Global Service Adventures

My time spent in Jamaica was a very action pact and memorable experience. With an innumerable amount of activities to fulfil accompanied by loving children this for sure won't be a moment I forget during my life time.

I am glad I went on the trip. I would do something like it again. The kids were friendly and it felt like we were making a difference. The food was awesome. It was cool to explore another culture. Everything was so laid back. The housing was good for the most part.

I think that the way the program was done also had an effect on us. We got to be immersed in Jamaican culture and learn about how they live. We got to have fun while also helping people and that was very powerful to me. This was the first service experience that i enjoyed. I think the program was done very well.

JVE service trip was offered through school, Malden Catholic, and I am so glad I chose to be a part of this captivating experience. This was the perfect blend of an immersion vacation with a service opportunity. Every day I was busy having fun, helpings kids, and enjoying all Jamaica has to offer. This trip is a fantastic way to start my year, I went in January, and has given me much to think about. It has showed me how fortunate I am and how i want to help others in situation worse than mine later in my life. I should use what I have to help others. Overall, this trip was a 9/10 the only aspect that I noticed that threw some people off was the food. I enjoyed mostly all of the traditional Jamaican cuisine, but some of my friends in the group with me definitely had culture shock when it came to food. Fantastic trip I would love to do something similar again!

At my time here i made relationships that are going to last a lifetime. I wouldn't change anything that happened on this trip. It was absolutely amazing and i enjoyed myself at every moment. Yeah, i was away from home for a week, but i believe that i found a new home here in Jamaica.

Going into this trip, I wasn't too sure of what to expect. I was a little anxious of what the trip might entail. However, after arriving at the school, I immediately felt my presence there was welcomed. All the kids were running around and happy to see the new faces at their school. They all wanted us to sit next to them in the classroom help them with their work. I felt happy to be a positive model in their life and I hope that I have changed their lives for the better, because I know they have for me.

There have so many things to do, such as teaching, planting, building and so on. Actually, at the first day. I fear so many things. I never did teaching before. I always asking my friend what I get do? But we should try everything then we will see "Oh, that is not hard like we thought."It is a really good service to improve ourselves.

When originally unsure if I wanted to actually go through in this trip I thought whatever I'll go to Jamaica for a week and do some stuff and leave. However, it was an experience that I will forever hold deeply in my heart and has changed me as a person forever. There is now this sense of love for others even if I don't necessarily know them I know I can start out by showing love. The accommodations made to us by the staff were nothing short of amazing everything was always clean neat and safe and I thank the staff for putting in the incredible amount of effort to really make this trip special for me and my friends.

When I first arrived, i was very uncertain and anxious about what was to come. but when we first went to teach the children, i saw that there was nothing to worry about and that teaching and talking to the children was really fun. i enjoyed exchanging my cultural experience in America with the children and i enjoyed when they shared about there culture with me because i thought we both gained new information about countries we knew so little about. another fun experience was when i was with the fourth grade and we made paper airplanes, because it showed me that to them even the little things matter. this whole experience in general truly showed how fortunate i am and that i should enjoy life and make a difference in the world.

It’s defiantly worth skipping your classes to go and serve children. You don’t just go to have fun with your friends but you go to experience how life is like in a third world country. Once you see the poverty that has been spread out through the country, you feel like you want to do something about it. It breaks your heat to see the pain and darkness that many of the people go through. But knowing what you did during your time down there makes you feel happy inside.

This is the second time I've done this service trip. And, both times was life changing. The experience was everything I wanted for my students as an adult leader and for myself. Being at the primary school, farm and boys home was a tremendous opportunity for Malden Catholic. We were able to build relationships with the Jamaica people and community. Which is easy, because the people are the most caring, loving individuals you will ever meet. When I am there I feel at home and loved. Besides the relationships we built, we were also able to build an outdoor seating area for the children, so if you want a hands on experience this will fill both of your needs. If you want a cultural experience along with a service trip, I guarantee you will not find a more accommodating trip. I encourage everyone take advantage of this program. The directors, organizers and leaders of this program are the best around. Great people and great professionals. You will have no worries and all smiles. I will continue to take Malden Catholic high school to this beautiful island to have this life changing experience. Campus minister Mr. Mike driscoll

This service trip was the best experience of my life. I am sure no other trip will beat this one. I was able to see how other parts of the world live and socialize. I loved it right when we got off the plane. I was able to grow so much closer to so many of the kids I helped and the kids in my class. I truly believe that I helped the kids and teachers and impacted their lives. Also, going into this trip I thought I would be the one changing people's lives but honestly the kids impacted my life entirely. I have never been so upset to leave a place so much. I hope to one day go back and serve again. I would highly recommend this program.

