May 2012
Taylor Beck
Position
Overall Rating:
Amazing organization with even more amazing people running it. Overall one of the best experiences I have had traveling.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
EDV gave me the opportunity to use my strengths and experiences to help the people of Haiti. I was able to see projects from beginning to finish and the impact that these projects had on the community.
Organization and communication:
Each project was very organized and the project managers all did a great job of assessing each volunteers strengths and using them to fulfill certain duties. Each project had a beginning, middle, and an end goal which was met in an efficient manner.
Accommodation:
We had the opportunity to stay in a great house with a wonderful cook and a wonderful nurse. Everyone was well taken care of and I never felt unsafe. The room and board price was very fair and the cheapest accommodations I have come across while traveling.
Safety:
I always felt safe in the EDV house and around the community. I would walk to the grocery store or to the project sites by myself and never felt that I was in danger.
Working with EDV was a very unique and once in a life time experience. The long term volunteers were some of the most amazing and interesting people I have ever met and the short term volunteers all added to the fun as well. Working with EDV is a great mix of hard work and getting to know the members of the community. I was given so many unique experiences such as traveling to a slum in Port au Prince and sitting down with a music group as they performed their music for us. I was able to learn so much about the Haitian culture and see their daily struggles which helped me better assess their needs. EDV gives you the freedom to explore the country and the culture and overall this was the best experience I have had to date.
May 2012
James Little
Position
Overall Rating:
I was well taken care of and provided with appropriate and well managed opportunities to help people. EDV's whole approach is consistently good from the way you're made to feel welcome as soon as you step through the door to the intelligent way programmes are designed around volunteer based skills
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
I feel like we did make a difference, but in one of the hardest environments that such a small organisation could, the benefit can be hard to see/hard to reach, almost impossible sometimes, it makes a big difference spending a longer time there to get a fuller picture.
Organization and communication:
Simple and effective daily meetings to ensure everyone had a clear picture of everyone's roles that day as well a simple effective structure within the organisation of responsibility and assistance.
Accommodation:
I think we were somewhat lucky with the accomodation in Haiti but they were excellent.
Safety:
EDV provided all the relevant information to keep safe and secure in Haiti.
I ended up working for EDV for 3 months last year, as part of journey to discover whether I felt I had what it takes to work in the Humanitarian Sector. I was incredibly lucky to end up at EDV. For volunteers they run an excellent programme of achievable projects, carefully planned to be suitable for a wide variety of people with enough flexibility to integrate specific skills that people may bring to the table. You will work hard for 5 days a week, and you will meet a wide range of amazing people from around the world. On top of this, the people in charge of EDV have collected volunteering/humanitarian experience that personally made a huge difference to my time there as it enabled me to start thinking past the immediate impact of my time in Haiti and learn about the wider and more complex world of the Humanitarian Sector. Finally, I'll be volunteering with them again, as soon I get the chance. I'm sure you would be too.
May 2012
Gemma Hunt
Position
Overall Rating:
Fantastic experience! It was so rewarding that I went back for a second stay to see how the projects were going and to essentially do more!
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Definitely, this is evident just by seeing how welcoming the orphanages are and how much they appreciate your help. I would like to see in a few years if I made a long term difference.
Organization and communication:
Great communication prior to arrival in Haiti with all essential information. The volunteer officer I emailed regularly before I went out to Haiti was very helpful and quick at responding to any queries I had. Daily meetings were a very useful way to communicate any important messages as well as the day to day updates. I receive monthly newsletters and follow EDV on Twitter on Facebook so I get regular updates even now which is fantastic.
Accommodation:
5* rating does not mean it's 5* by European standards that's for certain!! The house was fairly basic with dorm rooms and some private rooms, cold showers, toilets, fans (when the power worked) and a kitchen. But we had a pool, nothing more needs to be said when the temperatures are soaring in Haiti and you've worked a long day in the heat!
Safety:
The safety that could be controlled I would rate 5*- the directors would tighten security measures when required and would be quick to react to information from various sources. The initial orientation provided all the information to stay safe, but in an unpredictable environment there is always an element of danger.
I volunteered with EDV in Haiti following completing a masters in Disaster Management- I wanted to see theory put into practice. What I did see was so much more. I saw a fairly new organisation running some fantastic projects which I know have changed the lives of many people.
After a couple of weeks of being there I managed the Health programme and with the Nurse we set up regular clinics for the orphanages and regular health lessons for the children. Outside of these clinics and lessons, we responded to the needs of the orphanages and would help wherever possible. This continued after I left and I was lucky enough to return to Haiti to finish and close the Health programme.
I have many memories of my time in Haiti, one of my fondest is taking the children of Le Main Tendre orphanage swimming on a Saturday morning to give the Directors a bit of break. Essentially they work 24/7 365 days a year so giving them some relief for 3-4 hrs was gratefully received, and for the volunteers and myself, it was essentially 3-4hrs of playtime with about 30 children (even the babies came swimming!). The joy on everyone's face will stay with me forever!
EDV is a fantastic organisation and I hope to volunteer with them again this year! I cannot praise them enough.
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