CADIP - Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects

Two years ago I took a chance and signed up for an Icelandic volunteer experience. At the time I did not realize it, but would later discover, that 'chance' would become one of the best decisions of my life. The entire experience was transformative - refueling my passion for life. The teams' spirit and passion for life was invigorating - and contagious! I returned a different person. In addition, the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding - to truly experience the country - by working with the community, provided a unique opportunity. In the past two years a lot has changed, yet one thing that hasn't is the flutter that automatically spurs in my heart whenever anyone mentions Iceland.

I have just completed your workcamp project in Ayacucho, Peru. I had an excellent time, and it was a very good experience. I want to thank you for offering such a high quality workcamp, and I look forward to participating in more of your workcamps in the future.

My experience in Viet Nam was probably one of the most meaningful and memorable times in my life - I met some fantastic people with whom I will always be friends.

First of all it was an incredible experience and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to do something meaningful and enjoyable. The Akha people are very intriguing and very kind. We spent our time in two different villages where we were treated with great respect and cared for as honorary guests. Nevertheless the conditions were very simple, and I would not recommend this workcamp to anyone requiring 'western' standard facilities or food. We ate many traditional Akha dishes which consisted of various vegetables and meats (both cooked and uncooked for the daring). We were lucky to take part in a festival that was occurring at one of the villages called the 'swing festival'. To prepare for this, we helped the villagers collect trees from the jungle and then build a giant swing that we could all use, it was a lot of fun. Other projects we worked on included building a house and clearing a long road of foliage. The mountains surrounding Chiang Rai are beautiful, and our camp leader was very catering to all of our touristic needs (sightseeing and what not). The greatest aspect of the camp was living among the Akha people, sleeping and eating in their homes, and taking part in their customs and traditions.

Volunteering at the 'Rodopski pansion' was an incredible experience. I especially enjoyed the time spent with the children. The team of volunteers was all on the same page and the leadership that George provided was amazing. I found the language a slight barrier with some of the youth, but I found sports as a means of communication. All and all I would love to help out again with CADIP.

The project was well selected. It was concise, exciting and unique. The temple stay gave me a lot of opportunities to experience Korean culture, to discover local traditions, and to get involved in the local community. The campleaders were also very good. These two Korean girls were capable, responsible and hardworking. Besides, they were very friendly and sensitive. Their help made me adjust to the new environment as soon as possible. In general, I think my experience in Korea was fantastic and unforgettable. I will definitely participate in another workcamp in the future.

In Tintoda, Gujarat, we rebuilt an old lady's house that collapsed during the monsoon season, we planted 500 trees around a manmade lake to reinforce the lake and increase the wildlife surrounding the lake, we spoke on health issues, visited a school for the handicapped, organized a sports day at the local school, helped distribute a free lunch for close to 800 children and participated in many local festivals and events. We were the first foreigners to ever visit this small town and they were ecstatic to host us. We had the opportunity to sit with the local government to discuss our thoughts and ideas about local developments and progressions. The volunteer group was amazing and I have made lifelong friends in the process. After my 2 weeks volunteering I backpacked for an additional 3 weeks and saw many different areas of India.

This message is coming to let you know that my experience as a volunteer at the URPI Orphanage in Ayacucho, Peru was an incredibly extra ordinary! I had some preconceived notions of what the experience might be like but I did not know to what degree I would be impacted by this opportunity. I thought about my reasons for making this journey and believed that I needed to do something more, in giving back to society and particularly to those who don't have a great voice in society...children. I got so much from the children and the experience that I still find it difficult to articulate in words. Before arriving at the orphanage, I was certain about one thing and that was that it would, most likely, be difficult to leave the boys but I had no idea how difficult...many tears as we had our fiesta for the boys and said our 'Goodbye'. They are children like children anywhere in the world, bright, curious, in need of the usual...love, affection and attention, eager to learn and great little manipulators all rolled into adorable little bundles of energy. I felt extremely pleased and proud that the majority of the volunteers were from Canada but all of the volunteers were special with something great to offer. Would I volunteer my time again.....in a heartbeat. This was an incredibly positive experience with wonderful people in a gorgeous country. I truly believe that anyone willing, able and truly motivated, should seize such an opportunity, as the rewards are enormous. Thank you very much for the wonderful opportunity!