Overall was a life changing experience. I was glad to be able to help others and at the same time learn about a unique culture. This is a once in a life time opportunity and I am so grateful that I had gone. I would highly recommend for others to go.

I had a great time in Jamaica. This experience was pretty amazing and I’ll always remember it. I loved playing sports with the boys at the boy's home and working with the kids at the school. Working at the school was a really cool experience, especially when I helped the kids with their schoolwork. This service was pretty powerful and I'm glad I was a part of it. My favorite part of my service was tutoring the kids in the school. I also really enjoyed the food too.

I was fortunate enough to do this service trip with my high school. We spent a week in Jamaica. When I arrived back from my trip I was asked, "What was one moment that stuck with you from the trip?" After thinking about this question I could not come up with an answer. Everyday there was something special that stuck with me. Nicole and Omar were wonderful hosts. They knew their job vary well. They helped us have an amazing experience and introduced us to the culture as well. I hope I am able to come back next year and do it again.

I thought the volunteer work was great and the program was rewarding and I hope to come back again sometime. I made a lot of friends I would not have made otherwise. Thank you for this great opportunity to come out of my comfort zone and truly serve others.

Nothing has been more impactful in my life. I learned about different cultures, but they also welcomed me into theirs with open arms. When I worked with the kids, saying goodbye was a very hard thing to do. Also yaaaaaas Briiiiiiiii

Overall, this service trip was the best experience of my life. I was able to see how another part of the world lives, and once I saw I can make an impact, I loved it right away. I was able to grow closer to so many of the kids and truly help them and impact their lives. But there is no way they have any idea how much they impacted me. I was able to realize that I loved working with them and it made me want to go back. P.S.- YAASS BRII

It was a great time being with everyone getting to know them. Even though everything didn't go super smoothly it was a lot of fun, and I would love to go back again. Honestly loved using a wrench to turn the shower on and off, it may have been one of the funniest experiences I got to do. But i loved the shack we stayed in with our most pointless conversations.

I have been a part of other international service trips, but this one was truly unique. Not only did we get the chance to work with children in a boys home, we got the chance to work with a local school, a local farmer and still get one day of tourism/relaxation. Nicole and Omar are the perfect balance. Omar immerses us in the Jamaican culture, but when we may not understand something, Nicole is there to further explain things. Overall, an incredible experience and I cannot wait to return.

As the leader from our all-boys school, I could not be happier with the experience that was planned and implemented for our group of 15. All of our students said that it was a life-changing experience and it truly was for all of us. Everyone associated with coordinating this event worked hard to provide us with the best possible volunteer experience. The sites where we worked were wonderful and the children and adults we worked with at the school, the farm and the boys home were loving, welcoming and appreciative. We look forward to bringing another group to Jamaica next year.

As a first time volunteering abroad..and having worked with children as my profession, I was very excited to volunteer at Pringles Orphanage in Jamaica. Initially I was a bit nervous, being that I was the only volunteer amongst 23 teens and preteens. But the staff at the orphanage were very helpful..and the youth were great!...and welcomed me with open arms and hearts. I would create fun activities to do with the youth..which was a great and positive learning experience for me.. we learned from each other. My Host family was also great and made my stay very comfortable. It was like home away from home....and they prepared delicious Jamaican dishes. I was also able to enjoy and experience the True Jamaica by hanging out in town at the local spots with the natives during my down time. I would say that my volunteering was a positive and memorable experience that i will hold close to my heart and will never forget...and would definitely recommend!

