Volunteering Journeys

I'm extremely satisfied to have been part of this great program helping children, their future and the future of the country. Accommodation - I was very happy and comfortable in a clean and pleasant environment. Food was always delicious, transport was always good, and cleaning was perfect. Staff were very kind and friendly with very good support; I was always able to reach them. I enjoyed every experience. Thank you so much for everything.

I thought the project was wonderful. All of the ladies were so nice to me and made me feel welcomed. I liked that I got the opportunity to plan lessons myself and lead the group. The homestead was always kept clean and lights and fan switches were clearly labeled. There was always tea and fruit and I liked the location of the building too. Everything was always clean in the house! The kitchen staff were so friendly and even paid attention to the portions of what I normally eat and adjusted it accordingly. Everything was delicious. My driver to the airport was on time and friendly. The driver for Munnar trip was so well-informed, and great at knowing the good spots as well as making me feel safe while traveling. The staff support was the best part about the program. I ended up alone in the program and they were always telling me the best spots to go and even helped plan my time here! Munnar was SO fun! Highly recommend to anyone who comes here. The Spite garden was the best. i liked the yoga classes and shopping around town. The tuktuk drivers were a little annoying to me and drive me places I didn't want to go but the Holi celebration was so enjoyable!

I enjoyed being part of the teaching program very much. Teaching English to year 3&4 was challenging at times but also a lot of fun. Receiving an email 2 weeks before arriving regarding school, classes would have been good. Emphasising the need for a laptop for lesson planning would have helped. I was very satisfied with accommodation; beds and pillows were comfortable, though upgrading to aircon was needed. Having 2 people in hot climate was better than three. Food was excellent and fresh with a great selection of meals all prepared by lovely, helpful staff. Having the occasional chicken meal was welcomed. Enjoyed experiencing Kerala food. We didn't need transport and the room was cleaned once a week & bathroom a few times each week. No complaints. All the staff were incredibly helpful, answering many questions. Working with Reshma was great both in and out of the classroom. She was extermely supportive when doing lesson planning & her help in the classroom with translation & classroom management was fantastic. Staff knew where various yoga places were always willing to suggest places to visit. Great suggestion by Shamla for cooking lesson and Kathkali.

From the preparation till my farewell at the share house the experience was amazing. Organisation was good, facilities excellent, camaraderie fantastic but the opportunity to do something worthwhile while one experienced another culture was the best part.

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I’m very satisfied with the program and would love to volunteer again but next stay longer. The accommodation was spacious. Very humble and quiet. All my expectations have been met. The food was exceptional and was very pleased with the staff.

Very satisfied - lots of information and support. Very welcomed and the schools were friendly. Reshhia was a great support in the lesson planning and in class. The house was comfortable and had everything we needed. We were given a tour and told clearly where everything was. The food is delicious! Light and tasty with a good range of dishes and perfect portion sizes! One of the highlights! The schools were easily accessible via tuktuk or walking. Reshma made transpo very easy and always made sure we got where we needed to be.

I have loved volunteering on this programme. Honey has been an excellent and supportive teacher. The students have been wonderful to teach. I would not improve anything on the programme as it has been great. Accommodation has been comfortable and clean. I have enjoyed staying here. Food has been excellent and have been provided with lots of different things. The ladies who work here have been very friendly and always ensuring we have eaten :). All transport has been great

Everything was perfect. We loved the kids. We forgot to give our gifts to the teachers so it would be great if you could distribute our chalk and markers. The accommodation was very good. The actual accommodation was much nicer than what the information on the website made us think. The food was basic but good food. The best payasam we had and the biryanis were incredible. The transportation was very good. It is a bit pricey when you book it through IVHQ.

The women’s programme is a fantastic project evident by the women’s enthusiasm and love of the attendings. The accommodation was lovely and clean. At times very hot if lots of people in one flat. The food was incredible. Some of the best food I have eaten in Kerala was made here at the volunteer house. The Transportation was fine.

The project was very satisfying lessons are organized in a flexible way, so that you can adapt day by day. Lovely accommodation with all the indispensable comfort. And Baby is a very good chef. All the food was good!

We had the BEST time whilst here! The rooms are good- clean and comfy! Thank you Sajna and Sanee. Worm telling people that their stuff may go moldy due to humidity- this is not a criticism :) The food is incredible - we absolutely love everything that the ladies cooked. My mouth is watering thinking about it. We only used Rickshaws and Ubers/taxis as transpo which were all great. George & Sebastian (the drivers for Munnar & backwaters) were Amazing!! Can’t recommend enough. The cleaning was really good and the incense smelt amazing! The staff was amazing! The girls were all really helpful whenever we needed and would go out of their way to help every day.

Such a great work within the community to help, provide women with the opportunity to connect and develop skills for employment. The food was incredible! Thank you for all the lovely dishes and the care from the team to look after us.

