Posted Feb 28, 2018

One of the best experiences I´ve ever had was going through the TEFL program at Maximo Nivel in Peru ...

One of the best experiences I´ve ever had was going through the TEFL program at Maximo Nivel in Peru. When I graduated with my certificate I was more proud than when I graduated college. The staff were extremely supportive and I learned so much. Sean is one of the best instructor´s I have ever had in my life. If you are on the fence about whether or not to enroll in the program, I encourage you to do it, you will not be disappointed.

Posted Jul 31, 2018

I would say the experience is worthwhile. Particularly because you are in Jamaica and not in the Jamaican/tourist resorts ...

I would say the experience is worthwhile. Particularly because you are in Jamaica and not in the Jamaican/tourist resorts. Living in a parish with a host family, you really get to learn and you are forced to adapt to the local culture, the people, the food, transportation. My host family was great! On the weekends, it’s the norm to and you are encouraged to coordinate with the other volunteers weekend trips to go to the resorts, the beaches, the mountains and other cities across the island. This makes the experience with Projects Abroad even more worthwhile. Although the description of the Human Rights Internship in Jamaica with Projects Abroad is advertised as interns working alongside a human rights program officer, you don’t necessarily work alongside a human rights program officer. A better, less misleading title would be program coordinator/supervisor. Your supervisor doesn’t necessarily have any expertise when it comes to human rights studies. They function more as cultural brokers in that they can teach you about the local culture and what to expect. They will help you coordinate, plan and deliver your human rights presentations but you are expected to craft and write the presentation on your own. Which can be very difficult with very little direction given. I would advise any volunteer to bring their own laptop, if you have one. As it will make the research for the presentations easier. Not all of the desktop computers in the Projects Abroad office in Jamaica work properly (either they run slow, are not connected to the wifi or are not equipped with the resources that you need). I will say that I loved going to elementary schools (Grades 1 through 6) in Jamaica and delivering child rights presentations to children. We taught them about the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child with an emphasis on bringing awareness to child sexual abuse. We really did teach the kids things that they didn’t know before which was so rewarding!

Posted Apr 05, 2018

This year was my third placement through Love Volunteers and they are just the best! All of the arrangements they ...

This year was my third placement through Love Volunteers and they are just the best! All of the arrangements they have made have been perfect. They check in frequently to make sure their volunteers are safe and happy, and they take time to ask for feedback regarding the placement. I have worked with other volunteer organizations and just didn't feel the level of support and caring that I have always received with Love Volunteers.

Posted Aug 10, 2018

I really enjoyed Cape Town. It’s a beautiful city with a lot to do. It’s pretty easy to ...

I really enjoyed Cape Town. It’s a beautiful city with a lot to do. It’s pretty easy to get around using the bus or Uber. I also found it was easy to coordinate activities with other volunteers if you’re not keen to explore by yourself.

I chose to do this project because I love penguins. Volunteering at the African Penguin and Seabird Rehabilitation Programme was literally a dream come true! I loved this project and came away not only so happy to have spent time working with penguins, but with a new love for other seabirds.

To be fair, not every element of this experience is glamorous – the rehabilitation centre is a penguin hospital, so there is a lot of cleaning, and guano, and fish guts some days. It is physically demanding. But for me, it was absolutely worth it to get to work directly with the birds and contribute positively to their future.

Living with Janice (home stay option), I had a lot of support.