Volunteering Abroad in Jamaica

My family is from Jamaica but I grew up in the United States and the purpose of taking this trip was to reconnect with my roots. I feel that this program gave me an authentic Jamaican experience and I feel that this program accurately portrays the Jamaican culture. I like that this program is a mix of work and play with volunteering at the school, visiting the beach, the resort, and the Blue Mountain coffee. I like how flexible the program was and that we were also able to socialize with the other guests staying here.

I chose to come on this trip because I thought it would be a great way to broaden my perspective of the business world. This trip definitely helped me achieve my goal. We had to opportunity to speak with Maureen Evans about her business. It was a great way to see how big of an impact tourism has in Jamaica. Also she presented us with a problem and asked us to come up with some solutions. Over this trip was a great learning experience.

My favorite experience on this trip was being able to volunteer at one of the local schools. It was a very fulfilling opportunity. The children were extremely welcoming and lovable. Making crafts with the children and being able to interact with them was awesome. I grew attached to the children in the short two hours we were with them. Overall, I highly recommend visiting a local school and experiencing the Jamaica culture through the eyes of the young children.

This is my first time doing a study abroad program in college and I had a fantastic experience. I learned a lot about the culture here, which was a goal for me because I love learning about different cultures. The food was really good, which is important to me because I am vegan so usually I have limited options. This was a nice break from the cold weather where I am from and I will definitely come back to Jamaica in the future.

I am blown away with the respect, care, and dedication the program has for making the volunteers comfortable. Everyone showed such love for me and I truly felt like an adopted family member. This trip was my first time travelling on my own and I felt I had my time and space for personal growth but appreciated the moments with the staff greatly. The connections here with everyone made this trip so much more special. I am truly grateful!

We really enjoyed our stay here. It was a nice experience overall. The food was delicious as well. We visited beautiful places here in Jamaica, natural waterfalls and exotic beaches. I will always remember the excellent fish we ate at the Hell shire beach. It was a wonderful meal at a beautiful place.

I have been to Jamaica in the past for a vacation and was very eager to get back. Upon my arrival and our first few days here, I was pleasantly surprised to find this kind of trip differed greatly. With Jamaica Volunteer Programs, I was able to see the other and much more cultural side to Jamaica rather than the beautiful beaches that I got on the vacation. The staff here takes great pride in their roots and I was very appreciative of their efforts to allow us to be a part of it. We took hikes, tried authentic Jamaican food, and even drove all around the country for a glimpse at everything. The staff is very friendly, inviting, educated, and accommodating to more personal needs.

I knew I wanted to do a healthcare volunteer experience in Jamaica with my significant other. Eventually, I was deciding between Projects Abroad and Jamaica Volunteer Programs. After speaking with Ms. Maureen Evans, the owner of JVP, I knew this was the program for me! She was so friendly and she made it clear from the first moment we spoke that her staff would do everything they could to make us feel at home! Because it is a family run organization, they really know the island and I really got a cultural experience I feel that most other programs couldn't provide. Additionally, I believe when choosing international experiences, safety is a hands-down priority! JVP did a great job of allowing me to feel secure at all times.The property is located in Smokeyvale which is a relatively quiet and beautiful community in the hills. I stayed in a two-person accommodation which was connected to the Evans' house so I never felt alone. Several times, I even walked by myself to a little shack down the hill to buy myself a "bag juice"! Additionally, transportation is provided by the Evans' family to and from volunteer sites and cultural trips. In regards to my specific volunteer experience, I decided to do the psychology internship which was mainly set at Ferdie's house, an activity & rehabilitation house for those with mental disorders. On a daily basis I got to interact with individuals who suffered from schizoaffective disorder, autism, and much more. Not only were they clients but eventually they became my good friends as we went to the movies, played basketball, and had one-on-one counseling sessions.Although I may not have become an expert psychiatrist over the month, I can definitely say that working with clients really piqued my interest in psychology as I was reminded on how intricate the human mind really is! There is so much more that I can say about this program, but all in all I believe this a "Must-Do Experience" for anyone interested in volunteering in the country of Jamaica!

This past month was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I got to customize my own volunteer/internship program so I spent half my time at an orphanage and the other half of my time teaching at a school. I also spent two days a a psychiatric center which was a very eye-opening experience. On the weekends I went on different trips around the island with other volunteers so I feel like I really got to know island and was fully immersed in the culture. Some of my favorite trips were to Montego Bay, Dunn's River Falls, and the Blue Mountains.