Volunteer Abroad Programs

Participating in ASA's volunteer program was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. The jungle at Finca Las Piedras is stunning, and I saw so much wildlife. The trail system is well-maintained and beautiful to explore. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and supportive. While the accommodations are basic, they are clean and safe. I loved waking up every morning to the sounds of the jungle. Supporting the protection of this important ecosystem while learning about the region’s unique wildlife was a life-changing experience. I would highly recommend this volunteer program to anyone considering it.

I did medical volunteering program in Jaipur. The experience was great. The house had a great location, the family was very kind, food was great. In the hospital I had the oportunity to listen to the different cases as well as try some practical things. The only obstacle was language, but doctor tried to explain everything to me. On the weekend I also had the oportunity to go sightseeing, we visited Amber Fort and other famous places in Jaipur. All in all the stay was pleasant and I had a really great time.

I had a wonderful time during my women's empowerment volunteer stay in Jaipur! The girls were fantastic and the cultural exchange with them was truly special; plus, the staff was very kind and welcoming. My host family made sure I had everything I needed and made me feel right at home. On top of that, Jaipur is a gorgeous city full of vibrant colors and incredible history. I'm so grateful and satisfied with this experience as a solo traveler, and I will carry these precious memories in my heart forever. :))

My time volunteer teaching in Zambia was unbelievably fantastic. I met such lovely fellow volunteers, staff at my volunteer house, teachers and of course kids at my school. The program was really well organised from pre departure to arrival home with plenty of time for sight seeing. I felt so safe in Zambia and received a warm welcome. I felt relaxed at all times and really did not want to come back. I plan to do it all again next year and hopefully catch up with the children a year on in their studies. I'm missing everyone in Zambia!

I wanted it before it started. And I want more after it finished. The experience is priceless and soul touching. Regardless of lacking comfort, the gains are more satisfying than anything other pleasures. I had the time to devote myself into a life meaning-seeking journey and to enjoy the feedback of it. The place ,the people , the doings during the period uncovered the unseen and hidden side of myself and bring this to the light gives me tremendous amount of pride and peace. I will continue doing this.

After only 2 weeks I decided I wanted to live and work in CR. So I think this says it all. I’m now going from volunteer to employee. Maximo / my host family and my volunteer project have now become friends.

Great experience. This was my first time paying to participate in an overseas volunteering program, and I was afraid I would get scammed. No such occurrence. All arrangements from homestay to the work itself were exactly as described. My Peruvian family took great care of me and my work (medical volunteering in a local community clinic) was fulfilling. Maximo Nivel maintains a relationship with a reputable tourism company (American Inca Trail) that has an office in their same building, and I took full advantage of this for some amazing hiking trips. The services Maximo Nivel provides (arranging accommodation, placing you with host family, placing you in volunteer project, etc.) aren´t cheap and you might think you can do it cheaper on your own, but in my opinion, they´re worth the price you pay. Let them handle some things for you so you can focus on enjoying your experience abroad, not dealing with shady travel companies, lodging/logistics that aren´t what you were promised, etc.

I had a really great experience volunteering with the Colobus Monkey Conservation Project in Diani. The team was friendly, welcoming, and very supportive throughout my stay. I enjoyed learning about the colobus monkeys, taking part in conservation activities, and seeing firsthand the work being done to protect them and their habitat. What I loved most was that it wasn’t just about volunteering; I also got to interact with the local community and learn more about conservation in Kenya. The experience was simple, hands-on, and very rewarding. I would definitely recommend this project to anyone interested in wildlife and conservation. It was a memorable experience, and I left feeling like I had made a small but meaningful contribution.

I Took my first trip alone with IVHQ as a 17 year old last month. It was an amazing first trip where I was supported the whole way and made many friends from all over the world. I loved the volunteering and I learnt so much about the culture. I am already planning my next trip!

