Developing World Connections

Why choose Developing World Connections?

Developing World Connections (DWC) matches teams of volunteers and resources with people and organizations in developing nations to alleviate poverty and inspire hope. DWC ensures volunteers work on meaningful projects that have impact for the community.

DWC is a registered non-profit Canadian charity that has no religious or political affiliation. Volunteers work alongside locals, which gives them a chance to make cross-cultural connections and develop a stronger understanding of what locals' lives are like. DWC connects dedicated volunteers to people in countries around the world with a goal of creating lasting and powerful change.

We offer one- to two-week adult and family trips for all ages, two- to four-week youth and university trips for 16- to 29-year-olds and customized group or corporate trips. For more information, please contact us or visit our website.

Website

www.developingworldconnections.org

Founded

2004

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Reviews

Our team leader Cindy had us lived a unique and fantastic experience in Peru. More specifically at the San Jose Obrero school, where everyone was so welcoming and friendly. The kids were simply amazing, so lively and happy to chat with us all the time. The school is located in a very poor neighborhood but one would not think that from the atmosphere at the school.

We also had the opportuity to visit around Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. Wish we would have had more time to experience the peruvian culture and delicious food.

I would not hesitate to do it again. Loved it.

Pros

If you enjoy traveling and have an open mind, you'll love to visit Peru.
The food was incredible.
Beautiful scenery.

Cons

The Bayview Hotel is extremely well located, close to the ocean and the parks. However the food service was rarely on time, the menu did not vary much, one needs to speak spanish to be well understood by the staff, re-keying was required almost daily.

My husband and I went to Peru as part of volunteer program that his company has with Developing World Connections; it was my first time to be a volunteer and also be in Peru, since the moment I started with the process I was so excited and I had many expectations. I enjoyed working with wonderful team, learning about construction, meeting amazing people in the school, interacting with children and families. My husband was a Coordinator in the group and he did an amazing job and we also had an extraordinary Team Leader (Joshua) he is so kind, friendly, fun and wonderful leader. It was an awesome experience.

What would you improve about this program?

It will be great if it could improve the breakfast/snack for early morning in the hotel during weekdays, we should leave around 5:45 a.m. and it will be nice if the volunteers could have a "small breakfast box" in case it's not available breakfast service before 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. Thanks.

My husband and went with 8 members of my family 5 cousins, 1 Aunt & 2 cousins-in-law to work at Kirinyaga Primary School in the highlands of the country near Mount Kenya, some 6.500 ft above sea level, from 14 to 25 October 2019.

From day one of working at the school we were welcomed by everyone, especially the children. The teachers and Assess Kenya made sure that we were looked after every day, with plenty of work to do.

We worked rebuilding walls and putting in running water for the toilet blocks, putting up facia boards, digging out rain water channels for better drainage around the classrooms. Digging over, fencing, then planting 1,000 plants into a large vegetable garden some 25 x 10 m with the help of the parents. Putting in a foundation for a water tank, painting the girls toilet block doors, as well as decorating a room in the block for girls when they have times of menstrating. The ladies in the group went and gave talks to three schools including Kirinyata, about 'Days for girls'(period days), when normally the girls stay away from school. We were able to hand out some 150 washable kits to girls who had reached puberty, this was very gratifying to see the appreciation on the girls faces. We were all also invited to into the classrooms and talked to the children about our country and way of life, we all found this so gratifying.

During the first week I celebrated my 68 birthday, so in timely manner all the children at the end of the School day, sang to me several songs, some 380 of them, just beautiful. Then on the last day of our 2 week stay at the school, they gave us a farewell, of beautiful Swahili songs.

A lovely end to a very memorable 2 weeks, blessing the Kirinyata Primary School with positive improvements to the school and they in turn blessed us as a family and individuals with their gratitude and love.

May we one day return again, until then may the memories of Kirinyata keep stirring and inspiring us all.

What would you improve about this program?

More money needs to be alocated to materials and equipment for example a petrol driven cement mixer would have made the work easier and then could be left on site for further work. Less money for
administration.

Developing World Connections does an incredible job of organizing meaningful trips & there is always someone available to answer any of your questions! Volunteering through DWC has been so life changing! I was Team Leader to DWC’s volunteer trip to Peru in the summer of 2016 & had previously went on their trip to Guatemala 2 years prior. It is not only a great opportunity to make meaningful friendships with those that are part of your team, but also gives you a chance to put your life into perspective & understand the significance of connecting with those that have a different background from yourself. Being of service puts one in touch with the needs of humanity and helps one understand that changing the world is a community effort. If you are interested in developing connections & doing meaningful & life-changing work, I highly recommend going on a DWC volunteer trip!

