1-2 Weeks Volunteer Programs in France

I am motivated, responsible, and eager to learn from every experience. I am open to feedback and always ready to improve my skills. I value teamwork, communication, and adaptability, and I aim to contribute positively to any project or organization I join while continuing to grow both personally and professionally.

Had a great trip to Italy. I met a ton of people from all over the world and we worked together educating about issues around refugees. We worked during the day and had fun at night and on the weekends. I am still in touch with many of the people I volunteered with. Thanks

Traveling half way around the world to volunteer effort, time and energy on marine conservation takes trust. GoEco delivered, far exceeding any preconceived expectations and hopes we had before arriving on Naifaru. The entire team provided thorough support, training and guidance so that we could participate, contribute and perform to our utmost potential. We left with a tremendous sense of achievement, accomplishment and countless unforgettable memories.

Hi guys here the feedback I sent to AOA:<br><br>Jule and Gércia are doing an outstanding job! The program was very well organized, and all questions were always addressed – whether directly related to the tasks or more general matters. I felt well supported at all times.<br><br>I especially want to highlight how valuable it is to have a local Mozambican staff member like Gércia on the team. She not only brings maritime knowledge but also shares important insights about local customs and culture – a huge asset!<br>When Jule was away for a few days with another group, Gércia took over the leadership of our group, smoothly managed any changes to the plan, and handled everything very professionally. You truly have a fantastic team, and that deserves to be appreciated!<br><br>Food & Meals<br>The food was consistently delicious – thank you, Brodie and the Tilak Lodge team!<br>However, after two weeks, I noticed that some meals repeated quite often. It would be great if AOA could give Brodie a bit more flexibility and resources to offer more variety in the menu. I'm sure with more freedom, Brodie could surprise us with even more creative and diverse meals!<br><br>Scuba Diving<br>The guides at Tofo Scuba were excellent – professional, experienced, and always supportive. Whether it was the Advanced Open Water course, ocean safaris, or fun dives, I always felt safe and in very good hands. They made every dive a great experience, and I appreciated their clear briefings, calm presence, and strong awareness of safety and the environment.<br><br>Suggestions for Improvement – Equipment<br>There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to technical equipment:<br>There are clearly not enough GoPros/underwater cameras for the volunteers.<br>The printer is currently unusable due to empty ink cartridges – and no replacements were available.<br>Coming from a technical/IT background myself, I was honestly surprised at how outdated and overused some of the devices are. One or two new laptops or computers would make a real difference and improve the workflow on site.<br><br>Final Words of Appreciation<br>I usually don’t give such detailed feedback – but Jule, Gércia, Brodie and the Tilak Lodge team, as well as Ross and the Tofo Scuba crew, all deserve a big compliment. Thank you for this valuable and enriching experience!

I was a little uncertain about booking a volunteer trip with an organization I didn't have personal experience with, but wow! I'm thrilled I took a chance on GoEco. Their staff were incredibly communicative, helpful and supportive throughout the process - they patiently answered all my questions, guided me to a location that suited me and made sure I had all information I needed to ensure a wonderful trip. The Giant Tortoise Breeding Center volunteer experience in the Galapagos Islands was more than I could ever have imagined... filled with ideal balance of hard work, interesting learning, plenty of free time for diving/snorkeling/relaxation, connection with the local community and endless opportunities for Spanish practice. I felt supported by both GoEco and the IOI program. I'm already looking forward to my next GoEco travel opportunity.

I enjoyed some of the activites , but not others. The rivre walk and the walk to the koppies was 10/10. No intrenet was challenging , so 7/10. Jane , Precious , Patrick and Lucas were 10/10. I woul recommend this project to anyone who needs a detox from Social media.

New culture, new people, New Life. When we exchange our perspectives, ideas and plans to make a world better place for everyone. It's good to go different places it helps me view life in many directions

Hice 5 años en haiti, me se su idioma, se toda su cultura, me gustaría volver y apoyarlos en todas las dificultades que tienen, ya que ameritan mucha ayuda de todos nosotros, para ellos poder sobrevivir

I would really like to volunteer. I am passionate about charity and showing kindness to the world. Please, give me a chance. Kindly provide Certificate of sponsorship too since I'm not able to provide for myself at the moment. Kindly put my request into consideration.

The local connections the volunteer house provides for us is amazing. I can basically go to buy clothes, having surfing class, and getting a massage with discount from those connections. It feels like we’re embraced by the local community, and it feels absolutely wonderful!

