a holiday with a difference (AidCamps International)

Member Name: MissTierney

Product:	AidCamps International
Date:	25/04/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: learning about different cultures, seeing the 'real' country and its people. Supporting community

Disadvantages: if proper toilets and showers are a must, this is probably not for you!

Are you looking for a holiday with a difference?
See countries in their reality, help to build communities, learn about the culture, the difficulties, and watch and live in the progress that is being made? Whilst all the time having fun and doing some sight-seeing on the weekends? Read on...

Aidcamps International is an organisation who work with various support groups/charities/organisations in under developed countries (Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Cameroon to be specific)

Their job is basically to find volunteers in the UK, (or anywhere really - on the projects i have been on there have also been German and American volunteers too) to raise money and then see exactly where its being spent. You will be building schools in poorer areas of the country generally, schools for disabled children, community centres or resource centres.
There are projects already set up and advertised on the website, so you can pick and choose whatever one you fancy. There is a minimum fundraising target and admin fee for each volunteer which totalled to around £700 for me. This covers a donation to the project which you will participate in, the building materials, resources and hiring of local builders etc, and also the costs of your food, accomodation, transport, and cultural visits. You have to arrange your own flights, but you will get contact details of the other volunteers on your project and if you're a bit of a scaredy cat its probably better if you organise your flights together!
The projects i have been on were in India and Sri Lanka, both times the flights cost between £450 - £500.
You will have to get some jabs, and a visa if you decide to go to india. The project usually lasts no longer than 4 weeks.
The age range of volunteers was very wide, there were students, professionals, middle aged people, even retired people.


The project in Sri Lanka was for a childrens resource centre in a small rural village in Uda Walawe. The partner organisation was SERVE. We were the first group and there was a total of 15 of us volunteers, and around 20 vlounteers in the second group. (It takes 2 months to complete a project altogether start to finish so needs two groups)
The project in India was for a Disables childrens school extension which was partnered with SCAD (an amazing - and huge, organisation who provide education and community support for underprivelidged or the so-called 'untouchables' of society in south India)

I was in contact with the other volunteers for a few months before each of the projects and i arranged on both occasions to fly with some of them.
The project co-ordinator met us at the airport to pick us up, and we go to a hotel to get to know each other, have a meal, do some sight-seeing etc.
The next day is a day trip, usually something relaxed like a boat trip.
Then on monday we went on (usually a very long uncomfortable and dirty) road trip to wherever the project was) the children and people of the village were there to greet us with a ceremony of sorts.
The accomodation on weekdays was near the project site. In Sri Lanka it was a generous local family who lent us their house for the month. In India they had a building on site ready for us.
I will warn you now please dont expect the standards you would of a hotel, in Sri Lanka we had cold outdoor bucket showers - which was actually a luxury there. And also if you dont like rice or curry i would suggest bringing lots of biscuits or something! :)
The next day project work starts, you will participate in lots of different things such as cieving sand for the cement, mixing the cement, plastering, painting and generally lots of heave-ho! Obviously if it gets too much you don't have to do it as it can be quite tiring, you dont have to know anything about building or anything like that as the standards are not the same as over here say.
We worked 5 week days and then went away to various different parts of the country for sight-seeing and visits. There were usually talks, visiting the children, and other local visits going on in weekday evenings too.
You will be expected to bring spending money for on weekends, as food is only provided in the week on site.
At the end of the last week there is an opening ceremony, and a long relaxing weekend somewhere nice :) Then goodbyes.

I dont want to go too much into my personal experiences as i dont think thats what the purpose of this review is, but all i can say is i couldnt have spent my money better on any holiday. You will makes friends with all sorts of people and find out things that you could never find out if you hadn't experienced it.
Highly recommended.

I'll also add, in comparison to other voluntary projects of this sort, Aidcamps were very good value for money.
You will find if you read the small print, a few of these sorts of companies are in it hugely for personal gain and take advantage of the 'cause' by charging more money to offer these types of experiences, whilst using the majority of the money to line their own pockets.

Summary: an active and educational holiday