International Volunteer HQ

I ended up working at an orphanage with children 18 months - 16 yrs old. This was an amazing experience and gave me a wonderful lesson on another way of life, culture, and country. It was very difficult at times, but all together a wonderful life experience. I did feel very appreciated and that my volunteer work was worthwhile. I know the children at the orphanage benefited from having me there to play, sing, help with school work, and generally be their friend. My host family was so kind, hospitable, and made me feel most welcome. The accommodation was indeed very different from my normal way of life and it did take a couple days to get used to the living conditions. But all together the family made me feel like a part of theirs! I would DEFINITELY recommend this program to others! 10/10!

No words, pictures, videos, conversations or books can prepare you for the experiences you will have or lessons you will learn in Africa. You have to go there, meet the people, embrace the culture and see the country to truly know Tanzania. To those who may be reading this in attempt to make a decision on whether they should go to Africa... just go. Most importantly, go there with no expectations, because what you expect will most likely be wrong. For instance, I was prepared to live in a mud hut. In actuality, I was placed in a very nice, gated home with barbed wire, guard dogs and all! But who knows, maybe some of you will end up in a mud hut, just be prepared for anything and know that no matter what, it will be amazing. Ask questions- your host family will most likely love to answer any questions you have about the town, culture or language. Don't pass that opportunity up. It is much more interesting to hear the information from them than it is to read in Lonely Planet :) Learn how to say the phrase Hapana Asante : No Thank You. It will be the most useful Swahili phrase you learn. Go on a Safari. It will be the best thing you ever do and it is a great way to get to know the other volunteers and have LOTS of fun. It is worth the time. It is worth the money. Don't give it a second thought. Just make sure you bring extra batteries for the camera! I worked at a school teaching English. Try to learn the children's names right away. It will be difficult, but knowing their names goes a long way and allows them to open up more quickly. The best thing to do with the children who are struggling is to encourage them. A simple high five and Good Job! will get you a huge smile and a kiss on the cheek. It will make their day... and in turn make yours. Be patient, be creative, and be positive. The schools tend to lack these characteristics in the administration. Not only will the kids learn from it, but, hopefully, the teachers will as well. Know that you will leave Africa a changed person, but for the better. It does not take much to make a difference in a child's life, or in yours.

My favourite moments were working in the college with the kids and the excursions I did with my host family...... The accommodation was better then I expected, very nice. There was everything one needs and the rooms were comfortable............Thank you very much for your help and responsibility. It's very rare to have such efficient and available service and all the time. Your program is great- Much, much better than the majority.

Thanks for allowing us this experience. We actually loved being involved with IVHQ Thailand. People, volunteers and staff, all seemed to be of a like mind: willingness to give, compassionate and good humored. We felt accepted eventhough we were the grandparents of the group. I shall always treasure the experience, as will my husband who gleaned fodder for hundreds of stories:-)

It has been amazing! So much better than i expected. My host family is incredibly kind and giving. They sit at every meal with us, even if they have already eaten. They don't speak English but we both try and communicate anyway (it is helping my Spanish a lot) and have a lot of great laughs at the stumbling through words. I have my own room with a lock, although I feel incredibly safe and part of the family. I'm greeted at the door when i come home and before I leave with a kiss from Greta the host mom, she really makes us feel like family. The other volunteers in the house are fun and I've made a bunch of friends already. The project is incredibly rewarding. I am the only volunteer working with the children from poor families helping them with homework, playing games and feeding them dinner. The girl who heads the project doesn't speak English either but she is very sweet, and I stay to help her mom and clean at night. A job she usually does alone. She also walks me to the bus and makes sure the driver knows where I am getting off. Everyone has really gone out of their way to make sure I feel comfortable, welcome and safe. I can't thank you enough for all your patience in getting me here!

