Volunteer and Teach in Luang Prabang, Laos | IVHQ

Incredible, life changing, and filled with love is how I would describe my experience volunteer teaching in Laos. I set out on my own and joined this program with the hope to help children develop their language skills so that they might have better career options in the future. I had no formal classroom teaching experience, but for three weeks IVHQ gave me the utmost guidance and support. The schools had a clear understanding of the volunteer's role and were extremely organised. Knowing what my responsibility was as a volunteer, and their expectations really helped me to contribute all my skills productively. The children too, are aware of your role as a volunteer and that you may only be there for a short time-frame. This is so important for the children, and I was really impressed with how IVHQ has developed the teaching program in Laos. Everyday I taught an English class in the morning and afternoon at two different schools. We had to cycle to the schools, and it was amazing to be able to immerse myself in the Laos landscape and understand the Laos lifestyle. The school teachers were extremely supportive and would sometimes try to learn English like the students when I was teaching. It was a really special feeling to be able to support the community in this way, and develop their language skills. Throughout the rest of the day, there was plenty of time to socialise with the other volunteers, go exploring, prepare for lessons and play some sport! The IVHQ program really fosters a sense of family. I went to Laos alone, but I developed life-long friendships with the other volunteers and program facilitators. We went travelling to Luang Prabang and the city on the weekends, and this really helped to enhance my understanding of Laos and the culture. It has definitely been the most incredible, life-changing experience, filled with soo much love and happiness, I have ever had. I would relive it again and again and again.

I had wanted to volunteer for a few years before hearing about IVHQ through a friend and thought they were the perfect match for me. The IVHQ team prior to departure were extremely helpful in answering any questions and helping me change my program dates last minute. The local team once at the project were beyond amazing. The passion for helping the community was truly felt by the local team and they passed on that passion to each volunteer. The food was amazing and catered to everyone with a mix of local and western food. There were some great social games organized after dinner most nights which was a great way to break the ice and meet other volunteers doing other projects. The orientation was a great opportunity to explore the local area and learn about the culture. In the short time I was there I felt I was able to make a genuine connection with the community, the local team, the children and my fellow volunteers. My only regret is that I didn’t stay longer!

I took part in a one week volunteer program in Laos teaching English to primary aged students. IVHQ was so helpful every step of the way! They were by far the cheapest volunteer program I found, their website was clear, helpful and easy to navigate and signing up to the program was such a simple process. Once signed up, IVHQ clearly set out steps to help you understand everything you needed to do to prepare for your volunteering and customs of the Lao culture. Any question I had I was able to ask Sean Markham, the IVHQ program manager, and they were answered promptly. I was also able to ask about weekend travel and getting around Laos. Upon signing up for the program, I was given login details to IVHQ's website and was given all the information I needed including what do about visas, travel insurance, flights, what to pack and how to prepare. Once in Laos I was contacted by Sean again to ensure that my placement was going well and there were no issues. There was constant support every step of the way and any issues or questions were quickly answered and resolved. The program itself was amazing and worth every single cent. Being able to help out in a small community even for just one week was an amazing experience. Getting to know locals in a different way and really immersing yourself in the local culture was a great way to visit Laos and get an experience that not many other tourists have the chance of having. There was an option to do a culture week which was three days of language lessons, cooking, vegetable planting, making offerings for monks and several other activities. I personally chose not to partake in the culture week as I only had one week on the program and wanted to make the most of spending my time in a local school. The fact that this was offered as an option was amazing and really made my time there even more worthwhile. IVHQ is an excellent organisation and I will 100% be booking through them the next time I wish to volunteer overseas!!!!!