Involvement Volunteers International

I started with the cultural week, which was a nice introduction to the place and its culture (I would just recommend to reduce the amount of time dedicated to the “commercial” part/the shopping). Volunteering was amazing. About special needs words cannot describe how beautiful it was spending time at that home. We were many volunteers, all sharing this thought. Teaching to the village kids was very nice as well: the place was wonderful and the kids very kind and polite, and so happy to learn. I really enjoyed it! The local team is amazing. All the coordinators were very kind and helpful, they are flexible and they constantly check with you if everything is fine: thanks everybody! The food was good, with veg/non-veg options. The accommodation is ok, everything is clean. I appreciated that when I asked to change my room with a different one, and after some days, they immediately agreed; it shows that they care.

It was an amazing week working with a diverse group of volunteers from around the world. We got to experience working with turtles from nearly hatched to around 8 months old. They were extremely cute and you could really see the impact of the volunteering when we released them into the wild. It became clear after working there for a few days that volunteers are essential to keeping the project going so it felt good to be part of something that can help ensure the survival of these beautiful animals. With turtles needing almost 20 years to come back to breed, the beaches and island change so much in that time with development and pollution it is more important than ever that we do what we can. The team were very kind and great to work with. They made the hard tasks fun and always had a smile on their face. It was also great to end the week with the bonfire where we shared about our experience. A special thank you to the chefs and servers who tirelessly prepared all our meals for the week.

I volunteered to help look after some elephants on a sanctury . I’m 60 years old & was aware most volunteers would be much younger & I was right. The work was hard at times, especially with the heat, but the support & encouragement and advice I got was brilliant and I managed to complete my three weeks & do all jobs required. Hands on work with the elephants was fantastic. The local co-ordinating team were very helpful with all aspects. Accommodation & food was adequate and clean. Food wasn’t always to my liking but that’s just personal taste.