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Im Rebeca, i have 20 years old, im from Portugal. In 18th of August I flight to Kathmandu, to integrate the Special needs Care Project, by the organization IVHQ.
In the firsts days I met the other volunteers and some Nepalese people that helped me how to live there and with other problems I had; 2 days later I got to know my homestay that was super friendly! The best part was finally the first day of volunteer!
The project was really good, and to someone that want something different this project its perfect for that, however not going to lie… you would need a lot of energy since the first day till the end! My volunteer placement was 2h driving from my homestay, me and another volunteer went everyday in a bus full of kids to the school. It was 4h per day just in the bus… some days I felt really really tired.
But you know what? I choose that school. During my orientation days in Nepal they give me the opportunity to choose between this school or another 20 min from home. At first I said immediately the second school, but then they told me the school already had 3 volunteers, and the other (2h driving) didn’t have volunteers. I went to Nepal to help, doesn’t matter the conditions… They need me more in the first school, so I choose this one… and I don’t regret my decision at all! I came to Nepal do help, right? So I couldn’t be angry or sad about this… its part of the experience! :D
I came to Nepal thinking that maybe I could change a little bit the world… well that its almost impossible in 3 weeks, but I can say for sure, i change my world and definitely my vision about life. I came to help, but I feel that I receive more, then give. My perspective of life its so different, I give more value for the simple little things, like for example having a family and home… and specially to live happy even with less. That was some of the lessons that I learned with the kids of the school. Most of them were orphans and lived in houses with low conditions; almost didn’t have anything comparing with us… but u know what?! They always had a smile in their faces.
As you can read i loved my volunteer experience, but i didnt really talked about "my life" after the school. Well, during the week i was so tired that i passed most of the time resting at my homestay; talking with my nepalese family and the other 3 volunteers that lived with me. At the weekends or at festivals days i went to sightseeing or to the cool streets of thamel to chill with the other volunteers. I remember one weekend that me and other 3 volunteers went to other city (Pokhara) to meet other volunteers... it was such a lovelys and funnny weekend! I also went to other villages like Bakthapur and Nagarkot.
I discovered a lot on my free time and i got to know a lot of people all over the world! It was so cool and nice!
Everytime I think in this experience I always stay with a big smile on my face. The adventure went so well, and I think part of that is due to the organization of IVHQ. Everyone from the organization, since the first day answer to any question I had; Support me and helped me with any problem I had during the preparation and volunteer work. I thought I was going alone to Nepal, but I felt supported 24h per day.
I definitely recommend everyone to choose IVHQ to do volunteer projects! Im already planning my next volunteer experience!
Thank you IVHQ, Thank you Nepal and Thanks to the Nepalese people and other volunterrs I go to know during this adventure. It was amazing.

Volunteering with IVHQ in Nepal was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Every part of the experience (the highs and the lows) made it so worthwhile. Not only do I get to help a genuine cause, I also met amazing people. The in country team was just fantastic and I was really please at the personal importance they placed on the project. You hear horror stories of volunteers who get ripped off, or who find themselves doing menial jobs that don't actually contribute to the community... this was not the case with my placement in Pohkara Nepal. You definitely can't expect everything to go to plan but this is part of what makes it such a real and genuine experience. Would not have changed a thing and have already booked my next trip with IVHQ!

I have to say that I had a very special experience in Nepal with IVHQ! Everyone is very supportive and friendly there, and I would definitely like to volunteer with IVHQ again! My project was childcare in Pokhara. There was another girl in my project. Both of us found this project amazing! We stayed with these kids during their school days, and these kids are so lovely and cute! This was definitely a valuable and memorable trip!

My experience with IVHQ for my trip to Nepal for childcare was nothing but positive. Being my first trip out of the USA, I had no clue what to expect. Before my journey began, IVHQ made me feel prepared and confident for my upcoming trip. The coordinators in Nepal made me feel right at home and I always felt like I had plenty of resources to help guide me in country. The program itself was an experience that I will never forget. The children I worked with and the women that care for them daily left a huge mark on my heart. IVHQ made my first volunteer abroad trip an easy, safe, and rewarding experience!