My project was very suitable and exactly what I wanted to do. I felt that the work and my time with my project was very important and was VERY apppreciated! I actually found the living arrangements, meals, and hosts exceptional and exceeded my expectations. I was not disappointed but thought I would be living in much different conditons, but was not disappointed in any sense.I have been pushing my friends and family to try this program since my arrival back home. My favorite moments would include in no particluar order: 1. The bus ride from San Jose to Matapolo. 2. Sitting in the dark and being scared to death when a crab walked over my foot. 3. Running across the beach when we heard there was a turtle laying eggs on the beach. Only to find it was a box turtle from the woods. 4. The amazing people from all over the world I met and how they helped opened my eyes to the rest of the world. 5. The language barrier and how I had to use all available resources around me to overcome it.

One of my best moments was when me and this other volunteer were working with a special needs girl. She can't talk, and can't hear that well. We wrote out letters and she traced them and we would tell her what they were. After a month of doing this she began to try and say the letters! It was really quite something! It made me feel like we were actually making progress with her. Very encouraging!...............Thank you for everything!!I had a wonderful wonderful time! You guys made it possible for me to travel, feel safe and learn a new language in another country with out going broke!! Thank you so much!!

Thanks for checking in! Things are fantastic so far. Everything has worked out as planned. I had my first official day at the medical clinic today. Overall it went very well. Just as you had cautioned, however, the language barrier is a huge obstacle. I'm taking daily Spanish lessons and it is helping, but I have a lot to learn. The staff at the medical clinic has been very helpful, but as you had noted, most of them do not speak much English. So in summary, the expectations you conveyed to me were completely realistic and I appreciate that. I welcome the challenge of learning Spanish and I am confident that within several days my communication will be better. As for the volunteer stay with Nadia, I couldn't ask for anything more. Nadia and the family are wonderful and we have an amazing group of volunteers there--we've all become great friends. Thanks very much for all of your help.

Both Daniel (initially as he was responsible for Vietnam program when I signed up) and Blanche (for the remainder of my preparation time) were very helpful and answered questions quickly and always made themselves available to discuss any concerns or answer questions. I was in regular e-mail contact with Blanche, and only one week before my program was to commence we decided to change from the Hanoi program to the Saigon program due to weather conditions. This was all organised very quickly and I was very impressed with how quickly and easily these changes were. I also had a few questions at the beginning of my preparation for Vietnam and I spoke to Daniel on the phone and he was most helpful. The dorms in Saigon were in a good location (in my opinion) as they were not right in the heart of the city so you were not hassled, ripped off etc, however were close enough to the city that if you wanted to go out for dinner, go shopping or go sightseeing that you could easily do this. Instead, the dorms were in a more 'local' area and the prices were fair, people friendly and it was slightly quieter than in district one. I would definitely recommend this program to others, and am definitely considering another volunteer placement with IVHQ in the future.

My project exceeded my every expectation - this was without a doubt the single greatest experience of my life! I was 'over-appreciated' in many ways! My host family made me feel so at home from the moment I got there. I feel like they were constantly putting me FIRST. I was there hoping to meet THEIR needs and yet all they could concern themselves with was my level of comfort. I was overwhelmed by their kindness... The accommodation was excellent 'VERY VERY CLEAN' (they sweep the dirt driveway every day and the sink is so clean you can see your reflection in it!). I left my sneakers outside one night and found them outside my bedroom door the next morning perfectly cleaned and polished. The food was delish and again they are very sanitary in their preparations and clean up. I can't say enough about the host family - never in my life have I met such wonderful welcoming people! More people need to have this kind of experience in life!! Thanks for EVERYTHING!

Living and working in Kayamandi was an eye-opening experience. Children are the same everywhere, I felt so at home. South Africa is moving rapidly to eradicate evidence of apartheid and racism, in some ways, faster than the US is combating racism. I felt safe at all times, and was impressed in the warmth of the people. Living with people who spoke a minimum of 3 languages was impressive, I already miss the beautiful mountain ranges and scenery.

