My experience as a volunteer with Peacework in Guatemala was fantastic. The most memorable part of my trip was that the volunteer work allowed us to work alongside local community members.
Hie, am Ida Puliwa, Managing Director of local charitable organization based in Mulanje , Malawi called Orthakaraka. My organization helps poor and underprivileged people with basis needs such as food, building them shelter, supporting sustainable agriclture projects, agroforestry, supporting needy learners with school bursaries. Since 2013, Peacework International has assisted us at Orthakaraka with technical support through the group of pulic health students from Ohio state university who have been working with the team of local health providers in the community by checking blood pressure of older clients, donating food items such as nutritious flour for porridge, soap, mosquito nets, blankets, exercise books etc. to communities with orphans and elders as main beneficiaries.
This year (2016) peacework has donated money to assist in building local community library as well as joining the group of donors in our secondary school bursary program.
In short, peacework has helped in transforming the lives of many poor people in my community and they really deserve a special recognition in this regards
I went with my university and Peacework to Peru and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Peacework is truly about service and how best to help a certain community and how to teach participants about the community they are helping. We also got to do alot of fun and interesting activities.
I had a terrific experience working with Peacework in Guatemala a couple years ago. Aside from working alongside a well established nonprofit in the area, Pueblo a Pueblo, we were given the time to learn about what it meant to volunteer in a beneficial way to a community. We were not only able to spend quality time with the community we were serving but also given some time to explore the culture of the area. I don't think I've ever had a more rewarding and valuable experience!
I traveled to India and worked with the Piyali Learning Center through Peacework. This was no doubt the most powerful trip I have ever taken- Peacework did an amazing job at organizing the trip and guiding us to achieve a perfect balance between giving us the opportunity to experience the culture and make a lasting difference (as opposed to dropping off goods which does not make a long term impact). The trip leader, Caitlin was amazing and was great at facilitating our discussions. 10/10 I would recommend taking a trip through this nonprofit.
I have been partnering with Peacework in Belize City, Belize for nearly 10 years. I have developed a strong collaborative relationship with the organization and a special bond with their staff. Many of my students (including myself) have been forever transformed by the Health Education service-learning experience facilitated with Peacework and the many partners in Belize. Next year, I will be developing my 3rd U.S. university partnership between Peacework and the Ministry of Education in Belize. I look forward to many, many more years of partnership and friendship with Peacework!
I worked with Hannah in the Punta Gorda-San Antonio area of Belize. I went with a group from NC State University and we worked with local cacao farmers; it was one of the most rewarding and simultaneously exhausting weeks of my life! I felt so welcomed and properly immersed in Belizean culture. Hannah facilitated so many good discussions and the Peacework model of working while encouraging openness to cultural lessons and building lasting friendships. I would love to work with Peacework again!
I recently traveled to Belize City, Belize with Salisbury University while partnering with Peacework. For ten days my fellow peers and I taught health education in St. Mary’s Primary School as well as conducted an after school Arts and Literacy Camp. This would have been an amazing trip; however, the Peacework Staff members made it a life changing experience. For a first time traveler, Peacework made the whole trip very comforting due to its organization and constant communication. Before even leaving for the trip to Belize, Peacework staff members were in contact with us to inform us about trip event details and necessary materials. Once in Belize we were greeted immediately after stepping off of the plane by another Staff member, who took us to our lodging. Throughout the work day we had constant communication with Staff members about how our class room settings were going and if we had any needs. At night we would have meeting to debrief the day and share our experiences. These meetings were actually a high light of the trip because Peacewok staff asked questions that made us think about the bigger picture of helping at the Primary School and Belize, as well as our trip in a worldwide view. By the end of the trip I learned an extensive amount about healthcare in growing nations and the diverse situations that individuals in Belize have to face daily. This trip was life changing in the fact that I now desire to obtain a job in Global Healthcare to better the education and quality of access to developing nations. This change did not happen by simply travelling on the trip but happened due to the interaction with the Peacework staff. Having conversations about their life experiences and the work that they have done through Peacework has opened my eyes to the change that I could make as a single individual. I will forever be grateful to this experience and have made life long connections I hope to keep. Much thanks to Hannah and Brantynn for the opportunity and knowledge you provided to me. There is much desire to do further work with Peacework in the future.
I had the opportunity to travel to Belize in 2013 through a partnership with Peacework and the University of Arkansas. It was the first time I encountered sustainable community development, and was empowered to reach out to the community we were serving regarding all aspects of our time there. Truly a one of a kind experience!