Natalie and Rhoja at Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions (JVE) provided a lot of information about the volunteer experience, including the hours, the age, the number of children, and the needs but I wasn't sure what to expect, especially since I was volunteering on my own. I wasn't sure if there would be other volunteers from other organizations. Natalie's email prompted me to prepare a few fun but educational activities and I also brought some workbooks as well. When I arrived at the children's home, there was another long-term volunteer there but she ended up not coming while I was there. Although the staff at the home were friendly, it seemed like the volunteers were expected to work independently with the children. I found the home to be comfortable and clean and expected that the children had some structure during the day. However, I learned that there was very little structure so I created some structure for myself and the children but was also flexible in going with the flow as well. I'm glad that I had already planned some activities and brought all the materials needed with me. I was only at the home for 3 full days and 2 half days but felt a strong connection with the children as each day passed. At times, I felt challenged in working alone with the children, either because the children were frustrated with themselves or each other but I tried my best to stay motivated and positive and work with the children to make things both fun and educational. On the last day, it was quite emotional, the staff and children gathered around and expressed their appreciation and I'm now thinking of ways to continue my support from overseas. JVE did an excellent job at preparing me and were eager to receive feedback. My host family was excellent and by the end of the trip, I feel like I now have a second home and family in Jamaica. The only complaint that I have is that I had to figure out lunch on my own, since the home did not provide any. With limited transportation and not being familiar with the area, that was a bit of a challenge.

I found this experience to be very rewarding. However, I feel like a bigger impact could've been made at the school if we had known what supplies the students needed. We could have done more to bring notebooks, pencils, paper etc.. I also felt that more information about proper school etiquette should have been communicated ahead of time. I was very pleased with all the wonderful food served and our accommodations were great. During the farming day if felt that an opportunity was lost to explain the grave economic situation of the farmers. Crops were not explained and many students were not clear why they were doing certain activities. When a teaching moment is presented, it should be taken advantage. I also think that more time at the school would have been great. The day trip to Montego bay was great but the travel time was too long. -Advisor

I had a lot of fun. It was hard to get use to the kids at first, but eventually it was really fun to spend time with them. Also the bugs weren't fun but the living situation was a lot of fun. And the staff from JVE were really great. I'm really glad I had this experience.

Spending April break in Jamaica with JVE was an overall energetic and memorable experience. At the Mt Olivet primary school, the groups was able to create strong bonds with the kind school children. This experience also allowed us to engage in service in an international education context. I also enjoyed the time to relax and see the lush side of the country.

I really enjoyed the time we spent with the kids. it was truly unforgettable to experience the bonds made with each and everyone of them. They made it something that I would love to do again in the future. I wish we spent more time with them; ( the full week with them and two beach days would be really ideal :)). Despite not being able to spend a full week with the kids, it was still something I will never forget.

I enjoyed this trip very much! I felt like I got a good experience of the Jamaican culture. There were many culture shocks for me but I like enjoyed trying new foods, new activities ( Karla's dancing) and going to different places. One piece of advice is maybe not so much rest time. I would've liked to do more during long hours of rest time.

This was such an amazing experience. I enjoyed every minute of this trip. All the people i met were amazing. This changed my perspective in life for sure. I will miss the kids we worked with, forever. And I am forever grateful for this experience.

Considering the fact that this was my first time being out of the country. I am extremely grateful and happy that it was with JVE and my friends in Jamaica. I've learned so much about the culture, the food and the people. This trip has helped me changed my prospective of the world and I had so much fun. I really enjoyed the itinerary planned for the whole week and I am glad that the weather also treated us well. If I ever get the chance to come back to Jamaica or do this volunteer program again, i definitely would.

When I decided to go on this trip I wanted to experience something different and exciting. But when I actually came to Jamaica, went to the school, I not only experienced new things but was also taught and learned. The Mount Olivet Primary School was probably my most favorite part of the trip because I grew so many relations with kids, and they taught me how to open my heart to those around me.

During my trip we worked at Mt. Olivet Primary School. I really enjoyed working with the kids, they made a huge impact on my life. I also learned a lot about farming and all the different foods. I loved trying new foods especially the fruits. On the excursion day we went to Montego Bay. I loved this, it was really fun and the beach was beautiful.

