Venture with Impact

I participated in the Venture With Impact November 2018 Lisbon, Portugal program. Unfortunately my experience wasn't good and ended up being a waste of money. I really liked the concept of their program, but I learned the hard way that it's a gamble when you let a third party book your accommodations. Prior to arrival I was told I would be in a first floor apartment, but I was actually placed in a musty, moldy, ant infested basement apartment that wasn't suitable to live or work in.

When I asked the founder, Ann Davis, to place me in a different apartment because the mold in the apartment was making me sick, she said the situation was out of her control. Her only effort was to try to make the current apartment work by placing a dehumidifier and fan inside. Neither do anything to eliminate mold. She actually told me "We would have taken more care with thinking about this, if we knew about this allergy before." So the standard is to place participants in unlivable apartments unless you tell them about your allergies? I found that a bit unsettling as no one, with or without an allergy, should be surrounded by mold.

Because the living conditions were making me so sick, I had no choice but to leave the apartment after only a few days and find my own accommodations for the rest of the month. I wasn't compensated for the extra cost and any request for some type of refund was denied. The way the whole situation was handled was unprofessional and disappointing.

These days there are so many great ways for digital nomads to travel. Rather than considering Venture With Impact, I suggest looking into co-living/co-working places like Outsite or Roam. I stayed at the Lisbon Outside location and had a really good experience there. Those types of places offer great communities for travelers. Not only do you have access to a co-working space (which VWI didn't provide), but the cost is significantly less than VWI. If you like the volunteering aspect that VWI offers, then I suggest doing a little research beforehand to find out what kind of options are available in the city you're considering visiting.

VWI was an amazing experience. I was able to work with inspiring non-profit organizations and immerse myself in their ongoing projects, and felt like I had many opportunities to connect with locals.
I also loved the VWI group - it was wonderful meeting motivated, interesting people from lots of different backgrounds who shared a common passion for serving others. I felt like I gained something valuable from each person I met in the program.
The coordinator also did a great job of setting up fun activities and excursions - there was always something going on, from happy hours to high-altitude hikes!
I highly recommend this experience to anyone who has the time and opportunity to participate.

The folks at VWI did everything in their power to help me with my personal goals. My only downfall was not letting them know when I had concerns. ie: I had a concern about my volunteering which I stuck out for a couple of days before saying anything to my surprise, the issue was cleared up by the end of the workday, (if I wasn't so nervous about saying something).
When I got to Trujillo I was nervous and wondering what I got myself into, but I quickly made friends with the locals (who are VERY helpful and friendly) which helped to fill the any voids in my schedule. I have everything! Great food, volunteering, friends, day trips, gym time, space to work on my studies, adventure, I could go on...
I'm really happy to have been involved in this. I plan on doing it as long as I can work from my computer!