The project was an amazing experience for me. Everyone I worked with in Solheimar was great, volunteers and locals alike. The guy that led everything, Valgeir, was great to get to know and everything was incredibly organized. He showed us around on our first day there and gave us a detailed tour of the village. The first four days, I worked outside with Urn and did landscaping (painting, laying down turf, etc), the rest of the time I worked in the forestry area or in the organic cultivation area. The people in those 'departments' were also great and I learned so much. During my stay there, the group was invited for coffee and tea at one of the lady's house, which was nice to see an Icelander's house. I think doing this workcamp was one of the best experiences of my life....getting to know people from all over Europe as well as learning about Icelandic culture while working cannot be beat. We also had the chance to do excursions on our free time which were organized by Valgeir as well as some that were organized by the group itself (the group of volunteers). I will definitely do a workcamp again in the future.

I was a participant in the project in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in the middle of July and this experience was great. My camp leader made me feel like I was at home and I really want to do this experience once again next summer. The kids in the orphanage really had fun with us and I think that I and the other volunteers made a difference during the two weeks for them. This experience changed my life in a way so I have to come back next year and try to make once again a little change in these kids' life. We as Canadians are known all around the world for being a nation that likes to help other nations and it's with groups like yours and people like me that we will continue to make a difference! I am still in touch with the other volunteers, my camp leader and a couple of the kids. Thank you for this experience.

The project was amazing. It was well-organized and the locals were very helpful and fun. They took us to various surrounding villages and we had a chance to do some sight-seeing. They were very hardworking also. The work itself was sometimes tiring but with a lot of enthusiasm and team spirit it wasn't hard. In fact, it was fun! It was a very enjoyable experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested.

I participated in a program through CADIP in Trets, France. Honestly, I had an amazing time with the other volunteers on the farm. The work was hard but satisfying. Usually I would trim the grass, plant seeds, weed, harvest vegetables, transport compost and other garden duties. Lunch was always great. If it was sunny, we'd eat outside next to the garden. We did get to go on some great day trips by train and bus to Marseilles and Arles. The market in Trets was really interesting, too. We visited a 1000 year old monastery built into the side of a mountain about 45 mins away, went to the tops of some nearby mountains to get some amazing views. We also got to help out with a huge party that was a fundraiser for the farm and join in and meet some of the locals and supporters of the organization. All in all, I really had an amazing time. I grew up on a farm and really loved getting back to it. Oh, forgot about the chickens. They added a lot to the experience, even if the roosters would never shut up :). I recommend this program to anyone who isn't afraid of getting a little dirty and working hard for 6 hours a day.