Working with the kids was extremely fun and they inspired me to live my life being more grateful. Farming was also very fun. However, the beach was my favorite because who doesn't love the beach. Juliette

I had an amazing experience on my first mission trip here in Mount Olivet. We did a lot of teaching, playing, painting and farming on this trip. I will never forget the bonds made on this mission trip.

Every experience on this trip was extremely impactful. Working at the Mount Olivet Primary School was something I will never forget. Thank you for making my first time out of the country so memorable!

This mission trip with JVE has been a tone of fun. I've learned so much, and the people apart of the Trip (Karla, Julian and Omar) made the experience truly a good one. Altogether, it has been amazing and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Thank you!

I did not know what to expect when I came to Jamaica for this trip, but I am extremely happy that I decided to come. Everyone is very kind and all of the food was really awesome. I learned more from the kids at the school, than I taught them and made connections that I will never forget. I am very happy that I decided to come on this trip and will never forget this amazing experience.

This is a trip that I never expected to be so impacted by. Everything was well run and carried out smoothly. I will never forget these amazing experiences, that I was so lucky to encounter. Love Cara

This experience has impacted my life on so many different levels. Not only did I get to meet amazing new people but I got to experience what living in Jamaica might actually be like without all the fancy resorts. The support from the team was incredible and they definitely made the overall experience better. Meeting the children and getting to connect with them was definitely a high moment of the trip. They were so happy and kind, I got to play with them and teach them, as well as them teaching me. I loved the kids so much and I have never had a better experience then getting to know them. The food was also so amazing and is definitely one of the aspects I miss the most. Overall the trip was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone is looking for a service trip like this one.

I am a administrator at an all-girls Catholic high school and just took 18 students to Jamaica on a spring break service trip through JVE. It was an amazing, life-changing experience for all of us! JVE is a wonderful organization dedicated to helping the local community of Jamaica while transforming the lives of young people from other parts of the world. They developed a close relationship with me and our school and were always available and supportive throughout the process. We felt well taken care of and safe the entire time we were there. The service itself was truly impactful. The girls worked with children at a very under-resourced primary school in a rural part of Jamaica that has a lot of need. The students at the primary school were a joy to work with and the girls were so sad to leave them at the end of the week. There of course were unexpected challenges that come with any service experience but with the help of JVE we overcame them all. We were also able to have a bit of fun and cultural immersion on one of the final days of our trip. It was a well balanced experience and something I would do again in a heartbeat! Thanks JVE!

This trip impacted me in an extremely positive way. It was amazing to be able to work with children at a school since I want to major in education in college. Children in Jamaica are so loving and open. This trip was unforgettable!

From the moment I stepped on the grounds of Mt. Olivet Primary School, it felt like I had known them for years and watched them grow up even though I had only just met them. The school administration board was extremely helpful and all the JVE advisers were supportive. This opportunity instilled a new passion for education reforms and world travel. I would not change the aspects of the teaching portion at all, perhaps working there longer! I am unbelievably blessed to have been given the chance to experience this opportunity thanks to JVE. This trip taught me many key factors to life: service, gratitude, cultural immersion, love, being an inspiration to others and, most importantly, I found my true, genuine self along the way. Thank you JVE.

I can't say enough about our experience. Our host family are now life long friends. They shared their home with my 15 yr old daughter and I for one week. We cooked together, enjoyed local cuisine and went on incredibly fun excursions together. They are an amazing couple and know how to make you feel comfortable while living like a local. Every morning we got up and walked to work. We were often greeted by goats along the way which only added to the beauty of our day. When we arrived, we were welcomed each morning by beautiful little children who were eager to learn and play with us. They are truly appreciative of all that you have to offer. The staff are amazing woman who work tirelessly at creating a good happy learning environment for these children. It's not easy given that they don't have much to work with but they still do a fantastic job! We brought books for the children, games, coloring books, crayons, etc. all of which were happily used and everyone was beyond grateful for. Our days were full. We left giving what we had and a feeling of although it was only a short time, it was enough to make a small difference in the lives of some pretty amazing children. We had some time at the end of our day to visit the gorgeous sites of Ochi and relax by the brilliant blue ocean. From start to finish, our volunteer trip was well organized by the Program Director Rhoje who is clearly passionate about what he does. Rhoje only added to the greatness of what my daughter Sydnie and I will forever remember as a "life changing experience"!! Ocho Rios is a fun little town and a great place to enjoy on the weekends. From the beaches, waterfalls, local markets and great restaurants, it's definitely the perfect spot to be!!