IVHQ Ghana Summer 2012 Testimonial: OSU Group Trip This past summer, I organized a group of 16 volunteers to serve with me in Ghana, volunteering in an orphanage. We were placed at Bright Future Children’s Home in Somanya, Ghana. With the accommodations, our rooms were spacious and the meals were delicious, and if we had an issue, the host family tended to any needs without a hesitation. We cared for about 40 children and lived with the family who founded the orphanage. Our time at Bright Future was unforgettable and life changing. We worked on many projects such as painting the orphanage, buying every child shoes and other necessities, and building cubbies for the girls and boys side of the home. Also, we traveled across Ghana on our weekends and visited places such as Cape Coast, Wli Falls to climb mountains, and went to Mole National Park for a safari. Throughout our four weeks working with the children, we got to observe them open up and grow in so many ways. Upon leaving everyone on the trip was sad to go and realized they were all changed in unique ways for good. We had become a team and a part of the Bright Future family. The experience is so valuable, because in traveling the world to give to others, we are given so much in return. The IVHQ staff was so helpful throughout the entire process and provided us with great care and support in and out of the country. Anything we needed or problems needing solved were taken care of quickly and successfully by the IVHQ Ghana staff, as they checked up on our program often. They did a great job at handling such a large group of volunteers staying at one placement, and I would take another group through them any day!

This past summer, I organized a group of 16 volunteers to serve with me in Ghana, volunteering in an orphanage. We were placed at Bright Future Children’s Home in Somanya, Ghana. With the accommodations, our rooms were spacious and the meals were delicious, and if we had an issue, the host family tended to any needs without a hesitation. We cared for about 40 children and lived with the family who founded the orphanage. Our time at Bright Future was unforgettable and life changing. We worked on many projects such as painting the orphanage, buying every child shoes and other necessities, and building cubbies for the girls and boys side of the home. Also, we traveled across Ghana on our weekends and visited places such as Cape Coast, Wli Falls to climb mountains, and went to Mole National Park for a safari. Throughout our four weeks working with the children, we got to observe them open up and grow in so many ways. Upon leaving everyone on the trip was sad to go and realized they were all changed in unique ways for good. We had become a team and a part of the Bright Future family. The experience is so valuable, because in traveling the world to give to others, we are given so much in return. The IVHQ staff was so helpful throughout the entire process and provided us with great care and support in and out of the country. Anything we needed or problems needing solved were taken care of quickly and successfully by the IVHQ Ghana staff, as they checked up on our program often. They did a great job at handling such a large group of volunteers staying at one placement, and I would take another group through them any day!

For a long time I wanted to explore a different culture, see the world, and become lost in the service of others. Growing up in a not so well-to-do family, my dream seemed pretty bleak. I was fortunate to find IVHQ. Though I still had to pay lots of money, it was significantly cheaper than any other organization that I researched. My dreams slowly came true and before I knew it I had landed in Accra, Ghana on the 30th of April, 2012. My world grew much larger and my heart grew happier. Being is Ghana was the most incredible experience of my life. I learned so much about myself while learning lots about Ghana’s culture, people, geography, economy and more. I felt safe in my environment, surrounded by many wonderful volunteers and locals. I always had the help of our coordinator in case I had any questions or concerns. We were ALWAYS very well taken care of. Our money went to all the right places which made me feel at peace. I was a part of the Pink Program where I worked in the Potter’s Village Orphanage in the town of Dodowa. Nine weeks was not long enough. Every day I was thrust into new experiences that changed my outlook on life. The people of Ghana are wonderful and their example and outlook on life inspired me to not sweat the little things. Though our cultures are very different, I still felt welcome. Yes, I was not perfect and it took me awhile to not offend others on daily basis, but I was nonetheless humbled and loved all the same. Still to this day I miss the children. They are my heart. They gave me so much strength and taught me how to love. I am working vigorously on going back to the Pink Program next summer. I can’t get enough of this place! I would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone. My real dream would be to have everyone meet my kids at the orphanage. They are so wonderful. I am so thankful for the opportunity that I had to learn, grow, sweat, cry, laugh, and love as I did. It was awe-inspiring to be in such a place. I can’t wait to go back!!

My time in Tanzania was the perfect way to start off my gap year. The staff are fantastic and make you feel at home in their country. I spent 6 weeks in an orphanage and 6 weeks at a school. Both were fantastic placements. There is no other program that I would rather have gone with! This is the safest, cheapest, and best all around volunteer organization. You won't regret your decision to go with this fantastic company !!