Internships Abroad in the Dominican Republic

لقد ذهبت الي جزيرة بالي من قبل وتعرفت علي كثير من الأصدقاء وكانت تعجبني الطبيعه شعرت بطاقه وكنا نقوم بعمل جماعي أنا والأصدقاء في تقديم الطعام للأطفال انه حقا ممتع التعرف علي الثقافات المختلفه احب المشاركه احب التعليم

It was a great experience, however I do think it is geared towards people with little to no work experience and did not meet all my expectations of learning something new in a new work environment. The best part was being able to practice my Spanish with my host family.

ALdeaz de Paz es una organización muy solidaria. Llevo 2 semanas en la fundación y desde el primer día me sentí muy cómoda. Llegué aquí sin hablar ni una palabra de español, pero dos semanas después, gracias al curso de Antonio y a fuerza de practicar, empiezo a entender y a relacionarme con los dominicanos. Aún así, me resulta más fácil hacerme entender en inglés. Es una gran ayuda que nuestros coordinadores hablen este idioma. En cuanto a mi trabajo aquí, el programa de periodismo multimedia es realmente interesante. Hay mucho que hacer y mucha libertad para proponer contenidos. El programa se centra sobre todo en la comunicación. Como estudiante de periodismo, me gustaría poder hacer más contenidos periodísticos que de comunicación. En general, Samaná es una ciudad muy agradable y nuestro alojamiento es muy bueno. Estoy más que contenta de pasar 2 meses con la asociación Aldeas de Paz y de contribuir a algo bueno en la República Dominicana.

I’ve enjoyed every day here in Las Terrenas. Thanks to the Foundation I had my „apartment“ in the middle of the city and after a few weeks I felt like I built a new home. With the other volunteers living beside me, we’ve built some great friendships. Casa Regular is (with the new kitchen equipement) a cool place to live. The owners are always happy, here to help and great people. My coordinator Nacho and the marine conservation project manager Noel both have a big heart and brought a lot of energy into my time here. They’re here for the volunteers 24/7 and are always happy to help. So a big thank you! Because I was the first volunteer in the program „Multimedia & Journalism“ in Las Terrenas I didn’t get here with a lot of work, I was happy to also join the marine conservation program because without that I would’ve had a lot of free time. However, my stay wasn't any worse because of this, it just surprised me a bit at the beginning. Obviously it’s also my fault because I didn’t come up with new Ideas or work.

CIEE provided me with a great internship site, a clean and nice apartment in a good neighborhood, and gave me roommates who shared similar interests. The staff was extremely kind and helped me whenever I needed, and were good about checking in with me about my experiences

Hola, me llamo Maëlle y vengo de Francia. Empece mis practicas con el equipo de gestion y administración de la Fundación Aldeas de Paz el 20 de mayo de 2024 y termino el 26 de junio. Mi primer dia aquí fue tranquilo pero muy bueno. Encontramos a otros voluntarios que nos hicieron visitar la ciudad y fuimos a la oficina para conocer al lugar y también a toda la gente que trabaja alla. También la coordinadora Yessica ya trabajaba todavía en la oficina, ya que ahora es Jorlanny. Jorlanny una buena coordinadora que escucha cuando lo necesitamos y con quien tengo una muy buena relación aunque trabajamos juntas desde poco tiempo. La fundación tiene un ambiente muy acogedor. Todos son tan acogedores, y me siento cómoda desde el primer dia. Cualquier cosa puedes preguntar al staff y van a encontrar una solución para ayudarte rápidamente. Me encanta también que el centro de los jóvenes sea abajo, así pude conocer a niños que son super monos! Me encanta pasar tiempo con ellos. Mi experiencia como voluntaria al principio estaba muy tranquila. No teníamos mucho que hacer en la oficina, entonces estábamos un poco aburridos. Pero después hablamos de nuestros proyectos con Nacho y Jorlanny que estaban muy enthousiaste. Creo que haber tenido más responsabilidades me ayudó a querer hacer mas cosas y eso me gustó mucho. También mezclamos nuestros trabajos con los del equipo multimedia lo que me hizo conocer a otras cosas. Los coordinadores están muy a favor de nuestras ideas, como por ejemplo el proyecto de grabar videos de cada programa para después subirlas en YouTube. Esto me permitirá conocer a nuevos ambientes y también a nuevas personas. Pero creo que esperaba más de esta experiencia. Porque como una voluntaria, me hubiera gustado hacer más cosas en el terreno y que las cosas hagan más rápido y también aprender más sobre el funcionamiento de una ONG. Me encanta la ciudad, es muy local y tranquila. No es muy grande pero me gusta más así. Ahora tengo mis hábitos, y me siento segura. La gente es muy acogedora y podemos confiar en ellos.