The most memorable experience for me was to have a beautiful encounter with an enormous manta ray. It circled us for more than 20 minutes on our dive and it was absolutely incredible! But that was only one out of so many amazing, memorable experiences with animals as well as people!

I have to say swimming with the whale sharks was one of the most amazing things I’ve done in my entire life! Everyone in the boat with the same enthusiastic energy celebrating every time we would find a whale shark and jump with them, it was a trip I’ll remember forever!

This an increasingly popular way for individuals to make a meaningful impact in communities around the world. With numerous organizations offering volunteer programs, it's essential to review and research these opportunities to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. *Pros:* 1. *Cultural Immersion*: Living and working with local communities provides an immersive cultural experience. 2. *Skill Development*: Volunteers can develop new skills and gain experience in areas such as teaching, conservation, and community development. 3. *Networking Opportunities*: Volunteers can connect with like-minded individuals from around the world. 4. *Personal Growth*: Volunteering abroad can be a transformative experience, fostering personal growth and self-awareness. *Cons:* 1. *Cost*: Many volunteer programs come with a hefty price tag, which can be a barrier for some. 2. *Safety Concerns*: Volunteers may face safety risks, such as health concerns or political instability, depending on the destination. 3. *Cultural Differences*: Adapting to local customs and way of life can be challenging for some volunteers. 4. *Quality of Programs*: Some volunteer programs may lack structure, support, or meaningful work, leading to a disappointing experience. *Recommendations:* 1. *Research Thoroughly*: Investigate the organization, program, and destination to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. 2. *Read Reviews*: Look for reviews from past volunteers to gain insight into the program's quality and challenges. 3. *Choose a Reputable Organization*: Select an organization with a proven track record, transparent policies, and adequate support for volunteers. 4. *Prepare Yourself*: Culturally, emotionally, and physically prepare yourself for the experience to ensure a smooth transition. By being aware of the pros and cons, doing thorough research, and choosing a reputable organization, volunteers can have a safe, rewarding, and life-changing experience abroad.

As a Social worker i often meet with clients to assess their needs, provide counseling, and develop individualized plans to address their challenges. This could involve sessions with individuals, families, or groups.

I love helping the old people , and I love those who do this because it gives them a spirit of life and enhances their psychology for the better. I also love animals and playing with them gently and I hope that I will enjoy this volunteering because it will have a great impact on my psychological state

My experience with VFP way back in 2009 was remarkable. Living in Germany and building a labyrinth at a World Heritage Site as the only native English speaker in my group was a truly immersive experience. I didn't feel like I was coming into a place from the outside so much as I felt part of a community. Our group really bonded and while we had a primary task, many of the day to day decisions were made by the group, one of my first experiences with really being responsible for myself.

My most memorable experience was looking forward to feeding the beautiful elephants each day and seeing their excitement when we would arrive. In even those little interactions, you got to know a little more about the elephant’s personality each time.

Individual experiences are not what make a trip of this sorts memorable. It’s all the people you meet. From this trip, so many individuals of varying backgrounds have touched my heart and greatly impacted my life.

Working with the elephants was amazing hand and experience of a lifetime but it's not for the faint hearted it is hard work especially in the heat and humidity but so worthwhile. The Thai people are lovely and the staff that worked there are two it is a very well run organisation