“Cii,” said a Guatemalan lady, while just behind her a mariachi band played and her boyfriend kneeled on one knee crying tears of joy. A group of us stood on the other side of the street cheering, as we had just witnessed a marriage proposal. The next day while walking through the town we heard a similar mariachi band. The seven of us instantly began dancing until our group leader, Teresa, said that the mariachi band was there for a funeral. This funeral was for an eleven-year-old girl who had committed suicide because she could no longer cope with the domestic violence she faced at home. This was the first time I cried during my volunteer trip to Guatemala. In Guatemala, mariachi bands are not only used for celebratory events, but also during times of grief. This volunteer trip was organized through DWC, a non-profit organization that connects volunteers to communities in developing nations. Our group worked with Open Windows, a foundation that runs a children’s learning center in San Miguel Duenas. We built a room for a family of six and taught English to elementary school students. This valuable experience taught me many things including cultural diversity and that I can make a difference in the everyday lives of those less fortunate. It also taught me about suffering, especially domestic violence, an issue we often ignore as a society and it ignited my passion for addressing social issues.

Philippines

5.00 •1 review

Volunteers are needed in the Philippines to help alleviate poverty...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Kelly Gerlings

Program

Developing World Connections - Volunteering in Nepal

Kelly Gerlings spent a wondrous 29 days in Nepal in May 2013and is currently writing this from Johannesburg, South Africa, though she is from a small town just north of Toronto. As a political science undergrad at the University of British Columbia, Kelly could not imagine a more intense learning experience than every joy and challenge contained in traveling. She prefers nights spent in conversation, days that destroy comfort zones and moments made of music, tea, and crazy colored socks.

Why did you decide to volunteer with DWC in Nepal?

I was introduced to DWC through a teaching assistant in university. I applied for the position of Team Leader, as it seemed like an amazing opportunity and combined everything I enjoy—travel, meeting other passionate people, making connections around the globe, challenges. I chose Nepal as the destination because of the project that we would be working on: partnered with Creating Possibilities Nepal, a social organization that works for the welfare of disadvantaged children and women in Nepal, we would be contributing to the construction of a classroom and teaching English to students in the Dang district of Nepal. The school we worked in supports the education of girls that CPN has bought out of bonded labour. My research of DWC and its practices, plus the recommendation of my teaching assistant, convinced me of the sustainability and ethicality of DWC’s volunteer trips.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

There was no one typical day on a DWC trip, and I’m sure this applies to every country in which there are currently projects being supported. For us in Nepal, we spent a handful of days in Kathmandu at the beginning and end of the trip to stock up on snacks, see the sites and adjust to the time and cultural differences. We spent two and a half weeks in Lamahi, Dang, Nepal, where we stayed in a small hostel/hotel and took a jeep ride in to Chainpur, the village where the school was located.

We worked on construction for a week, waking up before the sun to beat the heat, laying bricks and moving cement, and one week teaching English in some of the classes, grades 7-10, during teacher examinations. A delicious local lunch was always provided by some of the mothers that CPN supports through micro-financing mother’s groups, which we spent a few days visiting and learning about. Afternoons and evenings were spent back in Lamahi, recharging, reconnecting, debriefing. Breakfast and dinner was lovingly provided by the family who owned the hotel. Weekends we toured around Nepal, with a trip to Lumbini and a trip to Bardia National Park.

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If you could go back and do something differently what would it be?

If I went back to Nepal with DWC, I would stay longer, quite simply. DWC works in 2-4 week trips usually, but I wish we could have had even more time. CPN was an absolutely amazing host and they do inspiring, if difficult work—I would love to have been able to learn even more from them, and from the students and girls we met. We had a wonderful time with the children in Chainpur at the school and got quite close to them while we were working, making it very difficult to leave. Though we finished our construction goals, I would love to spend more time teaching and getting to know the children even more.

Ten years from now, what’s the one thing you think you’ll remember from the trip?

My worldview always changes as a result of any travels I take, as I gain a much more intimate understanding of the country I have travelled to. Being able to have these stories from Nepal, of our time in Kathmandu, our weekend travels, of the women and girls we met—this deeply changed and challenged the way I think of Nepal, and the way I imagine myself in context of the world. Even with all the talk of “global village” and increased communication and knowledge sharing, it is not easy to imagine complexly the lives of people outside of one’s comfortable life, your comfort zone.