I am writing to you to tell you about the amazing experience I had at the workcamp in Bulgaria. I worked with the kids at Rodopski Pansion for 4 weeks this summer -- from July 28-Aug 26. First of all, I fully, plan to return next summer and I would like to stay for the entire 8 weeks. I feel that the time I spent there with the children was enough to befriend them, and love them, and make a difference in their lives, but returning will reinforce all that we taught them during my two workcamps. I want to express my utmost desire for the project to continue. The children, who must stay at Rodopski Pansion during the summer months, need a group like ours to interact with them, play sports and games with them, host facepainting competitions and arts and crafts activities with them, take them on picnics and scavenger hunts, and practice other languages with them, for instance, English. The orphanage is poor and is surrounded by a country that is still coming together -- the poverty that the children are surrounded by is immense. If we were not there to engage in activities with the children, they would just sit on the front steps of the orphanage all day, and watch the cars drive by on the boulevard. When I first arrived at the orphanage, the children greeted me and welcomed me with instant love. When I left, 4 weeks later, I held them close and realized while looking into their eyes that we, the volunteers, are role models for them. The campleaders did their job well with the limited resources they had. I am happy to say that I had the opportunity of working with them. Please understand that the orphanage still needs volunteers even though Bulgaria has joined into the EU. The orphanage and the children still need our help and I have talked to many of the volunteers that I worked with during my two workcamps who have firmly decided to return to Plovdiv during the next summer. I am so thankful that I was able to participate in the two workcamps at Rodopski Pansion. Being back in California, I realize that I have so much -- so much love from my family, so much opportunity, so many material things, so much of an amazing homelife. I have already started to teach myself the Bulgarian language since I have been home. While I was there, I learned about 50 key words and I plan to learn the language to the best of my ability. Thank you for such an opportunity.

I had one of the best times of my life. The program was exactly as I wanted, and so much more. I had wanted to travel to Europe, but not just backpack through the place. I wanted to get immersed in the culture to get a feel of how life can be over there. In Clansayes, I was totally in touch with the culture. The villagers treated me as a son, a brother, and a friend. The camp leader, Madj, was so diligent in regards to the positivity of our stay there. He was constantly organizing day trips, speaking with the villagers to request bikes for us, and anything else he could do to make our stay more memorable. I loved the people I was staying with. I met people from all over Europe, Russia, and Africa. I met so many people, but not only that, I had time to actually get to know them. I have learned so much from the late night political discussions with 2 Serbs and 1 man from Spain. I spoke for hours, and listened for even longer. The mayor of the town was awesome, he took us swimming at his sister's house, he gave us the town's sound system when we requested music, and he pulled some strings to allow all 16 of us have a day of golfing practice. What a guy. I loved the way 2 or 3 of us would cook for everyone else, that allowed for some interesting meals, but also to get to know each other in a deeper way. If you cannot tell by my tone, I am absolutely endorsing this workcamp, I will speak extremely high of your organization and I will tell all of my friends in the States what a wonderful time I had. I believe that I am a better person for having this experience. Thank you very much.

Prior to coming to India, I was very nervous volunteering with a bunch of strangers. I was not sure what to expect and how my trip would turn out. However, the moment we all met, there was instant chemistry between all of us. Everybody was full of enthusiasm and very friendly which made my trip even more special. In addition, the children we were teaching were full of life and energy. They touched my life and truly were life inspiring. I had the chance to teach English to impoverished children. I was responsible for teaching reading, writing and speaking skills to students aged 5-18. With limited resources, I learned how to create fun educational activities that captured the interests of these students. Furthermore, I found myself encouraging students to believe in themselves and aspire to become more than what society categorized them to be. I will never forget the memorable experience CADIP was able to offer me! Thank you!

I used CADIP for my first volunteer placement in Iceland and I absolutely loved it! The next year I had two aims in finding a project: I want to be a teacher, so I wanted to go somewhere where I could work with children/teenagers. Also, I love to travel and experience a culture completely different than my own. For those two reasons, the Bulgarian placement looked to be the perfect fit! The placement was extremely challenging, yet highly rewarding. Although we weren't prepared to be working with children with physical and mental disabilities, we managed to re-configure some plans to accommodate the kids. The first few days were difficult as we got to know the children and their tendencies, but after that things calmed right down and the rest of the placement went quite smoothly. It was fascinating to learn about Bulgarian culture, and it was always a fun (and busy!!) time with the children. The differences between Canadian and Bulgarian culture might be great, but at the same time trips like this make you realize the similarities we share as well.

Now that the workcamp is over I wanted to thank you again for your incredible help in getting me into the program. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. We worked damned hard and in the end I think we were able to put together a really great video. I certainly learned a lot, and would have missed out had it not been for you. Thanks again!