I was given the opportunity to lead an international volunteering trip with Peacework last summer. The experience I received far exceeded my expectations. There are many college volunteer trips that are unsustainable and student focused. It was refreshing and satisfying to find out that Peacework did not fall into this category. I highly recommend this organization
I recently went on a trip to Guatemala through the partnership of Peaceworks and an Ohio State University club called Global Health Initiative. The projects we worked on were directed towards sustainability including installing ONIL stoves, building a playground, and working with a bee cooperative. Over the course of this trip I formed relationships with not only the individuals I went with but also the Peacework workers as well as the people we helped.
The Ohio State University's Global Health Initiative club partners with Peacework annually for tips to Guatemala, Malawi and, India. Our group initially choose to work with Peacework because of their emphasis on community led, sustainable development. We have not been disappointed. As a student leader for the most recent trip to India, I was in constant contact with Peacework's staff leading up to the trip and--with my group-- spent a significant amount of time with our on site contact. Every member of their staff consistently embodies their organization's collaborative approach to change and stresses the importance of community engagement. We could not be more pleased with our experiences with them, and are excited to pursue future collaborations.
I have worked with Peacework for over a decade in three different university, academic service programs. They have been a tremendous asset both in terms of managing our logistics as well as helping us develop and maintain community partners. We have had a number of events over the years (hurricanes, earthquakes, illnesses) and Peacework has handled each one smoothly and fully instilled my confidence each time. They are professional, ethical, and 100% well-intended. I recommend them enthusiastically.
I have watched this organization grow from a small organization which promoted Peace by bringing together people from the USA and the USSR to work together on a development project in Nicaragua at the height of the Cold War to an organization that has collaborated with government officials and grass roots leaders in developing countries in 22 countries across the world to improve the quality of life in their communities. Peacework has impacted the lives of countless college students and young professionals by involving them in meaningful projects in developing countries. Students' and young professionals' lives have been transformed by the experience of working side by side with members of a community on projects which will have a lasting impact on the community. Projects range from building projects to financial literacy workshops, to teacher training programs, to programs in HIV education to outreach to meet medical needs in remote areas, etc. The success of Peacework's programs stems from Peacework working with the local leaders to determine the needs in a community which need to be addressed and pairing a community with an university or corporation which sends volunteers year after year. The continuity of the programs provides maximum benefit to the communities and the students'/young professionals' experience. Peacework has the experience and relationships in communities across the world to make it the perfect partner for any organization which would like to send volunteers to work on a project in a developing country which will make a meaningful difference in the lives of the local people.
I am a board member of this organization. In the Fall of 2014, I traveled to Belize with a student to interview teachers who were involved with Project Belize, a youth education workshop on financial literacy, self-esteem, and entrepreneurship. This particular partnership between PwC, Peacework, and educators in Belize was in its seventh year and I wanted to know if it was still effective. Teacher after teacher praised the program, the corporate sponsor, and Peacework. One day as I passed by an open market, I saw a man who had on a PwC T-shirt. I walked up to him and introduced myself as a Peacework board member. He instantly smiled and proceeded to interact with me as if I was a long lost friend. His son had recently attended the summer workshop and he even pulled out the folder of materials given to the kids from behind his booth. He was proud of his son and I left the entire encounter proud of Peacework and all the hard work this inspiring organization has done to make each encounter meaningful.
I am a faculty member at the University of Arkansas and we have partnered with Peacework for more than 10 years to run a service-learning Community Development Study Abroad program in Dangriga, Belize. I have been involved for 7 years. Peacework supports our program by handling all the logistics, security, and transportation. Their amazing and dedicated staff work closley with us to help plan projects and connect us with local partners. They also do a million other things above and beyond the call of duty, which allows the faculty and students to focus on learning. Over the years, we have built a trusting relationship built on mutual respect and a desire to improve ourselves and the communities we serve.
--Professor Tim Yeager
I had a great experience with the Peacework organization and I am really supportive of what they do and what their ideals are. I participated in a once in a lifetime service trip to Belize organized by Peacework where we spent the time utilizing team member's skills in technology to teach local educators in Belize how to use computers and Microsoft Office programs so they would be better equipped to educate the students on Belize. We also spent some time setting up a new computer lab for a local primary school, cleaning up and painting the building as well as hooking up the computers. I really appreciated that we were able to spend our time serving Belize in a way that will really be sustainable for the people there and can be passed on by those who we worked with while there. I know that a lot of Peacework's projects have the goal of being sustainable within the country like this, such as another large project they do in Belize where volunteers help lead financial education classes for the residents of Belize. I am glad I had the opportunity through my university to partner with Peacework because it gave me many experiences I will never forget and I got a huge sense of value out of the time I invested into the people that we worked with.