I truly enjoyed my experience with International Medical Aid. From the very first day the staff made me feel right at home, from getting picked up from the airport to my final exit. During my free time, I immersed myself in the Kenyan culture by going to local restaurants and trying the local cuisine, as I wanted to really get the most out of my experience. When I became slightly ill, I informed the Program Staff and was quickly taken to the private hospital five minutes away from the residence; my problem was handled in the quickest manner which made me feel very safe. I felt we made the biggest impact on the community during our bi-weekly free medical clinics, as we were able to do something hands-on to really help so many different communities. International Medical Aid was truly one of the best experiences I've ever had, and I will cherish it forever." Upon arriving in Kenya, I had no clue what the outcome would be after completing my internship at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, but I couldn’t be more thankful for what I’ve learned about healthcare, as well as myself. Although I had done research on International Medical Aid in the past, there was no amount of internet research that could prepare me for the experience I was going to have. It has taken me thirty days to be able to summarize my experience and what I learned from it, as it has completely changed my perspective on life as well as what I want to do as a career. For the past thirty days, I have been researching and digging through the internet to find a career that could encompass everything that I felt while I was in Kenya, and that has led me to Nursing. Before arriving in Kenya, I was set on becoming a Physician Assistant, which has recently been changed to Physician Associate in The United States. I was even a part of a club in college called The Association of Pre-Physician Assistant Students, or better known as APPAS. Given this information, I signed up for the Pre-Physician Assistant internship through International Medical Aid. In Kenya, the “equivalent” to a Physician Assistant is a Clinical Officer (CO). It was extremely interesting to me to learn the multitude of different names for their health care providers such as Medical Officer (MO), Clinical Officer Intern (COI), and so many more. In the beginning, it was a little confusing, as I was referring to CO’s as MO’s, and CO’s as COI’s, and I had to be corrected a few times by interns who were there weeks before me. The one thing that was perfectly similar to the name in the US, was a nurse. I may not have always known who the CO or the MO was, but I always knew who the nurse was in the room, as I came to learn they are extremely autonomous in Kenya, and often are running the wards. My time in the different wards is what truly shaped my experience in Kenya. My first week, I was in the Internal Medicine Ward. Before going into the week, a few of the interns who had already been there asked me which wards I would be in during my time at Coast General. When I mentioned Internal Medicine, I would constantly hear that people found it to be boring, but as it was my first week, I still went into it with high hopes. Upon my arrival in the ward, I was introduced to the MO, a few medical students, and a few nurses. The other interns and I were then taken around the ward and we went patient to patient, doing major work rounds, which is done on Monday and Thursday of the week. I found the major work rounds to be extremely enriching as I was able to see how the MO figures out what is wrong with the patient, and then determines the plan of treatment. After the MO determines the plan of treatment, it is the medical students and the nurses/nursing students who actually handle the treatment. The students welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to follow behind them closely to every patient and watch every single thing they did. Not only did they welcome us, they also perfectly explained what they were doing, as they wanted us to be as engaged as possible. I personally found my time in Internal Medicine to be very rewarding, and I feel this ward is where I learned the most medicine during my entire time in Kenya. My favorite part of Internal Medicine was being able to draw connections between the diagnosis and plan of treatment to my knowledge of microbiology. Being able to understand a lot of what the healthcare providers and the students were talking about allowed me to be engaged, and even give my input when asked. Starting off in Internal Medicine was the perfect start to my internship. My second week in Kenya, I was in the labor ward. Prior to going into the ward, I was expecting it to be like an OBGYN office. To my surprise, the entire room was labor and delivery. One side of the room is called first stage, which is for women who are thought to not have any complications giving birth. The other side of the room is second stage, for women who are more likely to have complications and/or possibly need emergency caesarean sections. I split a lot of my time between both stages, but the most interesting births were in the second stage. The labor ward was where I discovered my love for the Nursing profession, as the nurses and nursing students ran this entire ward from triage to the actual birth. I loved seeing how autonomous the nurses were. The week that I was in the labor ward happened to be the last week for the nursing students in that ward, as they had been there for three months. Due to this, a majority of the births that week were “final assessments” for the students, and we were unable to watch the assessment births. Luckily, there was one assessment birth that the lecturers allowed me to watch, and it was the most interesting thing I had ever seen, as I’ve never seen a live birth. The nursing students were extremely welcoming; as soon as I told them I had never seen a live birth, they came to find me in the ward when someone was close to giving birth, just to allow me to see. The nursing students in the labor ward were some of the smartest and nicest people I have ever met, and I fell in love with their love for health care, as it was truly inspiring. The most interesting thing was the differences between a labor ward in Kenya, in comparison to the US. There are no family members in the ward with the women while they’re giving birth, and this was a shock to me, as birth is such a special time in a woman’s life. Aside from it being special, it is also painful, as they do not use epidurals in this labor ward. Learning this, I was able to see how the nurses try to keep the women as comfortable as possible, given the resources. They have to be more than nurses; they have to exude such a warm energy for these women going through an uncomfortable experience, and I loved every second of my experience in the labor ward. At the conclusion of this week, I was so inspired to the point that I wanted to also pursue nursing. My third week in