Volunteering in Zanzibar was an amazing and unforgettable experience. I had the opportunity to meet wonderful people from different countries, discover the local culture, and take part in meaningful activities that made every day special. The staff and coordinators were always welcoming, supportive, and friendly, which made me feel comfortable from the beginning. I also created strong friendships with the other volunteers and shared many great moments with them. This experience taught me a lot, both personally and culturally, and helped me grow as a person. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique, rewarding, and meaningful experience abroad.

the place was beautiful, the people were so kind, the children were wonderful and so well behaved, the food was incredible, two weeks felt too short !! the green lion made me feel at home and I can’t thank them enough for that. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Loved every second of it, I didn’t want to leave.

I had a really unforgettable summer with The Intern Group. For the internship, it's my first real industry working experience, I learned so many new things, solved the problems that I have never met before. Thanks so much for my colleagues and mentors, they were always so patient and supportive, helping me whenever I have troubles. I really enjoyed the working environment, everyone is doing their own things, but the meetings and communication let me felt strong connection. And also thanks a lot for the events from Intern Group. I met people from different background, sharing opinions with each other. And the activities also led us to look into the English culture, experienced the life in London. It's such an unforgettable summer. I made new friends, had an experience of internship, broadened my horizon for different cultures. Thanks for meeting everyone.

My experience with IVHQ in Tanzania was truly unforgettable! 🇹🇿🤍 From the application process to arriving in Tanzania, I felt like I had clear information and guidance throughout the process. The application was straightforward, and having the details about accommodation, transportation, volunteering, and what to expect before arriving made preparing for the trip much easier. The coordination once I arrived was also very helpful. I appreciated having people available to help with the transition into the program and being able to connect with other volunteers from around the world. The highlight, of course, was my time volunteering at a daycare in Sakina. The children and staff welcomed me with so much love and made me feel like part of their family. It was such a meaningful experience, and I left Tanzania with memories and connections I’ll carry with me forever. I’m so grateful to IVHQ for making this experience possible and giving me the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, give back, and experience Tanzania in such a meaningful way. I would definitely consider volunteering with IVHQ again! 🌍❤️

I really liked my experience with IVHQ because everything was planned and guided where any questions were answered, any anxiety was calmed. This was my first solo trip as by the title you can see I have epilepsy. Living with that makes it hard to have certain experiences and in a comfortable manner. IVHQ helped immensely with that, the company of others, the accommodation, everything was well planned and helped myself travel solo and have a very joyful experience.

I planned a trip to Arusha, Tanzania through Medi Trip primarily for my son, who is a Pre Med student at university. Medi Trip and Pearl, in particular, did a wonderful job making the arrangements and sending excellent and relevant information relating to the volunteer assignments. My volunteer assignment was with WEHAF--Women's Encouragement HIV-AIDS Foundation. The accommodations were great. The staff at the hostel was friendly and very helpful--everything was kept very clean and orderly. Careen with Medi Trip was available and extremely helpful in showing us how to travel to our assignments from the hostel and how to get around Arusha. When I was seeking recommendations for a safari, Pearl placed me in contact with a local safari operator, and we enjoyed an amazing three day/two night safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. I also sought recommendations for a hiking trip to Mount Kilimanjaro with a locally-owned guiding service. Pearl placed me in contact with Nyange Adventures, and they took very good care of my son and I as we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route. Praise Nyange is an amazing guide and environmentalist. His farm and tree planting operations were outstanding, and his team of guides and porters second to none. My son's volunteer assignment went extremely well. He was able to work with the anesthesiologists and anesthesia techs at the hospital in the general and OBGYN operating rooms. He witnessed and assisted in numerous operations and procedures over the course of the two weeks we volunteered in Arusha. He logged over 60 volunteer hours in just 8 work days! My experience with WEHAF was equally rewarding. I assisted Thedy Lengoje, and her team at WEHAF, with providing sorely needed assistance to widows (the majority of whom are HIV positive) from the community with food supplies, mattresses, beds, gas stoves, and other items needed to alleviate their difficult circumstances. I also helped complete the parking lot and perimeter wall painting at the "Mama Center", where women in the program go to learn how to sew and obtain other skills to be able to start their own small businesses. I did not think I would be doing manual labor during my assignment, but I saw a need and was given the freedom to complete those projects while I was in Arusha. The Medi Trip staff were professional and responsive to all my inquires leading up to our assignments. Travel and housing accommodations were both timely and comfortable. I cannot recommend Medi Trip enough. I am so pleased with the time my son and I spent in Tanzania and we will remember all the people with whom we came in contact (Pearl, Careen, Kombo, etc.) fondly and forever. Jambo!