I couldn’t be more satisfied! Had 0 expectations before coming and they were exceeded in every way. If I could stay longer I would have. Everything was perfect and it now feels like home for me. Let me stay forever, please! Highlight was all the women passing their exams, couldn’t be prouder of them, and seeing their confidence increase over the weeks was the entire reason I came ? The accommodations were better than expected, felt super safe at all times, room was spacious and surprisingly cool - shred space was comfortable and I found the beds comfy too. The hangers weren’t really usable but the rails are perfect for storage. The food was PERFECT! So grateful to Renuka and Baby for always making delicious tasty meals. Accommodating our needs and giving us a proper taste of Kerala. I’m a little bad with textures so it took me some time to get used to not just eating toast and pasta, but so many dishes blew me away. Prawn roast and chicken biriyani specifically <3 I didn’t need any transport for my project but walked most places easily and got cheap tuk-tuks from Junchan. Ubers also very easy to get from here and Shamla was really helpful in arranging airport pick-ups and drop-offs without any hassle.

The kindergarten classes are more like teaching classrooms rather than child play. You associate with a KG in the UK. This may be a surprise for some volunteers who may expect less in terms of “lesson” preparation. The accommodation was excellent - however, I had a lovely en suite single room! The food was excellent as well - freshly prepared, authentic Indian cuisine. Transfer to and from the airport is good. Transport to program was easy and cheap.

The project is good. The handover from old volunteers to new volunteers could be handled better. Good accommodation. Very clean and we were well taken care of. The food was lovely, local and Herala. The ladies really helped when we cooked fo something special. The transport is always available and very reasonably priced.

I am very satisfied with both the women's program & gathering for Raksha Schol. Both projects have been managed exceptionally well. The women's project has proven to be highly effective & impactful while the gathering efforts have provided valuable support & enhancement for Raksha School. I am also satisfied with the accommodation arrangements, the facilities were comfortable and well maintained. The living area was comfortable and a welcoming treat, the TV provided a nice excuse for some downtime. The food was truly exceptional. A huge credit to Saneera Sagria and Raneeka. Furthermore, the food provided an insightful understanding of the rich culture in Kerala. I have also felt very inspired to replicate some of the dishes at home. THANK YOU! The transport services were reliable, timely, and cost-effective. The rooms were cleaned in timely, but thorough manner. I particularly appreciated fresh bedding on the weekends. The mattresses were very comfy. Great staff support which helped ensure I had a positive experience. All staff were readily available and approachable. The WhatsApp chat is a great way to communicate quickly. I recommend to stay two nights in Mumna. The spice garden was very disappointing, the spice tour guide was extremely rude. The tea museums was also closed which was disappointing. Yoga, swimming, cafe hopping, art galleries, museums, walking to shopping, restaurants, cooking class & indigo dying were local and amazing. Highly recommend the cooking class and dying - SUPER!

Very satisfied. I loved the women’s staff, and time in Kochi. It was absolutely amazing. Having a syllabus of vocab, grammar and literature to follow could be helpful to add continuing. The accommodation was fantastic! Staff was able to accommodate upgrading me to AC, kept my room clean, and it was overall very comfortable. Location is perfect. The cooks are incredible. The food was delicious. I loved every meal I had. They are so talented and accommodating. They were able to make my changes and take requests. Only thing that could possibly add some extra magic would be offering fresh vegetables in addition to fruit!

I enjoyed working with the women English students and co-teaching with Raychelle. Honey’s orientation and ongoing support was very helpful. I enjoyed the freedom to create lessons around a topic. The students were pleasant, motivated and fun to work with. The schedule gave me time to both prep and relax and be a tourist. The accommodation was sufficiently clean. However, I was unfortunately not comfortable. The bed was a little too short and uncomfortable, and it was difficult to get adequate air flow. I would recommend getting larger beds with softer mattresses and installing more conditioners. The food was tasty. I enjoyed trying local dishes, and the cooks were very friendly. One thing that might be nice is to have masala tea with breakfast. Having transport included from their part was helpful. I found the drive right upon exiting the airport. I also appreciated having the opportunity to visit the children’s classes. And I appreciated the kind and helpful staff team.

I am extremely satisfied and extremely grateful for the opportunity given to teach. Reshma was lovely and so were the other members of staff who were friendly and made me feel at home. I felt very safe in the accommodation, with no worries at all! Very comfortable and couldn’t ask for more. The food was incredible - I loved it and was very similar to what I had at home, so did not miss home :P The transport was incredible- Das and Mukesh were great!

I loved teaching here - the women were so excited to learn and very determined to improve their English. Famidha is an asset to the program. Without her, I don’t think my teaching would have been very effective. She confronted so much and is extremely dedicated to the program, the women and the teachers :) . The accommodation was good for the most part. I don’t like that every window has bars - how would you escape in event of fire? There should be a smoke alarm and sprinkles in every room. The food was excellent! Baby cooks with heart and all of her meals were delicious. As for transportation, tuktuks are convenient + cheap. Loved the Mannar trip! Our guide “Do’s?” was amazing and made the trip so memorable. I liked him very much, he was so accommodating and friendly.