Kenya, I was in the Emergency Room. The Emergency Room physicians were some of my favorite physicians that I met during my internship, as they wanted to engage the interns as much as possible. I spent a lot of my time in the Emergency Room split between “Minor Theater” and triage. Minor Theater was for patients that needed things such as wound dressing, debridement, stitches, and many other small things. The Minor Theater was ran by some of the most amazing nurses, who also wanted the interns to be as engaged as possible, and allowed us to watch every single thing that they were doing. They were open to any question we had, and never once did they seem annoyed at the amount of questions I had, as there were a ton. Triage had many different types of patients every day, such as patients with broken ribs. I learned a lot of medicine in Triage from the physician and medical students, as they explained everything from the patient coming in to them either being discharged or admitted to the Emergency Room ward. During this week I also did an overnight shift in the Emergency Room, which was very enriching. This was the first time I had ever done an overnight shift in a hospital, and I had no clue what to expect. Due to Kenya having a curfew, there are less people coming into the Emergency Room for things such as car accidents, as people are in their homes. Patients were coming into the Emergency Room mostly from at home accidents. Because there were less people in the hospital at night, the interns were able to be engaged in the plan of treatment, and even more engaged with the physician, as there were no medical students at night. We also spent a lot of our overnight shift in the Emergency Room ward, following the physician around patient to patient, checking on things such as catheters, and making sure they were comfortable. I found the Emergency Room to be very exciting, as you never knew what the next patient was going to come in with. My favorite case was a one year old baby coming in that had a disease called Hydrocephalus, which is the buildup of fluid around the brain. As soon as I saw the baby, I knew exactly what they had, which made me so excited to be able to know what was going on. An interesting part of my internship, I actually contracted food poisoning, after going out to a Japanese restaurant and eating raw sushi. Although this was a painful and excruciatingly uncomfortable experience for me, I was able to experience another hospital known as Premiere Hospital. The differences between Coast General Hospital and Premiere are drastic, as Premiere Hospital is in the Commercial Private Sector while Coast General is in the Public Health Sector. As we learned in our lecture series, hospitals in the Public Health Sector is considered more accessible and affordable for citizens in Kenya. Public hospitals are also under-resourced when compared to the private sector. On the other hand, hospitals in the private sector offer much higher quality healthcare when compared to the public sector. One of the interesting differences I noticed in the under sourcing of hospitals in the public sector, is that at Coast General, to take blood they tie gloves together to be used as a tourniquet, while at Premiere, they use actual tourniquet. I even noticed simple things such as automatic doors, and automatic hand sanitizer dispensers at Premiere Hospital. It was very evident that the private sector is well funded in comparison. Although I was sick, I was grateful to be able to experience the difference as a patient hands on. My last week was in Surgery, which to my surprise, was my favorite. When doing surgery, you split your time between the surgical theater and the surgical ward. My first day was in the surgical theater, which started my week off on the highest note. The other interns and I were able to see an adenoidectomy on a baby, a broken femur repair, and the beginning of a skin graft surgery. I stood as close as possible without being in the way of the surgeons, as I was extremely interested in everything they were doing. One of the more surprising things that I found interesting was the nurse anesthetist. During the broken femur repair, there was something about the surgeons inserting multiple rods into the patients leg, and the patient feeling absolutely nothing due to anesthesia. I was very intrigued by all of the different machines used for the anesthesia and to make sure that the patient stays asleep during the surgery. It was after this surgery that I found an interest in being a Nurse Anesthetist, as I loved the surgery atmosphere and all that goes into having a successful surgery. When I mentioned this new found revelation, many of the interns asked me why I don’t want to pursue surgery, but this is when I mentioned that in the previous weeks I found a love for the patient care experience, and Nurse Anesthetists get the best of both worlds, by handling pre and post-operative patient care, and also getting the full surgery experience. Finishing my internship with surgery and figuring out what I want to do in life, was the perfect conclusion. As mentioned in the beginning, this internship really put my life into perspective, because even though I figured out what I want to do career wise, something still seemed to be missing. This is when I came across the area of Global Health. After spending a month in Kenya, I felt that I wanted to be a part of tropical medicine, and have a hand in some of the neglected tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, rabies, and many other diseases. I had hands on experience with dengue fever, as of my roommates contracted it while we were in Kenya. This caused me to do a lot of research on how to not only keep myself protected, but what I could do to help her feel better, as she was miserable. As I’ve been home for a month doing research, I found that it is possible to be a nurse and also take part in global health in the US and also in other countries through organizations such as the World Health Organization. Completing a healthcare internship abroad allowed for me to understand the importance of cultural competency, especially if I’m going to be working in a country like the US, as it is a melting pot, full of people with many different beliefs and cultures. It is important to be able to place yourself in your patients shoes to treat them to the best of your ability. To conclude my reflection on my internship, I am beyond appreciative for the experience. I feel if I didn’t participate in this internship, I would be pursuing a career that isn’t my dream. I truly feel that being a nurse anesthetist and also incorporating global health is the perfect career for me. I am extremely thankful for International Medical Aid allowing me to understand the importance of cultural competency, as I will carry that lesson with me for the rest of my life, for my future patients. I have left Kenya as a completely different person, but a much better person.