The phone call with ACE to determine what my experience would involve was incredibly insightful. The consultant I spoke with did a wonderful job understanding my personality and what I was looking for. They recommended various projects, and we collectively decided that the Golola Rhino Orphanage and Rehabilitation Centre would be the project which was best suited to my needs and interests. They thoroughly explained every aspect of the project and underlined the things I would contribute to at the orphanage. In addition, they made all logistical and financial arrangements for the project clear, which undoubtedly made it much easier on my side! The in-country support with ACE was also incredible. After landing in Johannesburg following a 12-hour flight, I had an almost dead phone and was stuck in a two-and-a-half-hour queue at passport control. I was stressed that my transfer was going to leave without me. I had emailed my ACE consultant to inform them of my situation, and they responded almost instantly after communicating with the transfer team. Additionally, the ACE team member who was waiting to meet me at the airport was fantastic at checking in throughout my experience. They were very helpful and even assisted me in updating the transfer of my flight change! Without these ACE team members, I don’t know if I would’ve made it there and back. No two days were the same at Golola! Although we worked on a daily routine covering tasks that had to be done, such as feeding the camp animals (rhinos, horses, goats, and pigs), feeding the baby rhino, and cleaning out the enclosures, we also did plenty of other activities in between. During my one-week stay at Golola, we visited a nearby waterfall and creek for lunch, went on a night drive to see various wildlife species we wouldn’t usually see in the daytime, and even went out for lunch in the bush once or twice! There were loads of activities the staff had offered us. Other than working, volunteers and staff would often hang out in the evenings at dinner time, play games and just chat about our lives outside of the orphanage, and it was really nice to get to know the project staff more personally! Our regular morning rounds consisted of putting out hay and pellets for the rhinos in the larger camp. They were often accompanied by the hundreds of warthogs, which would try, sometimes successfully, to steal their food. We would then pack the pickup truck with pellets and hay to feed the rhinos on the reserve. This was particularly exciting as they would often try to closely follow the truck! A good chunk of time each day was spent feeding the youngest rhino, as they needed feeding four times a day. As there were four volunteers on the project during my stay, we each had a turn feeding the baby every day. I would make the milk following the correct measurements of formula and other ingredients, and then bottle-feed the baby myself! She was a very, very greedy baby. Every day, we cleaned the animal enclosures of the goats, pigs, owls and the baby rhino. This consisted of sweeping up hay from the day before and scrubbing the floors with clean water to get rid of any lingering dirt, as well as scrubbing the owl’s perches with disinfectant water. Despite the whole experience at the orphanage being completely life-changing and memorable, the memory I’ll think about the most is probably seeing a baby rhino for the first time. The baby in the surrounding reserve was around a week old when I arrived at Golola, and there were only two or three sightings by a few members of staff at this point. One day, we were doing the afternoon feed out in the bush, and we had spotted a lone rhino who we figured was the mother of this baby. We were very excited and hoped to see her baby, and then he popped out from the bush running beside her! It was such a surreal experience being able to see a mother and her child roam freely in the reserve. After watching countless documentaries about poaching and the devastating effects of the rhino horn trade, it was incredible and quite emotional to see the continuity and persistence of such an amazing species. What was also really special about this moment was the sheer excitement and awe from the two staff members who came on the drive. From this point on, the mother and her baby boy made an appearance every day, excited and running over to us on the back of the truck! I don’t think I can even put into words how much this experience has impacted me. I often felt desensitised yet frustrated at the sight of continuous poaching awareness documentaries and adverts on the TV, confused as to what I was meant to do about the crisis. I had done thorough research about the poaching catastrophe in South Africa but often felt lost, wondering what I could personally do to provide the slightest bit of help to such a beautiful species. I then found ACE after researching different volunteering programs focusing on rhinos. As soon as I got to the orphanage and met the staff and listened to their stories and reasons for working here, I was instantly inspired by their courage and selflessness towards the protection of the rhinos. To be up close with the rhinos, separated by only a few inches, I was hit with the harsh realisation of the severity of the poaching crisis. To see these animals up close in their natural habitat, not through a murky zoo window, and to look into their eyes, I wondered how some humans could be so heartless and cruel. To think that rhinos have lived for over 50 million years but are nearly extinct solely due to the greed of humans has really affected me. As well as this, the staff shared each rhino’s story so passionately and intricately, which further embedded the sadness and horror of the rhino horn trade. I learned about how one of the rhinos at the orphanage was injured by the bullet that killed her mum, and how she has permanent blindness due to a tight blindfold. To understand the psychological and emotional effect it has on the rhinos, the PTSD, depression and heartbreak they feel at such loss was truly devastating. The staff really had a way with their words when explaining these stories; I would have never known how deeply these animals feel if it weren’t for them. The act of knowing, alone, has changed me forever. To develop a brief bond with each and every rhino and to see their individual personalities and playful characteristics on a daily basis also deeply impacted me. But most of all, the motherly instinct of the rhinos with their babies really stuck with me. Despite only being at the orphanage for a week, the experience, the lessons I have learnt, and the little bit of help I put into fighting the war against rhino poaching will last a lifetime. My experience at the orphanage exposed me not only to the beautiful parts of seeing the rhinos in the wild, but also to the ongoing devastation they face that is ever so prominent today. To understand that I have helped feed mothers and their babies in the wild, as well as feeding the camp rhinos and the baby orphan, is a feeling that I will cherish forever. I would tell anyone remotely interested in volunteering to jump at the chance to do this project because they won’t regret it. I’d explain how life-changing the overall experience was and how surreal it was to work with such a beautiful species every day. I’m already planning to come back here next year!

