Affordable Volunteer Programs in Jamaica

It has taken me a while to come on here and write my review as I wanted to gain some perspective after the experience I had in Jamaica. I want my review to help other people, not to use this as a form of complaint as that is not my aim. The background to my trip, I am a qualified nurse in England who has wanted to volunteer from as long as I can remember. I started my search on where to go & I found Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions online. From the beginning was impressed with their website, fast responses, Skype call to introduce themselves so was very excited to embark on my trip. I decided to go for 5 weeks from 21st February - 28th March 2015. Unfortunately I did cut my trip short due to some of the problems I experienced whilst I was there. And ended up leaving on Weds 25th March.
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As I am a nurse I stuck with that field and volunteered in an elderly care home, I also volunteered in a children's orphanage on an afternoon. In the middle of my stay I was invited to join a school group to visit the Blue Mountains and helped planting a tree in the national park.
I honestly think if you are going into the experience with your eyes open & are made aware exactly what service this company and also his mothers company Jamaica Volunteer Programs provides then you won't have any problems, however I wasn't. This is a company... For profit... And the word "voluntourism" would be more appropriate. I was also told on a number of occasions this is a "lucrative business" and "we are running a business here".

Things you should be aware of:
- NONE of the money you pay the company goes towards helping the projects you are volunteering with which is the part I found most difficult & upsetting. The thing these places need more than anything is money.
- There is no structure or goal with regards to the volunteering... There was no plan, no aim, I was literally there as a spare pair of hands. Particularly the orphanage I felt as though the children actually experienced more emotional trauma from these people coming in & out of there lives just to come and visit them, play with them for a few days, then leave. They had become accustomed to this & were asking if we'd brought toys because it was now expected that that's what happens. These children have all experienced more in their lives than they should have had to have done from witnessing domestic abuse to actually experiencing abuse in all forms. And now lead a lifestyle where tourists pull up (albeit with the best intentions) on a bus to come and see them & how they live (I hate to use this phrase but it's the only way to describe it... Like animals in a zoo). And on reflection it was quite upsetting.
- The elderly care home was run by Catholics and its biggest problem was financial... I helped and advised as best I could with the experience & skills I have from home but there was a limit to how I could help. I left feeling disheartened that I couldn't do more. The lady who runs the place is a saint... She has worked there for 25 years, 7 days a week with no pay. And still doesn't receive any financial backing from the company that provides these "voluntourists".

Accommodation & Social Aspect
- I stayed at Smokey Manor which is owned and run by Jamaica
Volunteer Programs NOT Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions so experienced complications and conflicts with regards to my accommodation transport excursions etc. as they are very closely linked as they are all family but do run as separate businesses.
- If you do stay at Smokey Manor then you are located up in the hills, no public transport or access to taxis, therefore if on a weekend or evening you want to leave to explore you are charged USD$20 (per person so a car full would be $80!!), this I had not factored into my budgeting and bearing in mind it is a 5-10 min car journey to the bottom of the hill (if that!!). I was also constantly reminded of the high cost of living in Jamaica which they used to justify a lot of their costs.
- Basically you are confined to the guest house unless you are going to your projects or you pay to leave either by transport or on an excursion.
- Lunch is not included (or wasn't with my package) so I arrived on a Saturday and went from breakfast Sunday to evening without another meal, or I would have had to pay the transport fee ($20) just to go the supermarket to get some food.
- Whilst I was there they had overbooked the accommodation and therefore wanted me to move into a house further up the hill & over the road. The house was a building site in the process of being finished, although the inside was beautifully decorated the outside was unfinished, I would have been very isolated, with no access to the facilities I had paid for... E.g. Wifi & meals, I would have had to walk back to the main house for meals on an evening alone. I therefore chose to leave early as the time fell at the end of my stay.

Positives (Yes there were a few)
- Louise the housekeeper cannot be praised enough, she works extremely long hours & cooks the best food!! She was so warm & friendly and genuinely happy to see you!! She is a wonderful woman!!
- I met some of the most amazing people from around the world, mainly from the U.S. who I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet had I not gone and still keep in regular contact with now and also from the projects.
- Jamaica is a beautiful country & has some beautiful places to visit.

If you are looking for a voluntourism kind of trip and are going into it with your eyes open with regards to what it entails, the financial costs, location etc. then these are good companies to go with. I felt 100% safe throughout my trip.
If you are looking for a true volunteering experience where the projects have a goal and an aim and are genuinely helping the community then I would not recommend this company. I would suggest looking at non-profit organisations who are genuinely there to help the local community and are not running as a business.

