If Portugal taught me anything it was to not trust google translate. When I was writing my thank you note to the placement because I had such an incredible time, I found myself saying "parking lots of love" and calling my supervisors "lions" by accident! But why did I feel the need to write them a note, you ask...

Although there were hills everywhere and the walk to placement was like a trek up Kilimanjaro everyday, making a difference to the community made it all worthwhile. I had never worked with babies before but by the end of my two weeks all of them knew me! The biggest achievement was getting a baby who cried all day everyday to stop crying and actually start to smile at me; this placement taught me that sometimes it's the smaller things in life that make it all worthwhile.

The trip was organised by the local team fantastically - there was always something going on, including the scheduled trips every week which aims to bring volunteers together. The local team were great at providing help and support to whenever it was needed - they made a real effort with every single person.

Lisbon also has a great social scene and there is always somewhere to go/something to do. It is very cheap to eat and drink out, as well as buying food. It is easily commutable to Porto and the Algarve by train, Cabo de Roca (the most western point of Europe) by bus and has a good metro in the city centre. You have to be prepared to walk when you're not in the city centre area.

Lisbon and Portugal have a very special place in my heart and I will be back.

To be honest, when i first signed up for volunteering in Portugal i did not know what to expect. but let me brief you on why this trip was truly memorable for me. When i first arrived(with my best friend who came with me) to portugal from lebanon i saw diogo and rita waiting for us at the aiport. In the car ride we got to know them, they were pretty cool and we felt like we've known them for a while! Our home was beautiful and well secured(the finger print system was very practical). What I liked the most is the flexibility of Diogo and RIta; if one did not like placement they'd willingly let him change, they'd take us on interesting outings, the trip to setubal was mesmerizing! overall, being with these really cool volunteers from all over the globe, being able to help a country with such renowned organisations definitely transcends an ordinary experience. cheers to new volunteering at experiences!

Throughout my time in Lisbon, one thing that will stick with me forever is that each night after everyone was back at the hostel, we would all sit outside on the balcony and talk, enjoy the beautiful view, and have fun. It is not necessarily a story, but definitely my favorite memory when looking back. It is an incredible feeling to be in a foreign country where I knew nobody, yet here I was sitting outside with my new family.

The staff Rita and Diogo were very helpful in greeting me initially when I arrived at the airport and getting me to my accommodation. I spoke absolutely no Portuguese so I was worried if I would have trouble getting around in the country. They made me feel extremely comfortable and answered any questions that I might have had during my stay putting my mind at ease. The project I was working on was food distribution. The staff who were at the ReFood center were very nice and caring individuals passionate about what they did! It was a pleasure to be have been able to work among such friendly locals! We were also able to have enough time to take many wonderful day trips around the city. The program coordinators went above and beyond to show us the loveliest, most interesting parts around town and explain the history behind them. Was the perfect balance of volunteering at the project site, and still getting to be a tourist in the wonderful city of Lisbon. It is a very vibrant city with something to do for everyone. Getting to work with the other volunteers, meet with locals, and immerse in Portuguese culture was truly invaluable. An experience I will not soon forget and would recommend to anyone thinking of trying it.

For starters, this was my first time in Europe and Portugal was a perfect first experience! I had always wanted to do a volunteer program so my friend from school and I decided to start searching online for one, when we came along IVHQ we were thrilled by all the choices and the most affordable costs. We ended up picking Portugal because it was what our families agreed on. In our program the kids didn't necessarily NEED us like in third world countries, but they definitely enjoyed our presence instead of just being with the people in charge all the time. They loved having people to look up to. You could show up to your placement as you pleased, it was good to go most of the time but if you had a day trip planned or something during your time at placement you could always let them know and they had no problem with you missing a day. I would not trade my experience, I had a blast with the kids at SKILLZ, and in Portugal in general. I would definitely suggest Portugal as a stepping stone for those first time travelers or volunteers. I suggest going in open minded when volunteering!

I spent four weeks in Portugal with IVHQ, and I had a great experience! I worked with middle and high school students and helped them to develop some English skills and I played games with them. The team on the ground in Portugal was great and they were very supportive! I would definitely recommend IVHQ for anyone thinking about volunteering, and I will most definitely be volunteering again with them in the future!

My experience with volunteering in Portugal was definitely one to remember! I was able to volunteer in the youth support program in the main town and help the kids with their arts and crafts! Lisbon was definitely a truly beautiful capital! With the amazing scenery of the castles and the color buildings throughout the city, you definitely won't be disappointed by what you'll see! The program facilitators for IVHQ and ImpacTrip were all very helpful too! Many extra excursions are offered during your stay as well! I was able to witness my very first professional soccer match with Team Portugal vs. Estonia and was even able to see Cristiano Ronaldo! This was definitely one of the highlights during my stay in Lisbon! This experience is a great way to meet some new friends as well! Immersing myself into the Portuguese culture is definitely an amazing opportunity that I will forever be grateful to have! This program has my highest recommendation!