Traveling and working in Nepal has given me the ability to see, to experience, to have known for a short while the realities and landscapes of life in Nepal. This gives me an intimate handle, a mental image, a sensory recall of what ‘Nepal’ contains within it—no longer just a place on a map, but an extraordinary journey in my life.

Has your worldview changed as a result of your trip?

Quinn Harris

Robert F. Edwards

Kim Hotzon

Matt Melville

Rob Plowright

Karen Burk

Jared Estrada

Shannon Hope

Torry Harris

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Tell us a little about DWC and your role at the organization.

Developing World Connections was founded in 2004, with our first group volunteering in February 2005 after the Asia tsunami. From Sri Lanka as our first project location, we have now added 12 other countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Our projects are all related to construction of infrastructure to help eliminate the causes and effects of poverty. Typically we build schools, medical facilities, livelihood generating facilities, water and sanitation projects and agricultural projects.

I am the founder and president of Developing World Connections and along with overall management responsibilities, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining the relationships with our developing world partners, as well as with our corporate partners in Canada.

How did you get involved in the volunteer industry?

I first encountered international volunteering with my Rotary club, as we conducted a home rebuilding project in Guatemala post Hurricane Mitch. During the trip, I spent considerable time with the family of the village chief. When I first saw Maria, their six year old daughter, she was asleep in the mud of their living room floor. She was a healthy, sweet child and she became my shadow for the entire time I was in the village. When I returned the next year, Maria was no longer the vibrant little girl of a year ago, but was now thin, gaunt and bedridden from tuberculosis. Several nights during my stay I sat with Amilca, her older brother, while he tried to keep her fever down with a damp cloth.

With her parents and a doctor from our group, we decided that when we left the village, we would take Maria with us to a tuberculosis sanitarium. However, by the end of the week her condition was much worse and she was unable to travel. By the time we finished our long hike out of the jungle, word awaited us that Maria had passed away. This event changed me. I realized just how privileged I was; how if Maria were in Canada or the USA, she would have gotten the proper care she so desperately needed. From that point forward, I committed to do whatever I could to help alleviate the burden of poverty in the developing world.

After several more volunteering trips, I began to realize that not only did we make a great difference in the lives of our project beneficiaries, this work was also having a huge impact on us. The opportunity to serve internationally added a whole new very positive dimension to our lives. At the time, there was little opportunity for people outside of organizations like Rotary to be involved in international volunteering, so we decided we would start an organization that would offer the opportunity to anybody and everybody.

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What makes DWC unique?

There are a number of things that make DWC unique in the international volunteering sector:

We are committed to and follow strong principles of development effectiveness, rather than aid effectiveness.
Our projects are always construction related and include facilities for improvement of education, health care, community services, water and sanitation and agriculture.
We commit to building long term relationships with the communities where our volunteers participate. We partner only with non-profit organizations that are well established and respected in their communities and we expect accountability.

What characteristics make a good international volunteer?

A good international volunteer is one who goes into the experience with an open mind and a desire to serve, share of themselves, work to their physical capabilities and learn enough from their experience that they can then contribute in a greater way to global peace and understanding. A good international volunteer leaves their ego and expectations at home and, rather than try to change their host culture and community, embraces the differences they experience.

How do you prepare the volunteers for their projects?

The process of volunteer orientation starts several months prior to arrival in the host country. The volunteer is provided information about DWC operating principles, the host country and culture, the project, what to expect, how to conduct oneself, safety and security, travel, accommodations, food and packing lists. Each volunteer group is assigned an experienced Trip Coordinator and a Team Leader. Whenever possible the Team Leader conducts at least one orientation session, either in person or by conference call, allowing opportunity for a lengthy question and answer period. When the volunteers arrive in country, an orientation is then conducted by our Host Partner. This orientation focuses on their operating principles, safety and security, cultural differences and expectations.

How do you ensure your programs are sustainable and mutually beneficial for you, the community and the volunteers?

We spend considerable time seeking out host country partners and communities who are committed to sound development principles. Because we return to the same community several times over many years, we have ample opportunity to monitor the projects and ensure they are meeting the needs of the project beneficiaries.

We ensure the volunteers have daily opportunity to work through cultural barriers by working side by side with local people, engaging with families, visiting community facilities and participating in community events. The benefit to Developing World Connections is achieved through providing a meaningful experience for the volunteers and meeting the infrastructure needs of the project communities.