My name is Emma. I was a volunteer with the youthcare and community development program in the fall of 2021. I would definitely recommend this program to someone who is interested in volunteer work. The foundation is working hand in hand with the community to advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities as well as other disadvantaged community members. I like what the program stands for and hope that it can continue long into the future. It is good work with good people. Thank you Aldeas de Paz!

I’m glad I had the opportunity to do my internship in Aldeas de Paz. I have learned a lot, especially from visits to poor families and I will always carry this experience in my heart. It was enriching to know another reality and to meet many people of different nationalities and cultures. It has also been rewarding to contribute to the improvement of the environment and the education of children in the problem of plastic pollution. "Muchas gracias a toda la team por darme la oportunidad de tener esta hermosa experiencia, gente muy amable y abierta!"

I think there's problems here and there with cleanliness of dorms and location choices, but overall I had a very positive experience. The staff and program as a whole I felt was a very worthwhile opportunity.

My CIEE internship in Barcelona, Spain is a great experience not just academically but also personally. I have learned so much about myself during these months and building connections is so important in life.

This program was amazing! The staff and faculty are always willing to help with anything. Whether it's about your internship placement or advice for fun adventures in the city, the staff is there for you. This program has great opportunities to grow as a student and a professional in your field. The field trips and activities in this program allowed us to take our learning outside and explore a new culture. I couldn't recommend this program enough!

CIEE is very well-staffed and they do everything they can to make sure you have the best experience possible. Everyone is friendly, the rules and guidelines are laid out for you, and the excursions CIEE plans are a blast!!

I have had a great experience, it is organized and comes at a good cost. The staff on-site is very supportive and helpful (as well as Brooke in Portland), but we had an emergency situation and the Portland higher-ups didn't handle it well, nor did anyone answer the emergency number provided to us.

It was a great program. I would really only recommend it for an internship because I think you get the most out of it that way. I was going to study abroad I'd rather do it at a local university where I'm studying. My only complaint is that the whole CIEE experience isn't tailored very well to internships, and a lot of things conflict with work. It feels like the intern students are an afterthought, which I understand because most people are studying here.

Being in the Dominican Republic and being able to intern at the local clinic has been a blessing for me. In so little time I've gained so much experience and knowledge professionally and personally. My life has changed tremendously and I leave the Dominican Republic with kind regards and special thanks to Aldeas to Paz.

To all future volunteers around the world: After 15 months spending with Aldeas de Paz, my stay comes to an end.So it's an occasion for sharing my experience, point of view and recommendation. My place abroad was Las Terrenas on the peninsula Samaná in the Dominican Republic. I worked mainly in the cities public hospital. It' been a long time. 1 year and 3 months is an extensive period spend abroad for a volunteer service, but for all that everyday was worthwhile. Conception of time in the Dominican Republic is different to the ones a foreign person is used to. Schedules do not work out flawlessly nor appointments will always take place at the exact planned day and hour. Gradually the progress is made. Hence you, as a future volunteer should have in mind: the longer the stay the better! You can not rapid start work in the Dominican Republic from day one on, neither will you see a terrific change and colossal impact during your stay. This can be arduous to an arriving volunteer filled with creative urges, ideas, motivation and expectations. During your stay you will face challenges. Nevertheless you will grow with each and learn about yourself and others. By and by you will master a new language, meet various people from around the world, exchange and put things into perspective and experience. Which I had the great opportunity to. Likewise myself, the organisation was growing and still is. Aldeas de Paz is a sprouting and forthcoming NGO. I am more than thankful for the opportunity of being a part of this Fundacion. It is a chance of expansion of your own horizon - and for both sides for though the dissimilar living environments and - maxims plus savoir - vivre can fertilise one another. Exceptional thanks to Vito, Coordinator of Las Terrenas, more of a friend, for always being amiable, available and keen.

