TEFL

If you’re thinking of volunteering with IVHQ, you absolutely must! The confidence this trip has given me, even in a week, is incredible. Being my first trip abroad alone with ADHD, I was excited but quite nervous however IVHQ, the local team/host family and other volunteers were lovely and so helpful. I learned so many things - navigating a new city and public transport alone (with the local team available if I got lost lol), teaching in front of a class (the students were brilliant and so grateful), and socialising in different languages (with both locals and volunteers). Also having the opportunity to experience another culture was amazing. The food was beautiful and my French speaking came on a lot, even in a week. Although, if you can, I would recommend going for more than a week since there is so much to do and you won’t have time (and won’t want to go back home!). It also put me at ease knowing for sure once I was there that the organisation is ethical and actually contributes to the sustainable development goals! Overall, such a great experience!!!

Volunteering with GVI in Phang Nga was the most rewarding opportunity! I spent two weeks teaching English in a small rural village in southern Thailand. Even in the short time I volunteered, I managed to make long-lasting friends and experience so much more than your average traveller. GVI have an amazing relationship with the community and you can tell the local villagers respect the development and education they offer. Aspects were challenging but this made the project increasingly worthwhile and humbling. The atmosphere on base is so friendly and I would love to volunteer with GVI again in the future!

Having just returned from Madagascar for 3 weeks with the Projects Abroad Team, I could recommend anyone wanting to do a project with them. You will be supported through the entire process.

When you register for the program and even before hand should you have any questions about registration or fees.

Upon registering, depending on how far away your program is, you will be briefed about what is expected and how the placement will go. This is normally done about 6 weeks before after final payment has been completed.

If you need assistance with fund raising PA will be able to assist with great ideas.

Upon arrival you will be meet at the airport and you will be guided about money exchange or any other questions that you might have. In Madagascar you will be given a few snacks for the long journey to Andasibe as well as a bottle of water as you no doubt will be parched from the flight.

The staff will be welcoming and you will feel right at home in no time at all. A Welcome lunch and then straight to work..... You will have no time for the "Mora Mora" (slow and steady pace) that you will have .

This program is very supportive, if you are interested in travel and the staff will help you with arrangements to various other locations in Madagascar. I highly recommend using this service.

Zu the chef at the hotel is a wonderful chef we all enjoyed the cultural cooking evening when we made Casava Tempura... YUM...

The town is charming and you will feel right at home...within a week you will recognize the kind inhabitants and they will greet you with open arms at every turn, and will help you when and if you require assistance.

Take a chance, volunteer, make a change within yourself, and assist many others in need. You will be forever changed...

I loved teaching English as a Second Language in Cambodia with Projects Abroad! I got my certification in TESL at my college and Projects Abroad not only gave me the opportunity to practice the skills and knowledge that I had gained through that program, but it also reminded me why I fell in love with TESL in the first place and rekindled my passion for teaching in that way someday. At all times I felt supported and encouraged by the Projects Abroad staff as well as the staff at my placement. I greatly enjoyed getting to know my students and miss them dearly. I can't wait to take what I learned through my project with them and help similar students in a similar way.

Gi2c is an expensive fraud that also now operates under 4 other names (alias operations) that include WiseWay Global Education, Laowai Career Center, and Getin2China and according to China's Tax Bureau and Busines License Agency (SAIC) non of them are legally registered to do business in China except Getin2China which they said was shut down by the police in 2014 for "visa fraud".

I only lost a $300 deposit because I learned about the scam early when I noticed that my "career counselor" Mary (who speaks fluent English) also worked as a "consultant" in the other-other 4 alias companies and she denied it when I asked here about it even after I played her voice that I recorded when I called the other numbers and asked for her. (There is a shared office on Zhongguancun Street in Haidian District of Beijing).

I eventually found my own job in China and no longer needed an internship. So when I got to China I went to get my $300 "refundable deposit" back at the above address which the police strangely know about. I met two other victims of Gi2c who said no to Gi2c but "yes" to Laowai Career Center (not knowing they were the same scam wearing different clothes).

Both of them and myself were threatened by the Russiam owner that if we made any problems for him after he return our money, he would get expelled from China because he had "connections with the cops". This may be true because when I went to the they already knew about this company and even referred to "Yuri" and then one of the young woman police officers followed me outside when I left and handed me this link written on a piece of paper and said "Wai guo ren Yuri fei chang bu hao ma fan" (Translation: This foreigner Yuri is bad trouble). Anyway, here is the link she gave me https://www.scam.com/entry.php?6418-Beware-of-China-s-many-Legal-Scams-l....

I found out one of the other victims got a full refund because they threatened to bring a CCTV news reporter to Yuri's office. So I did the same thing and he paid me 2,000 rmb within 15 minutes but demanded that I sign a paper saying I had no problems with Gi2c and Laowai Career Center. I scribbled what he thought was my signature to get the money i my hands. What I wrote was "You R Afraud". This morning my colleague showed me this link, and it motivated me to make this review to help warn others. http://www.opnlttr.com/letter/laowai-career-center-189-other-black-scam-...

BTW... there is a man in his office named Stefan who is one of his employees that writes fake blogs under the name of "Stephanie" and he was arguing with Yuri that he was cheated on his pay by 3,000 and he was threatening to quit and "blog the truth to everyone". When he saw that I was trying to video the argument with my phone he blew a fuse and slammed the door. I guess this guy cheats a lot of people - even his own employees.

When it first arrived on the project I thought it was a bit daunting at first, made lots of friends from all over the world, it was a eye opening experience. For me the most enjoyable part of the project was being with the children it was the highlight of the trip.
The project could be improved if the timekeeping of the people in the country was better. I recommend the future volunteers do the project you can't understand what the project is like until you actually do it. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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