Work Overseas > Volunteer Overseas
Volunteer Overseas - make a difference
 Volunteering overseas is becoming an increasingly popular activity for
travellers wanting to experience work abroad. For travellers looking to
totally immerse themselves into a new culture, volunteering would be an
ideal choice.
What is it?
Volunteering overseas is the compliance of an individual wishing to work
abroad without expectation of pay, putting their time and energy into
worthwhile causes. Many travellers choose developing nations to conduct
their volunteer work selecting destinations such as Africa, Asia, Central
and South America or the South Pacific.
Why Volunteer?
So why do people choose to volunteer? Well, not everyone’s idea
of a holiday would be lying on beach, trekking through Asia, or even working
in the ski fields of North America. Volunteering provides the individual
with the opportunity to spend some time living with a local community,
and do some good with their time away from their lives back home. Volunteering
can be extremely rewarding, and an eye opener to the real world. It is
true to say that it can be a life-changing experience, as some volunteers
decide not to go back to their day job and completely change their career
on return home.
Whilst volunteering is not just conducted by gap year students, individuals
that choose to take time out before embarking on a career gain opportunities
for invaluable work experience that would benefit them in years to come.
Employers look very favorably on individuals choosing to volunteer during
a gap year, and sometimes do not consider university degrees to be sufficient
preparation for the working environment.
There are many university students and graduates that choose to volunteer
in order to gain practical experience to supplement their chosen degree.
For example Environmental Science students taking part in a volunteer
conservation program would gain invaluable hands-on experience which may
even lead to paid employment in the field.
Finding a volunteer position
The first place to look for a volunteer program would be on the internet.
However with a growing number of volunteer agencies popping up on search
engines to meet the demand for overseas volunteer opportunities, it is
no wonder travellers are confused as to where to look and who to choose
to take them on their trip of a lifetime.
First and foremost, travellers should research the organisation they
are about to join. Safety is paramount, particularly when volunteering
in remote locations in developing nations. It is important to find out
about health and safety practices on volunteer placements. Travellers
should obtain references for ex-volunteers that have participated with
the organisation before and arrange to meet or speak to them on the phone.
It is important to ensure the volunteer organisation has strong values
to support local communities, and at the same time provides volunteers
with adequate in-country support all the way through their work placement.
Why pay to volunteer?
People are often surprised that many volunteer organisations charge
a fee to participants - it seems ridiculous that you should be paying
to work for free!
There are several good reasons why the vast majority of programs charge
international volunteers a fee:
Volunteer contributions are in many instances the only money supporting
a project. Local organisations and projects with which you volunteer have
limited resources and are seldom able to subsidise your trip or cover
the costs of hosting you. If they did have the financial resources to
pay an international volunteer it would almost certainly be more beneficial
and cost-effective to hire a local person instead, someone who already
knows the language and culture.
The process of preparing, training, transporting, housing, feeding and
supervising volunteers is not cheap. Additional services such as healthcare,
funding of overseas projects, volunteer re-entry assistance and alumni
networks all add to the expense of a program.
In summary, by paying to volunteer you ensure that projects that would
otherwise be unable to utilise and accommodate overseas volunteers benefit
from your support, supplementing what little (if any) funds they do receive
and ensuring that it can be spent on the things most needed.
Type of Volunteer Placement
More commonly volunteer placements would involve activities such as
humanitarian, conservation, education, environmental research and construction
work.
Some travellers might have a certain type of project in mind, such as
working with children or wildlife. Others might have a certain country
or region in mind, such as India or Africa. With internet search engines
becoming easier to navigate, it is relatively simple to find a placement
that best suits the individual’s needs.
There are some organisations that specifically recruit for long term
qualified Medics or Teachers, some of which are postings which last for
1 - 2 years. There are many volunteer placements however that can last
for as little as 1 – 4 weeks, or 3 - 6 months, without the need
to be qualified in a specialist profession, as training is provided as
part of the program.
The type of placements available range vastly from conserving turtles
in Panama, teaching and community development in Thailand, climate change
exploration in Patagonia, to marine conservation programs in the Caribbean
or Indian Ocean. There really is a suitable placement out there for everyone;
it is just a question of taking the time out to find it.
Summary
Volunteering can add a great deal to your life, your career, for the
environment and to local communities. If you are considering taking part
in a volunteer adventure, please do, if you don’t you’ll spend
the rest of your life wishing you had.
Thanks to Erica Louise, GVI for this information:
www.gviaustralia.com
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