Volunteer and Teach in Laos | IVHQ

A fantastic experience teaching English in Laos with the monks and children. The local team were incredible and included us in their personal cultural celebrations as well as taking us on little trips (like bowling on a very wonky lane). Such a fantastic opportunity for my daughter and I to give to others. Definitely would love to volunteer again.

My highlight moment from the volunteer experience was being at the school and interacting with the teachers and students! They were so happy and excited to talk to us and it was amazing seeing the culture and customs of a Lao classroom compared to an Australian classroom. The Lao people are so generous with everything they have both with their time and belongings. Volunteering in Lao has taught me an invaluable lesson about generosity. My advise to future volunteers is you have nothing to worry about! The program is so well organised and the team is so supportive! Get out of your comfort zone and make a difference!

Absolutely couldn’t say enough good things about the local team. The team were the nicest and kindest people I have ever met. Not only did they support us with our volunteering program, like organising traditional skirts to wear to school, bikes to ride, etc, they went above and beyond by showing us around Luang Prabang in their own time, including ventures to show us the local culture and sights to see. They welcomed us so beautifully and made us feel very safe and comfortable. Please support them as much as you can because they need more volunteers to come to Laos. I will go back as soon as I possibly can to volunteer again. Volunteering had been one of the most rewarding and special experiences of my life and I feel like I chose the perfect destination for me. The children and the teachers were so grateful and happy for our help and I found them to be very respectful and keen to learn as much as they could from us. I loved their culture and their beautiful manners and quietly spoken way, I loved all the Laos people I met, especially the children. The food was amazing and the team did everything possible to make us comfortable. I particularly enjoyed the lunch and evening meals which were mostly traditional Laos food and was delicious, fresh and healthy. The location of the accommodation was also perfect, right in the middle of Luang Prabang, within riding distance to the school and walking distance to the night markets, morning markets, restaurants and the shops, it was perfect. My favorite moment from the volunteer experience was getting to know the children. I loved my students. I cried so much when I said goodbye to them, which made them cry too. Volunteering is something i'd wanted to do all my life and finally I did it. It was like a dream come true. It made me realise that money and possessions are nothing, the Laos people don’t have much but they care for each other, they are happy and calm and very quietly spoken, but they also are very generous and kind, their culture is beautiful and something westerners could learn from. Go, it is the best thing you could ever do. Get out of your comfort zone and go and help someone else. They don’t ask for much but are so incredibly grateful and happy for what you can offer them, especially if it helps their children have a better life.