Involvement Volunteers International (IVI)

I am deeply grateful for the privilege of getting to spend time with these women. Many of them were married at a young age and received very little education, but their determination to learn is inspiring. Getting to know them has given me a deeper appreciation for all the opportunities I have had in my life and it is incredibly rewarding to be able to share some of that with them. I have been able to see the difference I have made in such a short time and I have enjoyed learning from them as well. The local team has shown such wonderful hospitality and I have felt supported throughout my time here. The food is delicious and I have enjoyed learning how to prepare some traditional food. The people are very warm and welcoming and I will miss them greatly. It would be helpful to have a curriculum to follow so that we are able to teach more effectively and help the women learn as much as possible while they are at the school.

Volunteering in Bali, Indonesia has been a WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL experience. I had the opportunity to volunteer for 3 weeks to a sixth grade group and I learned much more than I imagined. Bali and its people stay in my heart forever.
Comments on local team, food and accommodation
The whole team and people are WONDERFUL people and very professional, they always made me feel at home. My room and spaces always clean and everything very green and beautiful. The food was perfect for me, a lot of fruits and veggies. THANK YOU for so much.

I had an amazing time at the animal shelter! Cuddling with puppies and kittens was definitely a highlight. In addition to the cute moments, there was also plenty of hands-on work like feeding, cleaning cages, and walking the dogs. I also got to help out in the animal hospital, where I cared for animals after surgeries and helped nurse weaker animals back to health. The best part of all was the puppy bath party – absolutely adorable and so much fun!

I also had incredibly kind and helpful colleagues, with whom I had lots of great exchanges. This gave me a real insight into life in Fiji. The experience was not only enriching in terms of working with animals but also culturally invaluable.

The accommodation was lovely, and the food was delicious. The animal shelter was easy to reach with the express bus, which made commuting simple. Masi and his wife are incredibly kind and always there whenever you need help. They really made my stay even more special with their warmth and hospitality.

I highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves animals and wants to have a meaningful, enriching time in Fiji!

What an incredible experience to be able to live in amongst the island community, fully immersed in village life. I really really enjoyed my stay and it was so amazing to explore the island in my free time. In the classroom, it was mostly helping kids one on one with the work assigned by the teacher, but for about 4-5 days I was in charge of my own class (because the teacher was away) so I organised and implemented different activities and work for the kids to improve their English. Not only did we help out with teaching in the classrooms, we also got to do lots of other community projects like beach cleanups, tree planting, preparing for the sports carnival, and cassava farming. Great for a really authentic experience of Fiji, but important to know that the living conditions can be quite challenging (no running water (so no flushing toilets, taps to wash hands, showers, etc), limited power/electricity, very limited access to fruit/veggies, and lots of different customs to adhere to). Overall a really positive experience that Im very grateful for :)

The host family was so awesome and made sure we were doing well, keeping us very well fed, caring for me when I saw sick, and constantly checking in on us. The food was SO DELICIOUS but I did struggle with the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially at the start because my body just was not used to eating so much rice and noodles for every meal. On the mainland, Masi and Mere were so so awesome, super friendly, often checking in on us and so quick to resolve any problems that came up.

It was such a beautiful experience. everybody on the island is so accommodating and welcomes you with open arms, it is difficult however to adjust to the different routines but so worth it! Again, so accomodating, felt so supported the entire trip, always providing what was needed.

I really appreciate the experience about this project. I loved everything! The team was always supportive and friendly, we had good food and the accommodations were okay.