I stayed in Samaná for about 6 weeks working at the local hospital, where I helped in the obstetric and pediatric ambulance, assisting the doctors by fulfilling small medical tasks or recording the patients´ medical information. Working in an hospital with a leck of medical resources and getting to know in how far the medical system is related to cultural impacts has been an enriching experience that will definitely also help me while working in the medical sector in Germany. Besides working at the hospital, I really enjoyed the living together with the other volunteers, a group of young and open-minded people who all came to the Dominican Republic to make new experiences and friends. I was welcomed very hearty and friendly and especially liked living at the volunteers´ flat share, where we often spent time cooking, chilling and chattering together. The highlight during my stay was the medical mission at the general hospital in El Limón, where a medical team from Michigan assisted the Dominican doctors by doing surgery, dispensing medicine and treating patients. Together with two other girls from Aldeas de Paz we worked as translators but also had the chance to gain a lot of medical experience like observing surgeries. Moreover, I really liked the free time activities such as the diving classes or our trips to Cayo Levantado (the `Bacardi Island´) we did together with all the other volunteers on the weekends. Even though I sadly had to fly back to Germany earlier than actually planned for medical reasons, I enjoyed my stay in the Dominican Republic. I met lots of wonderful people and new friends, gained medical such as personal and cultural experience and also improved my Spanish skills, wherefore I am very thankful to have had the chance to be part of the Aldeas de Paz-Team.

During the 6 weeks I spent with Aldeas de Paz in Las Terrenas I have learned a lot. At first, I was a little disappointed because it was really different to what I expected. But after a while I realised that my expectations simply weren’t realistic. The foundation has only been in the Dominican Republic for three years which really isn’t a long time. That means there is still lots of work to do and room for improvement. But that’s not a bad thing it simply means you have the possibility to help shaping the foundation. My work in the NGO management team taught me a lot about all the little but important things that need to be done to keep the Foundations growing. Like searching for foundations or universities willing to support our cause. Looking back, the experiences I made really had an impact on my life and assured me that working for an NGO really is important and something everyone should do at least once in their life.

Olá! I participated at the Lisbon Hospitality Internship for a month. It is an unforgettable amazing experience. Both local staff and guests were friendly and helpful. I did not face any struggle during my stay. Just great time and loads of fun in an amazing city and a country as well.I highly recommend this project! Also appreciate GoEco´s team support - regularly asking via email if everything is alright which made me feel secure.Thank you. Hana

During my time in Santa Barbara de Samaná, I worked as a hospital volunteer, school volunteer at Mama Elba, as well as initiated my own project at the school Mama Elba. Although it was a short 5 weeks, I learned so much during my stay. Along with really experiencing the difference of healthcare that is found in Dominican Republic, as well as for the first time experiencing what it is like to teach, I learned a lot about myself and the culture of the Dominican Republic. Aldeas de Paz, more specifically Sebastian, did an amazing job making sure my trip went as smoothly as possible from the time before arrival all the way until the end. I really appreciated his support with everything and admired how hard he worked trying to make sure the foundation was running smoothly for all volunteers involved. My time in the Dominican Republic, is truly indescribable. The food, the people, the music and the tranquility of the town really causes you to fall in love with the country. Creating the special connections I did with some of the hospital staff, my host family, and the students of the school really tied me to Samaná and has made my Dominican adventure unforgettable. The town is easy to grow accustomed to and to really meet and enjoy the company of the community members and local population. I would recommend either hospital placement or school placement because not only will you learn a lot about Dominican life, but the students and patients you see will teach you lessons in life and patience that no other job or university class will. Thank you so much Aldeas de Paz for an amazing time in Samaná, but I can assure you that I will be coming back soon.