Loved this experience, 100% recommend for everyone to do a Meditrip. The first experience gave me the chance to develop my love of medicine and return to Africa to experience the amazing culture of Tanzania.

My time in Brazil was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Living and working alongside the other volunteers made it so much more than just a trip. We spent so much time together, from working in the rainforest during the day to hanging out and getting to know each other in the evenings. I met some genuinely great people who I’ll remember for a long time. A big part of what made the experience so special was Imran. He is a genuinely great guy who made everyone feel welcome and looked after us throughout our time there. His passion for the work and the people around him really stood out, and he helped make the whole experience feel like a community rather than just a volunteer program. I loved being out in the Amazon, learning about the environment and getting involved in biodiversity research, species identification and restoration work. I came away with a much greater appreciation for the rainforest, but also some great memories and friendships that I’ll take with me. I would honestly recommend the experience to anyone who wants to do something completely different and genuinely memorable.

I had a wonderful experience with the Marine Conservation Volunteer Project in Kilifi, Kenya. The entire program was very well organized, and everything was clearly planned from the beginning. The team was welcoming, professional, and supportive throughout the experience. I particularly enjoyed being involved in marine conservation activities and learning more about the local environment and the importance of protecting our oceans. The project offered a great balance between meaningful conservation work and experiencing the beautiful Kenyan coast and local community. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a well-organized, impactful, and rewarding volunteering experience

It was so impactful, I made memories of a lifetime and learned so much about coming out of my comfort zone, protecting the turtles and the environment and the beautiful culture. I’d love to do this again ❤️❤️