I'm an older person (in my 40's) an American and have traveled to Jamaica extensively. I have already seen most of what I wanted to see in Jamaica as far as sight seeing is concerned. I consider myself a visitor, not a tourist because I have a little more experience than the average person that goes to Dunn's River Falls or Rick's Cafe. On this visit, I decided that I wanted a different experience. One that would give me more insight into Jamaican culture, more than staying in a guest house or hotel could offer. Alone, I signed up for 3 weeks to volunteer as an Assistant Teacher. I worked 2 weeks in Good Hope, a neighborhood near Negril and 1 week in Eltham which is located in Ocho Rios. From the beginning of my inquiring about the whole process my assigned counselor Rhoja had been excellent. He has a wealth of knowledge about the program and was able to answer my every question no matter how complex or minor. I arrived in the community a few days before so I could get acquainted with my surroundings. When I arrived on my first day in Good Hope, I was greeted by my host of the residence where I stayed, Patsy. Patsy, is very outgoing and friendly. She made sure everyone in the community knew who I was, which made me feel welcome and safe. I was contacted by Rhoja to make sure I had arrived safely and in addition he wanted to know if I found my accommodations to be acceptable. I was satisfied with where I was staying but soon discovered that I had no phone service or wifi access which wasn't an issue but I was expecting an important email from the States. On my 1st day at Risen Messiah Basic School, I was met by Shawna of J V Exp. She introduced me to the staff and showed me around. The teachers and the principal were very nice and I felt welcomed. Shawna was so helpful. At one point I mentioned to her that I had no wifi and was waiting to receive an important email. She had bought this to the attention of Rhoja and her supervisor Omar. They contacted me and were ready to remedy the situation which was reassuring to me. Shawna recommended an internet cafe in Negril which was a 2 minute taxi ride away, where I could retrieve my mail. That internet cafe was awesome. I went there almost every night because the owner, Delroy always had a good movie playing on a 70 inch Flatscreen. It was like being at the movies. I had a blast. I walked to the school every morning and soon started hearing" Good Morning teacher" from the people in the community. I felt like I was a real Jamaican. The children in the school were a handful. They were very loving and wanted attention. Those teachers do a lot with very little resources. There were 30 small children to 1 teacher per class. I felt like just my presence alone made an impact. The teachers taught the lesson while I assisted the students that needed more attention. I take my hat off to those teachers because they are working with almost nothing. I bought a suitcase full of black and white marble notebooks, spiral notebooks, crayons, pencils and folders and donated them to the school, which was greatly appreciated. On my last day the children were sad to see me go. One little girl said to me "why are you leaving, I love you,"and she hugged my around my neck so tight. I was choked up and almost cried. You don't think you're making a difference but you are. I left with a feeling of being grateful for what I have and wanting to help more. In addition to being my counselor Rhoja and his lovely wife Tawana are hosts in Ocho Rios. The stay at their home was comfortable and the accommodations were clean. Rhoja is an excellent cook too. I ate some of the most delicious authentic Jamaican meals (that Rhoja prepared) and even got a cooking lesson, from Rhoja on how to make Callaloo, which is one of my favorite Jamaican dishes. The neighborhood of Eltham has a nice residential feel and is a short taxi ride away from town, so I was able to go shopping and to the beach with no problem. The Eltham Basic school is a much smaller school with maybe 40 student total, so thats about 10 children per class, which is much easier to manage. My experience here was very different. At Eltham Basic I was able to interact on a cultural level. The lessons at Eltham included learning about different foods and how they grow. I was learning just as much as the children were, because I had never seen or heard of some of the fruits and vegetables that we went and picked right from the yard. I never knew there were so many different kinds of Mangos and even got to taste 4 different kinds. It was exciting. I fully enjoyed my Jamaican adventure and am glad that I used Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions. This company went above and beyond to accommodate me and made sure I was satisfied every step of the way. Thank you Rhoja, Tawana, Shawna, and Omar. I would definitely recommend this company.