I would just like to say thanks to CADIP. I have now returned from China and I had a super time. I will certainly recommend CADIP to my friends!

I recently participated in a workcamp in India and used CADIP as my international volunteer organization. The volunteer experience was truly amazing. I was not prepared for the amount of excitement in working with other volunteers from more than ten countries in a common effort to teach children in a foreign country. It really taught me much about myself and what I am capable of. The details sent by your organization were straightforward and getting the necessary travel documents together was easy thanks to information provided by CADIP. Thank you for assisting me in achieving a wonderful volunteer experience.

The project was great!! An amazing learning experience! I worked with people from 5 different countries and we were up early in the morning and outside doing work and learning about sustainable living and environmentally friendly living! I also had the opportunity to help people who were affected by the earthquake that occurred just a few months prior to my arrival. I was able to help take down tents and do farm work for families who were busy rebuilding their homes. It was really a wonderful feeling being a part of something, which helped people in great need. The place where I slept was awesome! Very simple, which I liked. Everyone helped out! It was the volunteers' job to clean up after every meal and the food was amazing! Everything was fresh, homemade authentic Italian cuisine!

Enjoyed very much meeting the people involved, volunteers and companions. The hosts were very helpful. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more of the region and to learn new skills at the workcamp all in the working language. Thank you CADIP!

I had such a great time volunteering in Peru. Learning the culture and helping the kids was an experience I'll never forget! I met such great people from all over the world that I still keep in touch with. I'm actually trying to figure out what program I'd like to do next! It was a little challenging not speaking the language well but I got by OK. I would recommend this program to anyone! I can't wait to do it again!

All the organizers and farmers were extremely nice and friendly. Work on the project in Austria was a little physically demanding, but it's all well if you are enthusiastic, which I was. The project in Piedicavallo, Italy - definitely my favorite camp: not too much work and a lot of fun activities. Food was prepared by the organizers and sometimes by ourselves. Too much pasta! The work was very easy and fun. Many many many free time activities. It was great. Accommodations and food in my workcamp in France was definitely the best. Food was prepared by a chef from Paris.

The trip was an amazing time. I met some awesome people from all over - Finland, Wales, South Korea, France, Mexico, and the United States. I'd recommend this kind of volunteer project to anyone that loves the outdoors, beaches, and turtles! We would start work between 2000 and 2100. There are four zones on the beach; two of them are collecting and two are marking. Depending on the zones, you can mark the turtles with a metal tattoo/tag that contains a tracking number. The collecting zones involve waiting for the females to lay their eggs, helping move her out of the hole, measuring the length of the female's shell, noting if she has a tag, the time, zone, and digging up the eggs (anywhere from 1 to over 130) for transport. Once collected, the eggs are transported back to camp where they are buried and marked. There is also a group assigned to release. Once the babies come to the surface, you collect and count them before taking them down to the ocean for release. Our group got up between 0900 and 1000 for a late breakfast. Some people went to the town for food, supplies, or internet. Others stayed at camp to read, clean up, nap, or enjoy the beach. Swimming is not authorized at the turtle camp; however, you could go just beyond the town and go swimming there. On the weekends we would usually go to a beach either farther east or west of camp for different scenery. There are some walls in the town that could use a nice mural or something on them& we didn't have time. A few of us did post signs along the road marking how close the camp was (500 m, 1000m, and 1500m). Don't be afraid to hitchhike, by far the cheapest and quickest way to get around.

My experiences during the volunteer project were FANTASTIC, AMAZING AND MEMORABLE. I personally have traveled to over 17 countries and never have I had such an amazing adventure. The staff was energetic and fabulous, the other volunteers were so personable and the work itself (fire prevention and path maintenance) was enjoyable. In addition, the atmosphere and accommodations were outstanding! I hold with me hundreds of memories from this adventure that I hope to never forget. Thank you CADIP very much for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing opportunity and I hope to work with your organization again in the near future.