Arusha, Tanzania

The program that Volunteering Solutions offers is great. It's an affordable way to volunteer. The accommodations were safe and clean and the meals were good. There wasn't very much variety in the meals though. After two weeks, I found myself wanting to eat out for most meals. Also, the area that the volunteer house is located in is very dangerous. We were mugged while there. However, there is a security guard at the gate 24/7, so when inside the volunteer house, you feel relatively safe. Also, your room door has a lock, so you can keep that locked at night as well.

They try to place volunteers at orphanages where help is needed most. If you went to an orphanage and didn't feel like it was a good fit for you, you were able to change to a different one. Also, some people came wanting to volunteer at the hospitals but then realized upon arrival that they would actually rather be at an orphanage. It wasn't a problem for them to change programs. When considering value for money, using volunteering solutions is a great option.