My days at this program were remarkable, I have learned so much during this program, it has helped me understand who I am as a person. This is a recommended program for every high school or college student who want to discover themselves and leave a mark on people's lives. Make a difference, every single day. If you want a change in the world, it starts with you. "When the world is in trouble diversity saves the day".

Silver Estate was an unbelievable experience. The remote location gave the experience its unique and memorable impact. We spent the time picking coffee and planting coffee trees. The experience was great for the kids.

I really enjoyed working at Ocho Rios Basic school during my visit to Jamaica. Though my visit to the school was for only one day, the teacher and principal welcomed me with open arms and were open to any recommendations that I could provide. The children were also very sweet and seemed to love seeing new people in the classroom to help them. I spent the day going over the teacher's lesson with each student and helping them with their individual work. I also helped supervise the lunch activities, playground time, and sports time. Overall, I felt very supported on the trip to the school by the program advisor at volunteer expeditions. He walked with me to the school, introduced me to the staff and even picked me up to ensure that I found my way back to my hotel safely. I really look forward to working with the school again during my next visit to Ocho Rios.

Volunteering in Jamaica has been the most amazing experience and I will never forget it! The evening I arrived in Jamaica I was jet lagged and nervous, but after speaking to the other volunteers and Marlon, the son of the family who own the guest house, those nerves soon went. The first week I was in Jamaica I was volunteering at an orphanage in Havendale. The girls were all lovely there, just craving attention. I read them stories, helped them with their homework, played games outside with them and one day we made birthday cards for the lady who ran the orphanage. There was also an 8month old baby boy, I loved teaching him how to walk, he was very sweet. By the time I was leaving he was trying to say my name, which was just brilliant. Also in the first week I went to Manning's Hill pre school twice, all the children there were lovely too, it was a great experience being able to help them with their words and letters. The aunties and the teachers at both the orphanage and the school were very helpful and grateful for me being there. For the remaining 3 weeks I was at Shortwood Practicing school, this was for children aged 3-15. I was volunteering with the pe department by helping to teach the kids sports. On the first day I taught a class of 5year olds track and field sports. It was great and the kids were all really helpful and pleasant. On the second day it was parents day, so I was sitting next to one of the pe teachers as he did his one-to-one parent teacher consultations. This was a very eye opening experience and I learnt a lot about the background of some of the kids. During my time I was also asked by one of the senior management team to go up on stage during their devotion in the morning, and tell the children about me. I also donated some footballs and netballs to the pe department as they didn't have any! They were desperately needed for the kids to learn new skills for competitions. The pe teachers and the rest of the staff at the school were very kind and willing to help me with anything I needed. They also didn't push me into anything I didn't want to do, it was always what I felt comfortable with. Staying in Smokey Manor Guest House was brilliant, the Evans family were great with everything, you knew they'd be there to help if you needed them, The housekeeper and cook Louise is a legend! Everyday cooking authentic Jamaican dishes which were so tasty! But always with a smile on her face. The day trips I went on were also great, I learnt a lot about coffee in the Blue Mountains and relaxed at Hellshire Beach. Overall this volunteer experience has been life changing, it couldn't have been any better. I learnt so much, I think I made a difference to the lives of some of the children, plus I has great fun, had loads of new experiences and made some friends for life. I will definitely be coming back to Jamaica soon, as I've fallen in love with the island, the culture, the music and how kind the people are. I don't think I've ever been as relaxed in my entire life, I'm even staying an extra week with someone I've met since being here.

Right upon my arrival at Eltham Basic School the teachers were so welcoming and friendly. They continued to be kind throughout my entire stay. None of them were ever rude or anything but helpful and positive toward me. They fed me lunch everyday and the cook even gave me some lessons in the kitchen to cook Jamaican food! I will be staying in touch with all of these great ladies. The children were just such a joy to work with. They're so loving and have so much energy. The kids are very sweet and excited to have a volunteer. They are very smart and love to learn. I stayed in a home stay through Jamaica volenteer expeditions that was about a three minute walk from the school. A lovely couple welcomed me into their home. I have not one complaint to say about my stay here. These people were so good to me and made me feel at home. They cooked me breakfast and dinner everyday so I also got to try all the traditional Jamaican dishes. The house was also very secure and safe. I never felt unsafe my whole time here. It was the most amazing experience I've ever had!!!