I have selected the option for potential volunteers to contact me about this project if they wish too.

Our family was vacationing in Negril and wanted to take some time away from relaxing and this was the perfect excursion. We went with our two children ( age 8 & 10) to a local school to help with their annual sports day. We were able to not only interact with the staff and students, but their families as well. We had a great time, lovely lunch and couldn't have been more pleased with the experience.

It was an amazing trip, it was comforting while also helpful doing community work. We stayed at the Smokey Manor for half the trip and then we went to the Blue mountains. It could not have been any better. I am a vegatiarian and they where very flexable with that. The space was small, but in a good way. We all got really close together like family. We welcomed part of the staff to be part of our school family. Even some other people from a different group. Over all I could not have seen this to be any better. Very nice and I would recommand anyone to do this program because it worth every second, and penny.

Deciding to complete an Internship in Jamaica was one of the best decisions I've ever made! Studying in the Travel and Tourism Industry, students were granted the opportunity to travel worldwide and since I am a person who loves traveling I instantly began to seek for an International opportunity. Now being that I have Jamaican background It motivated me find a company in Jamaica and Intern for them, thus how I found Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions. This experience helped me to enhance and practice customer service skills all over the world while also learning more about my cultural background. From the moment I arrived I felt welcomed as the company team members were present from airport pick to the final date of Internship. I was blown away with great field trips where we as a team and as an individual created inseparable memories, viewed many beautiful sceneries, had the chance to make new friends and be fulfilled with delicious local foods and pastries. This trip was a big step for me as it completely allowed me to step out my comfort zone but i'm so glad I pushed myself into this decision. I would definitely recommend this program to any persons who wish to volunteer and/or do an Internship with JVE. It was truly an eye opener experience and I hope that in the future I will return for a visit or participate in an alumni events.

I participated in the Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions program from March 13th-April 8th. I would recommend this program to anyone looking for a safe vacation, volunteer experience, or anyone wanting to learn about other cultures. The accommodations are beautiful, clean, and make you feel at home. The staff are very welcoming and provide excellent service, catering, and several opportunities for activities and tours. What I most enjoyed about the program was the opportunity to interact with the locals of Kingston. The cultural immersion was an unforgettable experience, and will be returning soon!!

Volunteering in Jamaica has been the most amazing experience and I will never forget it! The evening I arrived in Jamaica I was jet lagged and nervous, but after speaking to the other volunteers and Marlon, the son of the family who own the guest house, those nerves soon went.
The first week I was in Jamaica I was volunteering at an orphanage in Havendale. The girls were all lovely there, just craving attention. I read them stories, helped them with their homework, played games outside with them and one day we made birthday cards for the lady who ran the orphanage. There was also an 8month old baby boy, I loved teaching him how to walk, he was very sweet. By the time I was leaving he was trying to say my name, which was just brilliant. Also in the first week I went to Manning's Hill pre school twice, all the children there were lovely too, it was a great experience being able to help them with their words and letters. The aunties and the teachers at both the orphanage and the school were very helpful and grateful for me being there.
For the remaining 3 weeks I was at Shortwood Practicing school, this was for children aged 3-15. I was volunteering with the pe department by helping to teach the kids sports. On the first day I taught a class of 5year olds track and field sports. It was great and the kids were all really helpful and pleasant. On the second day it was parents day, so I was sitting next to one of the pe teachers as he did his one-to-one parent teacher consultations. This was a very eye opening experience and I learnt a lot about the background of some of the kids. During my time I was also asked by one of the senior management team to go up on stage during their devotion in the morning, and tell the children about me. I also donated some footballs and netballs to the pe department as they didn't have any! They were desperately needed for the kids to learn new skills for competitions. The pe teachers and the rest of the staff at the school were very kind and willing to help me with anything I needed. They also didn't push me into anything I didn't want to do, it was always what I felt comfortable with.
Staying in Smokey Manor Guest House was brilliant, the Evans family were great with everything, you knew they'd be there to help if you needed them, The housekeeper and cook Louise is a legend! Everyday cooking authentic Jamaican dishes which were so tasty! But always with a smile on her face.
The day trips I went on were also great, I learnt a lot about coffee in the Blue Mountains and relaxed at Hellshire Beach.
Overall this volunteer experience has been life changing, it couldn't have been any better. I learnt so much, I think I made a difference to the lives of some of the children, plus I has great fun, had loads of new experiences and made some friends for life. I will definitely be coming back to Jamaica soon, as I've fallen in love with the island, the culture, the music and how kind the people are. I don't think I've ever been as relaxed in my entire life, I'm even staying an extra week with someone I've met since being here.