!0 reasons why I'd recommend NOT volunteering through this company

Background: I am a 23 year old medical student who payed $1500 to do a 3 week elective with the Good Shephard clinic in San Ignacio, Belize. Included was accommodation at a home stay, all meals, 6 language lessons and transfer from Belize city to San Ignacio. Everything written below is based solely on my personal experience in May.

1. They do not deliver what they advertise: I arrived on the date Kaya told me I needed to start on; 3rd of March. I was told by their coordinator that the clinic was closed for the week and I would go in on Friday. I was paying $500 for this week and I cancelled a week of my time in paediatric cardiology in America to make this date but they hadn’t organized my first week. I was staying in a hotel, not with a family, and was eating all my meals alone in a restaurant. The language lessons didn’t exist and when I asked about them I was told I could pay extra.

2. They didn’t give me the correct information: They told me the clinic was closed because of the Government election. The clinic was open, running reconstructive surgeries and I had been expected on the day I was originally supposed to start. Other volunteers from different volunteer organizations had all started that day yet Kaya had failed to call the clinic to check their information. The clinic had no idea who Kaya was when I asked them.

3. They refused to reimburse me the money for transport: $30USD is allocated for each transfer. I had to pay for my own transfer and they refused to reimburse me, telling me they spent that aspect on placing me in a hotel instead of a home stay which I didn’t ask for or want.

4. They discourage transparency: My coordinator got in trouble for telling me how much the transfer allowance is. The hotel is under a contract not to disclose how much accommodation costs I found out on the last week when I asked for a reimbursement so I could leave the project.

5. The last week of placement the clinic was closed and they refused to reimburse me part of the $500 I’d paid. I ended up going to the World Paediatric Project in Belize city, after the clinic suggested it, and having to pay for my own food, accommodation and transport after I had already payed Kaya. Kaya’s response was it wasn’t their fault the clinic was closed.

6. They are unsupportive and unprofessional if you have an issue with their service: A woman from Kaya called up my co-ordinator when I asked for a partial refund for the two weeks they hadn’t been able to provide to ask ‘whose side are you on?’. I felt like I was in a battle against Kaya rather than discussing a business transaction.

7. They refuse to take responsibility for their inability to provide what they advertise: During the first week they blamed the government, the co-ordinator and the clinic for the clinic being closed. They then blamed everyone all over again for the misinformation.

8. They’re unprofessional: I dealt with the director, attempting to get a refund for the two weeks of elective I didn’t receive. It took been over 2 months and she periodically ignored my emails or gave me long spiels about why what has happened isn’t her fault, avoiding addressing a refund.

9. They made me feel isolated, resentful and have prolonged everything to the extent where it really ruined my trip. I thought if I told them what had happened they would quickly and efficiently tell me their refund policy and deal with it. Instead it has been a constant back and forth battle via email. I had little support in Belize and ended up leaving because the clinic was closed and I wanted to get away from the situation.

10. After everything Kaya refunded me $103 GBP(10% of the total) after not being able to provide 60% of the elective, not even close to a fair refund.

Basically, this elective was hell. The week that I went to clinic was amazing but all the stress, trauma and disappointment over this wasn’t worth it. Don’t waste your holidays or money on this elective. There are plenty of other organizations out there who can organize your elective properly and based on my experience I would suggest you stay away from this one. It’s been two months, I’ve yet to receive even an answer to a refund and the whole situation was just stressful and unnecessary.