To start off with I am a third year medical student who went into medicine to help out as much as I can and I have been wanting to volunteer for quite a long time. Finally I made my mind up and booked a two week medical program with IVHQ for Nepal. When we arrived we were made to feel so welcome already and this helped make us feel comfortable in a place so far away from home. After the two day orientation all the volunteers went on their seperate paths and I was placed for a few days in health camps in Kathmandu which was amazing to say the least. We were taken to a school and to a women's health centre where we took their vitals and this includes blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose monitoring, checking for any signs of ill health etc. This was not only a learning experience for me personally but it also hopefully helped some locals become more aware of certain common diseases that can be prevented. Then my second week was in Pokhara, in Gandaki hospital to be exact. I chose to be placed in the emergency department which was such an eye opening experience especially given that I have not yet had the emergency placement back home. The doctors were very helpful and the language barrier did not stop me from learning as I always managed to find a doctor or two who would explain what was happening. This week was made up of observation more than doing but this is to be expected given I am still a medical student and it would be dangerous for me to carry out procedures but this was still an amazing learning experience. When it comes to the organisation I cannot thank them enough. Transport was always waiting on us. They planned and took us to visit local sites and were always there when we needed something. This was an experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to whoever asks me! Apart from the experience itself, Nepal is a must visit country so stop thinking about whether you should or shouldn't do it and just go for it before life gets in the way!

My time in Nepal was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed learning all about their culture and seeing it all for myself, there were so many things to do in our free time from paragliding to trekking. I had never travelled so far away on my own before, but I felt very safe and supported at all times. Above all working at my placement in Childcare was the most rewarding, I was made to feel very welcome and I had the opportunity to teach English and play games with the children. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone!

Our experience with IVHQ was an amazing one to say the least! Having never been to Nepal before we were expecting a very rough transition considering the culture shock. However, with the help of Samuel Headey and the team in Nepal we had no trouble whatsoever, with every question we had being immediately answered. From the sightseeing excursions and all the activities to accommodation and food, everything was simply better than what we were expecting. The medical elective proved to be more than we thought if not more. The health checks in Kathmandu were the highlight of our trip wherein we measured the blood pressure, saturation and glucose and temperature and performed a general examination on patients. Apart from the medical aspect, it was also a valuable experience getting to know different people and have them share their time with us. This was followed by the attachment in Pokhara where we shadowed doctors at the emergency department of Gandaki hospital. It took us a couple of days to get used to the chaotic environment that is the emergency room, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless. We got to see extremely interesting cases and followed them up from diagnosis to discharge until the end of our elective. To conclude I think we were pretty lucky that we stumbled upon this volunteering program; not only did we do out best to help, we also learned a great deal and we got to enjoy every single minute of our trip!

My experience working as a volunteer for IVHQ was a truly great one - one that I will never forget. It proved to be just as fun, authentic and rewarding as promised, and then some.

The organisation with regard to both the IVHQ team and their partner team, Vertical Ascent in Nepal, was brilliant. I feel the whole process was extremely thorough, and I had little to no trouble during the preparation process as it was all explained and covered in the online guide. The website itself is rich with resources and links to make sure you are prepared, wherever you go, and for whatever sector you are volunteering in. Upon application I was contacted by a member of staff and felt it easy to exchange and ask questions which was extremely helpful. The communication was also very quick.

My experience in-country as a volunteer was more than I could have asked for. The links were amazing. I always felt safe and appreciated. The orientation was so thoughtful and really broke me in to the city. I acclimatised quicker because of the care the local staff put into the orientation, and I feel this is something IVHQ press in all of their programmes. There was a great sense of camaraderie and a really good way to kick-start the volunteering. The volunteering itself was carefully considered; I felt listened to and was able to make a difference during my placement. IVHQ have great connections and seem to be expanding these connections, something I actually experienced when I was out volunteering, as I was able to extend my placement and be flexible, working at various places.

On the whole, my experience working with IVHQ was extremely worth it. I would love to volunteer with the organisation again in the future.