"I thought that I would just be making a difference in other peoples' lives, but through serving them and working with these people I grew to love them and found that the biggest difference that took place was in my life. This is an experience I will never forget."
-Anna Smith, Guatemala 2008
"I loved every single activity and all of the service we gave! Even when I was not particularly knowlegable in a certain area, it was great to learn more and help everyone else on their projects. I discovered talents and interests that I had no idea I had before. Every single moment was so great. I loved it!"
HELP International provides participants with a life-changing experience through service. Every summer HELP International, a Utah-based nonprofit organization, trains college-age participants to design and implement sustainable development projects in Belize, El Salvador, Fiji, India, Thailand, and Uganda. Partnering with locally-based non-governmental organizations (NGO), HELP participants create projects that promote self-reliance. As a key part of their experience, we train participants to become lifetime social entrepreneurs, using innovation to solve social problems. Participants receive over 20 hours of training before serving in-country, enabling them to organize and carry out their own projects.
International Volunteers Become Social Entreprenuers
HELP International is committed to training participants to improve community mobilization in developing countries, while having a life-changing experience themselves. The most effective development projects are initiated and embraced by the local community, leading to changes which benefit the local population for years after the HELP International participants return home. Likewise, the best experience a participant can have is to learn how to be actively involved in positive social change for the rest of their lives.
Grassroots Projects
Participants engage in a variety of different types of projects based on their skills and interests. Some activities past participants have initiated include: building and repairing water systems, working with HIV positive community groups, teaching family garden and stove construction, and teaching basic business classes. Regardless of which activity participants choose, each teaches the nuance of the native culture, the essential principles involved in collaborating with local leaders, and how to implement solutions to fight poverty.
