@hannahmccollester

Absolutely amazing and life-altering experience!

I spent a month in Trujillo, Peru and was pleased with the thoughtful match of my professional background, skills, and interests with a local nonprofit organization, as well as with the 24/7 availability and support of program staff. I got to teach English in rural schools, start an after-school program in which students began a pen-pal language exchange program with an American school, and participate in adult language and culture exchanges where I honed my Spanish and made new friends. I had a phenomenal living situation with other VWI participants, and felt the loving embrace of a few other remote-work American professionals while also being pushed out of my comfort zone and meeting lots of other folks from Peru and elsewhere. For months before I arrived, I felt super-prepared with info about everything from cultural norms to international phone plans to the logistics of booking my flights.

Highly recommend this for anyone who's interested in travel, busting out of their comfort zone, developing their language proficiency, meeting incredible new people both from the States and around the world, not participating in 'voluntourism' but rather building relationships and immersing themselves in a community, and making a difference while not having to quit their full-time jobs.

Happy to speak directly to anyone who has questions about the participant experience. Happy Venturing!