Awesome Youth Support in Lisbon!

I had a genuinely meaningful, fulfilling, and enjoyable time on my first IVHQ trip. The youth support volunteer trip was based in Lisbon, Portugal, and it was my first time being in the country. What a great way to explore a new place! You connect with both fellow international travellers, but the rich local community, too. Likewise, you have the opportunity to stay in safe, private hostels/rooms, while still being central to the action (i.e. town/city centers, transportation, nature, etc). But perhaps the deepest, most profound educational experience is the hands-on volunteering. What better way to connect to a community than to help their most vulnerable demographics? My particular placement worked with young mothers enrolled in school (14yo-24yo) and their infants in need of day-care (1mo-1yo). The placement was ideal for me, as it allowed me to deploy my love for / experience with young children and enabled me to help the promotion of education for young women from disadvantaged communities. Overall, I developed a deep connection with the country and community, while also diversifying my interactions and experiences with a unique, cosmopolitan group of travellers staying in the hostel.