I'm a girl from Belgium from 17 years old and I did volunteerwork for 2 weeks in Ocho Rios with the organisation Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions. My parents and friends were really concerned about the fact that I'm a girl of 17 years and I'm travelling so far away all on my own and staying with people I didn't know that well, but once I arrived in the airport there was already someone waiting on me and since that moment, I never felt "unsafe" or something, because the people I stayed with were like family. They cared so much about me and my roommate; they always asked if everything was okay, they always made delicious food, and they always made sure that we were enjoying our stay in Jamaica! I would definitely recommend the project of "working with children" to someone because the kids and the teachers give you soooo much love and everybody from there was thankful that I did volunteerwork for Jamaica. I loved the feeling that I really meant something for them! I also did the Orphanage project, but that was only one day and that was really sad because the girls from the orphanage were so nice! So if someone would like to do the Orphanage project, then you have to be sure that you are good advised about how many days you are going to that place because I was very disappointed when I knew that I only went one day to the orphanage. But if I had to chance to go back now, I WOULD !!! So that's very clear that I loved the 2 weeks in Jamaica! I really lived in a different culture for 2 weeks and I will never forget that experience, everybody should do this one time in their life! ;) x x x

I recently returned from a Girl Scout service trip to Jamaica volunteering at an orphanage for 2 days. The experience was life changing, and the services provided by Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions were excellent. The JVE staff were friendly, informative and made this trip fun for adults and girl scouts alike. The trip was safe and well organized and we accomplished what we set out to do for the orphanage. We are looking forward to doing a return trip next summer and working with Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions again. Now that we know what to expect -- we will be even better prepared in knowing what to bring and what activities to plan for the orphans (we needed more that we had!) We will also know better what to ask JVE to provide (we could have used more paint brushes and gardening tools ) so we can have maximum impact on the orphanage and make the world a better place for the amazing children who live there.

Traveling abroad with 8 Girl Scouts and 7 other adults to volunteer can be very challenging, however with the assistance of Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions we had the most positive and rewarding experience! They took the stress away of planning the unknown. Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions assisted our group from the moment I contacted them and during the months of planning. They were with us the whole time we volunteered and made us feel very safe and at ease. Volunteering at an orphanage was such a wonderful experience. It had such an impact on the girls and the adults. I think it was great for the girls to see how other people live and learn about the Jamaican culture. It was so rewarding for all of us to know that we were able to make an impact in the lives of others. Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions made volunteering abroad very easy. The knowledge and experience of the staff is very obvious. These people are there to help you help others! I highly recommend volunteering abroad for a life changing experience and I highly recommend Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions to help with your planning needs to do so. Our group had such a positive experience we hope to return next year!

I always knew that I wanted to volunteer, but nothing really captivated me until I found an opportunity to volunteer in Kingston. I wasn't sure what to expect so I was very nervous, especially as a young woman travelling alone. I worked with children ages 4-17 at an orphanage. The other volunteers and I created a summer program for the kids where we held computer, math, english, and art classes. We also played games and had loads of fun! In addition to volunteering, I experienced Jamaican cuisine, the beautiful sights and the night life. I have since been back 5 times to visit the kids, one of which times my mum and step dad came to meet the kids and see the orphanage! I could ramble on, so if you have any questions or would like to know more about my experience, feel free to contact Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions and ask to speak with me :) I highly recommend the program! - Sasha

This was my third volunteer experience in Jamaica, but my first working with severely disabled children and adults. I worked at West Haven Children's Home outside of Montego Bay teaching older teens and young adults in their early twenties. At first, the extent of their disabilities overwhelmed me, but after a short time all I saw was their loving spirits and eagerness to learn. I went there with the intention of inspiring them, but it soon became very evident that they inspired me even more. Jamaica Volunteer Expeditions provided the perfect accommodations for me - I stayed with a Jamaican woman who is also a professional and middle-aged. Her cottage, cooking and hospitality were all incredible, and we developed a wonderful friendship. I can't wait to return.