International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]

This was a great experience for me! I grew so much and I felt empowered! The program only requires you to volunteer for 5 hours a day so prepare for downtime! You will have plenty of time to explore the city/country and try lots of food before and after your volunteering. If you are going by yourself, there are a lot of others there also by themselves who would love company! I made some amazing friends! It is scary when you first get there before your orientation, but be brave! If you feel scared or have questions, ask the Local Team, they are very helpful and they want you to have a good experience. At my volunteer placement, there were frequently people from the Local Team in and out making sure I was doing okay. Expect the unexpected! The trip wasn't exactly what I pictured in my head, but it never is! Be ready to be flexible! Overall, it was great and I learned so much!

I recently embarked on my first medical/healthcare mission trip in Cusco, Peru. I am a registered nurse and my son is a pre-med student at college. Doing this journey together was not only a great bonding experience but it gave us a chance to visit another country and help people in need. From start to finish, IVHQ was a great company with which to deal. Everyone we had contact with was very accommodating, answered all of my questions, and frequently checked in before/during/after our trip. Our local team in Cusco was also fantastic—ensuring our volunteer positions were well explained and that our needs were met. I could not have been matched with a better host mom who went above and beyond to accommodate my many dietary restrictions! After completing our assignment each day, my son and I had time to explore Cusco and experience its culture—I even held an alpaca! If you are are thinking of doing any type of volunteer work, I highly recommend IVHQ—they offer a variety of different projects around the world!

“The IVHQ volunteering program was great! You get to meet a lot of amazing people and have a life-changing experience. The local team in the Philippines was very attentive and welcoming — I highly recommend it!”