Mexico Volunteer Programs from $25/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

My name is Marina and I am from Alberta, Canada. I traveled to Merida for one week to complete the special needs care project. It was my first time traveling solo and I was very nervous. However, IVHQ had such a streamlined process from start to finish and I felt safe and supported throughout my entire time in Mexico. Anytime I had a question I was always answered immediately. The fees are very affordable so it was perfect for a student like myself. The reason I went on this trip was to have a new travel opportunity but to also add valuable experience to my resume! The volunteer placement was so rewarding and worked out perfectly. It's a great set up because we volunteered in the mornings and had every afternoon and weekend to do excursions. Our program coordinator always had fun suggestions for things to do! This program is perfect for young solo travelers and I would suggest it to everyone!

Hola, I’m Maria and I just spent one month with IVHQ Mexico in Merida. If I want to describe my experience here in one world, I would say that it was phenomenal.
I won’t lie to you, the first week was hard. It takes time and effort to integrate yourself into a new culture, and to get used to the food, the language, and the lifestyle. However, once you get used to it, you will love it and become quite attached to it. Also, I realized that everything depends on the mindset you travel in: Having an open mind and saying yes to new experiences and adventures that are outside of your comfort zone will make your experience so much better.
What made my experience here so nice was the staff who really made everything easier. They were very understanding whenever I had an issue and always did their best to help me and make me feel safe, which is very important for someone who is abroad. Besides the staff, the friends I made here changed my life.
As for what I did, I was part of the English teaching program, and what was amazing about that was that every time I arrived at the school, all the girls would stop what they were doing and run to me, hug me, and give me a kiss. I would honestly do anything to go back and have this incredible welcome that made my day every morning.
In a few words, what I learned at the end of my trip is that the more you give, the more you will gain! Thank you IVHQ for these amazing 4 weeks of my life!

I’d been wanting to participate in some sort of volunteer tourism program for a while, but as a first time solo traveler I wasn’t sure which program would be the best for me. After doing a bit of research I came across IVHQ. Choosing their program was the best decision. Not only is IVHQ one of the cheapest volunteer tourism groups around, they allow you plenty of time to sightsee and offer a wide variety of volunteer opportunities in a even wider selection of countries. From the very beginning their staff were helpful and always available to answer any questions.

Once I was in country, I found my accommodations in Mérida, Mexico to be exceptional. Everything was very clean and safe. There was even a pool. My coordinator Carolina was very helpful. She even set up tours for me and did research about things I was interested in doing to help me make the most of my time in Mexico.

While seeing all the street animals was sad, AFAD, the animal shelter were I volunteered was a ray of sunshine. Everyone who worked there was kind and incredibly dedicated to the care of their animals. The facility was clean and the animals were happy and well cared for. I wish I could have stayed longer.

If you’re looking for a way to see the world while giving back, especially if you’re a solo traveler, I highly recommend IVHQ.

It was a super exciting experience being immersed in the culture and the language that I knew so little about before coming here, all the staff and volunteers are extremely friendly and helpful and made the experience worthwhile. Being around people who require your assistance is really rewarding and something I will never forget. I was disappointed with how little we got to spend at placement considering we are only here for a week so I recommend more balance between volunteering and sightseeing for future volunteers. The house was really nice and well maintained as well as the food. Trying real authentic Mexican food was awesome however, more variety would be appreciated as a lot of meals we experienced were the same or very similar. Overall a really great experience.

Initially, I wasn’t too sure what to expect with my volunteering experience as it was my first time; however, it turned out to be the most amazing week!! The staff working at my placement (Carolina, Miguel and our cook Ana) were such lovely people. They were always available to answer any questions, give advice about tours/ what to do and to ask how we were all settling into the program. The other volunteers were very welcoming and friendly towards me. It was great to hear about everyone’s home countries and why they chose to be here. I was volunteering, with a friend, and we were both placed at a daycare centre. The children were truly adorable and all the staff working there were lovely even with a language barrier. I did a one week volunteering experience and the staff was so flexible if I needed to take off placement to go to a day trip to Chichen Itza or to leave early to catch a bus to Uxmal. I would definitely recommend going to Uxmal as you get to climb a part of the ruins - this was one of the highlights. Immersing myself in such a different culture via language, food etc was such an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

I chose to volunteer with IVHQ because my school required me to fulfill an international experience in order to graduate and most students there have volunteered through IVHQ. I decided last minute I wanted to do this instead of another program offered by my school, I didn't know where to volunteer in, and I didn't have the time to research other countries either. I thought Mérida was a good idea because I already spoke Spanish, it was affordable, and the travel distance was relatively shorter compared to other locations... And it was the best the decision I could've made! I have met wonderful people here, I have made new friends, and I have visited the beautiful surroundings including downtown Merida and Uxmal ruins.
The schedule is perfect for both volunteering and exploring, a typical day includes around four hours of volunteer work in the morning with the afternoons are free. The project I worked on was sustainable agriculture in which I helped in a community garden, and I learned how to grow tomatoes, pumpkin, and eggplants. I also had the opportunity to support the childcare project at Amiguitos, and I must say this placement was my favorite! At Amiguitos, the children were exposed to an interactive, fun, but structured environment. It was just wonderful! The kids would play outside, every day they would have a different outdoor activity; then they would come back inside and toys were set out for them, this was to keep them entertained while waiting for their turn to take a shower; then they would have lunch, brush their teeth and prepare for nap time. I was impressed with the level of discipline these kids had!
Overall, IVHQ-Mérida was a great experience, you won't regret your decision if you choose this program!

This has been my first ever experience participating in a volunteer program. The opportunity came to me because my granddaughter needed to attend a volunteer program as part of her college curriculum. She chose to study in Mexico and selected a program related to childcare and then asked me to accompany her. So we will have completed two weeks working assisting and participating in the program at a local daycare with children from ages 0 to 6. The program director instructors and teachers follow a punctual Program they are very friendly and combine their teaching with love and affection for the children it was a wonderful experience and I feel privileged to have been a part of it. In addition to the friends we meet at the daycare my granddaughter and I have also made really good friends with other members of the group here and were able to visit multiple historical locations spend the weekend in Cancun and The IVHQ staff was very welcoming and supportive and accommodating.

I was so nervous when I first found out I had to study abroad but I am so thankful I found IVHQ. Not only did they give me the courage to come to a whole new country and experience the culture but they also provided me with so much fun experiences tors of historical sites and also made sure that all my needs were taken care of every day! The program I chose was child care and I have never felt more joy in my life. The children were so happy and well behaved and we’re just so cute. I helped out a lot in the nursery which I found was the most heartwarming rocking babies to sleep and making sure they had fun interactions with each other. There’s no greater feeling than walking into the daycare and having a dozen kids run up to you hugging you and saying hello even though you don’t speak their language just the fact that you’re there makes them happy which in turn makes me happy!