limited.
During our free time I loved sightseeing and learning more about Havana and Cuba. Our meals were so good! Our team leader was great! I felt safe. Our volunteer group became like a family. It was a wonderful experience! I would like to go back one of these days.

Traveling to Havana, Cuba for a service trip was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I've wanted to do more abroad travel but have always had some safety concern about organizing it on my own. This trip was so well organized and safety was priority which was definitely always met. Transportation, housing, and meals were all included and an optimal experience. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to stay at a casa within the community. Absorbing the Cuban culture, while engaging within the community was such a learning experience I will never forget.

There's no place quite like Cuba, so close to the U.S. Despite the obvious economic and political differences, it's a country rich in history, bestowed with natural beauty and beaming with cultural pride. For me, the people make the place, and the Cuban people are some of the warmest, kindest, healthiest and happiest people you will ever encounter. They have a sincere fascination with and appreciation for people who visit and donate their time and energy to the betterment of Cuban society. You're not going to find fancy shopping malls or swanky resorts so typical of other travel destinations, but you will find an authenticity that is uniquely Cuban. It is that experience that differentiates Cuba from other locales and one that will stay with you long after you have returned home. As an American, I never thought I would have the opportunity to travel to Cuba, or that I would like it, but now I have been there twice, once as a tourist and once as a volunteer, and I feel so privileged to have been able to experience a place that still holds such a mystique for many Americans. Volunteering is a remarkable and rewarding way to experience Cuba and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Even though the people of Cuba might not have a lot, they are more than willing to give you anything, even the shirt off their backs to ensure that you are comfortable and feel like a member of the Cuban community. It was so easy to grow attached to the natives that it was twice as hard to leave when the program was over. Given the opportunity, I would go back in a heartbeat and do the program over and over and over again because even though I've only been there once, Cuba has and will always have a special place in my heart.

I had such a welcoming, educational experience on my service trip to Cuba. The people at the Council of Churches we worked with in Havana were very welcoming!! Along with nursing home workers and residents. Everyone was there with open arms and open hearts and they made it very clear how grateful they were to have us around. Although many of us in the group did not speak spanish at all and were a little unsure how the communication would work, after the first day we realized there are so many ways to make communication work! The people were so nice and helped us while we helped them. We also had an amazing informative Team leader from GV named Daniel. He was very relaxed and patient with our group and kept us on schedule! He set up a few guest speakers for us to learn more about Cuba -American relations and another about Cuban Education, we even learned to dance Salsa at the council of churches!!
I personally had such an amazing time with the English leaners from the community. I worked mostly with the children and they were so excited to come in every day to learn new games while learning English. The food was absolutely amazing and even those who did not eat meat were accounted for.
I would highly recommend the program in Cuba! It was an experience I will NEVER forget!

Such a wonderful program! The work projects were well organized and genuinely helpful. The team leader was well-informed, fun and a great resource. Such a great way to visit and learn about Cuba. We were in Ciego de Avila for most of the program and then went into Havana for the weekend to learn about the life of the local people, visit some museums and get a better sense of what it is like to be in the Capital of Cuba.

Travel to Cuba can be a little daunting, but not with Global Volunteers. They helped us every step of the way, answered all of our questions, and unlike many other organizations, had someone to meet us at the airport with the rest of the group. The lodging at the casa particular was wonderful and way beyond what any of us expected.

I went to Cuba for two weeks with Global Volunteers to tutor English and learn about the Cuban culture, and I was amazed, enlightened, fulfilled, and rewarded beyond words with my experience there. G.V. is very organized, the cultural activities were very good, the local contacts were brilliant, the students I tutored were wonderful and grateful, and the people of Cuba are very welcoming. Thanks Global Volunteers.

Cuba was a beautiful volunteering experience and the connections created with the warm, kind, generous people of Ciego de Avila will remain with me always! Volunteering bridges cultures in amazing ways. We are such an interconnected world! I have been fortunate to travel and explore the world extensively in my life but it is through interacting through volunteerism, be it helping paint a daycare facility, gardening, teaching English, or holding sick little babies in faraway countries that I have come to realize we truly are all the same, no matter the language we speak. Helping out opens the doors to a language of the heart that is universal.