UK

I got the opportunity to work at a dog shelter in Guatemala that had 90 dogs! It was amazing and i fell in love with so many of the affectionate doggies. I got to help them in a meaningful way by providing them with water I had to carry from a nearby well. The lady who runs the shelter was very appreciative and welcoming. Of course I also took the time to explore Guatemala itself and I got to ride a horse for the first time, up a volcano!! The most beautiful place I went to was the Earth Lodge so peaceful. A tip I'd give to volunteers is to make the most of your evenings/weekends and do as much sightseeing as you can and be very attentive on your orientation day as you have to usually travel to your placement by yourself.

Hi All the Sanklap Member, see katrina comments. Her feeling about saknlap.

Hi,

Really i am frustrated from this, they CHARGE VERY VERY HIGH AND PROVIDE POOR QUALITY.

CHARGES AND BEHAVIOR both of very very bad...no security and no good behavior of the guys...

MORE services should be includes in the Current Charges...

PLEASE DON'T JOIN THIS...

ITS REALLY FRAUD. CHARGES IS TOO HIGH IN COMPARING TO OTHER NGO. THEY PROVIDE BAD SERVICE. THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH IN PROPER WAYS.. THAT REASON I CAN'T EXPLAIN EVERYTHING.

PICKUP CHARGE IS VERY VERY HIGH
PROGRAM FEES IS VERY VERY HIGH
SERVICES IS ZERO QUALITY

THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDE THE MORE SERVICES IN THIS CHARGE.

REALLY VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED FROM THIS.

the project I have been on is absolutely amazing, I have not a bad thing to say about it, I have learned so much about the local culture, all of the fish and invertebrates we have been learning. But what tops it off is the staff and other volunteers, some of the most friendly people I have ever met, the amount I paid for the project was defiantly worth the experience I have had, I would recommend this to anyone because of the life changing experience it has been. The Island itself is absolutely amazing, beautiful beyond words, so overall its been the best thing iv'e done in my life and cant wait for my next volunteering trip with frontier!!

I spent a month and a half in London, working at the 2012 London Olympic Games. An incredible opportunity I would have never got without Intern London. Got to meet students from all over world, in a great atmosphere. The Intern London staff are all amazing people, really caring about making us spend a wonderful time. And I was among the first interns, so it can only get better !

Choosing the host family can be a bit risky, they are not all as nice and relax... and not always close to the center of London, which raise a lot the price of transports...
If the internship is paid, the way of being paid (by cash, cheques, or directly on a foreign bank account) should be well defined before the begining of the experience, to make sure there are not too much fees and problems of transfer.

Carrying out the London NGO Internship was one of the best experiences I've had so far. Even though it was only a month long, being in an office environment working alongside knowledgeable people made the whole experience worthwhile. I learnt vast amounts about different aspects of office work, such as marketing, research and literature writing. Fellow colleagues were very friendly and were willing to help with any problems I had along the way.
Working in London also made the experience amazing, as there is so much to do after your working day has finished, that it's almost impossible to see everything. The fast paced environment motivates and inspires you to work even harder.
I would recommend this internship to anyone, because it leaves you with heaps of experience and some brilliant memories.

After working in a school in Mongolia, I decided that I wanted to do more overseas volunteering during the summer afterwards. Having looked at a variety of volunteering websites I finally settled on Original Volunteers. I chose to volunteer in a school in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, a place that I had always wanted to visit, this was perfect as it was a free volunteering placement. The conditions that we lived in were basic, a squat toilet, a shed to sleep in and a small kitchen. This however was to no surprise due to the fact that OV had been very clear with what we were letting ourselves into.

There were certain aspects of the volunteering that was wonderful, meeting new people, some of whom my companion and I would eventually travel with, it was also a great way to acclimatise in this crazy crazy country, such as using the local transport, honestly I wouldn't have probably used this in the rest of India without having used it here. It was a great confidence booster.

I look back and think that the teaching wasn't all about the volunteering experience, I learnt invaluable life experience, met wonderful people, and had just memorable experiences in a very, very loveable country.

I recommend this, especially as it was free...

Aim High Shanghai provided me with a life changing internship in a retail chain where I learned how to run a store from each different department. I also participated in training classes and a leadership course. The knowledge and practical experience I gained was invaluable for my career progression. I found that working in China enhanced my interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills.

With greater confidence in myself I now feel able to fully excel in my career. I cannot thank the Aim High Shanghai team enough for their assistance and the on-going support that they provided me with. They made me feel so welcome and went above and beyond my expectations. I would highly recommend Aim High Shanghai to anyone else considering making this exciting journey!

I participated in this program over the summer of 1990 when I was 22, and then continued to be active as a volunteer with the program from approximately 1993-1997, and I'm thrilled that the program is still going strong.

I was placed in a homeless center in central London and, at that time, most of the volunteers lived in private homes/flats, although I understand that they often now dorm together. It was one of the most valuable experiences I've had. It led me ultimately to my career in Psychiatry and to many of my current dearest friends. I was fully integrated into a team of social workers and staff in the homeless center and was treated as a valuable team member from day 1. From running groups to making lunches with center clients, to brainstorming at team meetings, to planning various London outings, I felt valued and respected. I also felt that I was able to gain a better understanding of London/UK culture by working and living in London.

I'm not sure that describing the logistics of the program in detail would be as useful from me as it would be from a more recent volunteer, since the committees that run the program have changed, but I will say that the folks on the UK and US side were very committed to supporting the volunteers in a non-intrusive way, and that the current committee appears to be just as enthusiastic and supportive.

As I was recently visiting one of my closest friends in London (a Londoner I met while she was volunteering at the homeless center), I remarked that doing the WCV scheme was the best decision I ever made! I am now happily practicing Psychiatry in New York City and have many friends and connections I made over that summer so many years ago.

Mia Pappagallo, M.D.