WHY VOLUNTEER ABROAD?

There are two ways to look at volunteering abroad:

• One is that it is a rewarding and positive arrangement for all parties involved; that people benefit from your skills, knowledge and efforts, and in return, you benefit from the fact you are committing yourself to a good and worthwhile cause for little material gains.
• On the other hand there is the view that volunteering is a mutually parasitic exchange for both the volunteer and the community they are in. You are willing to give yourself as a cheap source of labor for a certain amount of time and in exchange, you’ll get some amazing life and job experiences whilst being able to travel to a country and immerse yourself right into the culture and local community relatively cheaply.

People generally decide to go abroad and volunteer for one or more of the following reasons

• To take a gap year before going to university or starting a career.
• To take time off during your studies.
• To drop yourself in the “deep end” in a totally unknown culture and land.
• To change your direction in life.
• To seek a new a different experience after graduation.
• To give something back

Volunteering is an extremely rewarding and challenging way to travel and see the world. We can guarantee now that during your volunteer experience abroad, regardless of whether it is for 1 week or 6 months, you will experience a myriad of emotions such as elation, disappointment, sadness, helplessness, joy and satisfaction. Ask anyone that has volunteered before and they will rate their volunteer stints abroad as highlights in their life for a variety of reasons; the total immersion in a different culture, the eye opening and sad experiences leaving them with a feeling of helplessness, the joy of helping someone achieve a goal and the friendships forged in unknown lands. Regardless of your motivation to volunteer in order to get the most out of your experience it is important to set clear goals before you arrive.

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Before volunteering, it is important to clarify your motives. You may be drawn to volunteer work by a desire to help impoverished people. You may be interested in learning about another culture and society. You may wish to be part of a process of positive social change. You may wish to use it as a base for living cheaply in a foreign land whilst getting to travel. Or you may wish to gain experience which will help you find employment. Each of these motivations will direct you to distinct options for volunteering. By volunteering abroad you have the opportunity, which you might not necessarily get otherwise, to learn new skills that will significantly enhance your career prospects when you return home. You may choose an activity to supplement future study or career plans (for example, if you want to study medicine, you can volunteer in a hospital). Alternatively, you may choose activities that give you a well-rounded experience or something unusual and adventurous or you may wish to choose any activity that also gives you a chance to explore a different culture at first hand.

• Make sure your program matches your interests and strengths.
• Make sure you will be able to contribute when volunteering. For example if working on an HIV/Aids education program, do your homework before you leave.
• Set clear goals that you wish to achieve while you are away before you leave.
• nce you arrive, reassess these goals – are they still realistic and/or achievable?

Like most things in life, you get out what you put in. If you are not motivated, not willing to show and use your own initiative and do not work well in an unfamiliar cultural and surroundings, you will not enjoy volunteering abroad. Finally, it is important to go abroad with an open mind. Accept that what is right back in your culture and community is not always right in the community you will be working. Most importantly be prepared to teach and give but also to receive and learn.