IFRE Volunteers

Volunteering abroad ethically, has been an aspiration for my wife and I and we took a chance after a ton of research. Unfortunately we didn't get what we paid for in IFRE's Kenya placement with Boundless Loves, which didn't match their online description of Cultural Conservation. On top of that, communication issues, cost overrun and lack of direction made us leave our project early.

IFRE didn't communicate costs well, and the money we paid for our program placement didn't have a portion go to the project there as the IFRE website claimed. Boundless Loves' projects didn't have a lead or any actual projects for us to join, and we had to create our own. They put us in front of cute children, trying to make us feel sorry for them so that we would donate more, and "coordinators" were constantly asking for more money. For any project we wanted to start, we had to make our own plans, fund and direct help for them--which from everything we've read is not very helpful because we're simply forcing our biased fixes that may not fit the local needs or culture. Without leadership or proper oversight, and not receiving useful information, we were left bewildered, frustrated, and unable to help in a meaningful, long-term way.

Finally, IFRE or known as Global Crossroads in EU isn't a volunteer organization, they're a volunteer placement group, so if you can connect with a group on the ground, you can save $300+ per person. Additionally, extra services come at a premium, for example our safari cost twice the going rate in Kenya with no difference in experience for the other safari goers who paid half the cost.

DO NOT GO THROUGH IFRE! They will try to ask for more and more money! They do not communicate and after 3 days of missed calls, they will tell you that its more money than originally planned. IFRE is a scam company that is not what it appears! The images that they have posted on their Instagram account are FAKE! I crossed referenced those images to google search and they are some the first images that come up for searches such as mission or volunteer abroad. This is a scam company that will try to ask for more money! Get out while you can! I do not want anyone to be scammed by them like we almost were. I started a club to go on a medical mission trip as high schoolers and IFRE seemed too good to be true. Until our contact started acting shady and losing communication. The very first time that we talked to our contact we took detailed notes of everything. From where we would be staying to the cost of the trip... down to every penny. After a few weeks, our contact told us we would not be staying with host families but in hotels changing what he had originally said, and that the price was $200.00 more than what they originally said. Looking back at our notes we knew what they were saying is not what they told us before. However he claims that he had already told us this. Placing the blame on us even though our detailed notes were proof of him lying to us. Looking at more reviews we found out that IFRE was indeed a scam. PLEASE do not book with IFRE! They are a SCAM! And will take your money without delivering and always asking for more!

I volunteered at the Upendo orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania with IFRE. My experience at the orphanage was incredible. My in-country coordinator had prepared a room for me, she welcomed me with open arms and always made sure that I was well taken care of even though I was supposed to be there helping them. It was amazing to see how happy and loving they were even though some had little more than the shirt on their back. It was truly a humbling experience.

I am happy that I used IFRE Volunteers for my first experience in Africa because it provided me with the security and reassurance I needed. There was always someone there to help me. I was picked up from the airport and taken to my host family without any hassle. The country coordinator also did all my paperwork to get a work permit, took me for a few tours around the city to familiarize myself, organized a safari for me, and even took me to the hospital when I wasn't feeling very well. I found IFRE cheaper compared to some of the other companies I researched. Therefore I agreed to volunteer with them.

From all angles it was absolutely an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend the experience.

Our group had an excellent time staying with Michael and his family while in Sri Lanka. Five members of our group stayed at Michael's house while five others stayed with his daughter. We stayed two weeks all together learning about the language and culture of Sri Lanka and volunteering.

Michael is very knowledgeable and was able to share with us a great deal of history on Sri Lanka and help us speak useful phrases.

At all times, whenever our group needed anything, Michael was always quick to respond. He helped us make changes in our volunteer schedule as needed, move students around in the two houses, and was very attuned to our needs. I want to thank Michael for all of the work that he and his family did to help us feel welcome in his home and in Sri Lanka.

I wish our experience with the IFRE office was as great as it was on the ground with Michael. I understand that they are a large organization in many countries, but we had significant issues dealing with them. In the week leading up to the program, our main office contact went on medical leave. As the new person took over communication, they made changes to the total cost we agreed on, then the payment was demanded upfront (before we had agreed to pre-pay half and then pay half at the end). After months of planning, we were told that the program would be canceled unless we met these stipulations.

We were worried about how the experience would be when we began because of our experience with their office, but as soon as we met Michael, his willingness to work with us gave us confidence that it would be a good trip.

I don't believe that IFRE is a bad organization, and perhaps our experience with the office was unique. I recommend being very clear early on about payments especially if volunteering with a large group.

Hello,

I would like to share the experience I had with IFRE in India. I have recently come back from a one month summer volunteering project where I worked in a slum school in Faridabad. Overall, I had an incredible and very positive experience in the country. However I also experienced a couple critical points with IFRE:

1) According to what I had to pay for this four week volunteer program, I realized during my work experience that certainly not a lot (if any) of the money reaches the school. There are no proper tables, no exercise books and few reading books in the school. For this reason I am wondering how the 1,899$ that I paid for this trip has been used by IFRE.

2) I noticed that IFRE does not require any background checks of the volunteers. Anybody, whether with good or bad intentions can work with the children in the school. This could be a potential danger for the students.

3) Volunteers do not need any teaching experience to work in the school. Additionally, no lesson plans or instructions on what to teach the pupils were given to me when I arrived in India.

4) I had difficulties with the payment of the trip; I was overcharged on one occasion and asked to repay the entire program fees on another occasion. Also, I had to email IFRE for an invoice.

5) Unlike mentioned on the website, where it states that "IFRE's staff also visits each volunteer every 1-2 weeks", the other volunteers and I got no such visits within my 3 week stay in the school.

6) IFRE (or Global Crossroads who IFRE works with) did not follow the program mentioned on the IFRE website accurately. For example I did not get to visit the city of Ranthambore at all. Unfortunately no alternative excursion was proposed to me.

7) On one occasion, my parents contacted the country coordinator in India and he gave them incorrect information about my location in the country.

8) During the time I was sightseeing, I was asked by the local IFRE/Global Crossroads contact to give extravagantly high tips to the drivers and guides.

Therefore I do not recommend traveling with IFRE Volunteers.