Volunteers live like the locals, in local neighborhoods — That may mean living in a Soviet-Era apartment in Poland or a tropical wooden cabin called “the Tree House” in Costa Rica.

In some of our Humanitarian locations, you’ll be living in a home that you might not consider nice, but it’s an obvious step up from the tin roofs and dirt floors of your neighbors. All ILP housing could be described as basic, complete with necessities like beds, chairs, tables and desks, along with running water, electricity, etc. ILP volunteers won’t be living in grass huts or living with dirt floors, but there will be some adjustments compared to comforts you may be used to growing up with. For example, most housing situations have fans instead of air conditioning, and has a washing machine, but not a dryer for your clothes. Living like the locals is one of the most influential ways to really immerse yourself in the culture of your country and makes up a big part of your ILP experience.