Information On How To Volunteer Abroad

So you’re keen on the thought of volunteering or developing new skills in your gap year? Now comes the tricky part: picking which project to get involved with. Fortunately, the internet is a treasure trove of companies that offer all kinds of ventures. Unfortunately, you have to be aware that you need to choose carefully lest you end up with something that isn’t right for you. Or even worse; you pay through the nose for an experience that hardly seems to contribute to the cause leaving you feeling exploited.

Research, research, research! Get it clear in your head what you want to get out from it and make sure you know what cause you feel the strongest about. Read as many recommendations as you can and chat to any friends who’ve had gap years to see if they have any words of wisdom.
GapAdvice.org and GapYear.com are great for independent travel information, research, ideas and contacts for a plethora of countries including Australia, Thailand and Peru. TravellersConnected.com is a useful social networking site which contains contacts around the world that are ready to share advice on any travel/gap year question.

With a rough idea of where you want to go and what you want to do, you’re free to get stuck in and see which companies offer what programs. It can be daunting picking a company, but look at their code of practice for terms and conditions, ethical code and support system. See if they have case studies that allow you to see how they are directly contributing to the charity/community and it’s great if they can connect you with returned volunteers so you can discuss their experience.

Here are few well-trusted organisations that will hook you up with a great experience:
– Charitable communities are on offer with Thai Dragonfly where you can build and educate throughout Thailand (www.dragonflycommunity.org)
– In Thailand or South Africa you can work in animal welfare or teach English while learning Spanish in Chile with Oyster (www.oysterworldwide.com)
– Global Vision has a huge range available; from community, wildlife, marine and rainforest conservations. They also do projects and volunteer holidays… or why not attend a dolphin conservation project in Kenya? (www.gvi.co.uk)
– Changing Worlds (www.changingworlds.co.uk) has a spread of opportunities over more than 15 countries. Volunteer with orphans in Honduras whilst learning Spanish for a once in a lifetime opportunity.
– Action Aid (www.actionaid.org.uk/adventures) focuses on community building in Asia and Africa. Amazing challenges where you’ll meet and work with the people you’re raising money for.

So many ideas and possibilities, but there is the small thing of payment. These experiences don’t come for free. “But I’m helping a charity! Working for free! I’m volunteering my own sweat and time, so why should I be paying to help them?!” I hear you cry. It is aggravating that charity work in these awesome places comes at a price, but bear in mind that you’re not paying for the privilege; you are helping to fund the projects future and subsidise your living costs, training and in some cases health and travel insurance. But do get clarification about what is provided in the program that you choose.

Fancy an alternative to animals and hard labour? Want to return home with a new language in your brain, or return with extra experience under your belt for a teaching-related future? Well, why not teach English abroad! It’s an incredibly popular choice amongst gap years and travellers. Being a native English speaker abroad is sometimes the only ‘qualification’ you need as some countries in Asia can do on-site training then launch you into a class. Teaching English demands a keen individual who is keen at communicating and has a good grip of the English language. Schools actually prefer it if you don’t speak the local language as this will force more learning and communication for the pupils. Previous experience isn’t necessary and with this being a paid gig, you can make your travels last longer as living costs in Asia are really low. It’s cheaper to eat out every night rather than go to the supermarket and rent will leave you gobsmacked at how low the prices can be.

The most commonly requested qualification is a completed Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course (www.tefl.com). Anyone can do it and you can either complete it at home before you leave, on the road or online! TEFL is an internationally recognised teaching certificate and is everything you need to start your teaching adventure abroad. Online training and teaching experiences are available in China, Thailand, Cambodia, South Afric, and many more places. Some course will even cover food and accommodation and you could earn up to £2,000 per month. Language Courses Abroad (www.languagesabroad.co.uk) runs language schools in Latin America and Asia, plus you can talk to experienced language travel advisors prior to your trip. Other great sites for teaching experiences include Travellers Worldwide (www.travellersworldwide.com) and Africa & Asia Venture (www.aventure.co.uk). They offer courses that span between £2,000-£3,000 to get your ready to teach, and also hook you up with placements in various locations.

Korea and China have a huge abundance of teaching opportunities, so when you get over there it is literally a matter of time before finding a job. Bring travel insurance, enthusiasm and be ready for hard work, but it’ll be worth it as you’ll gain a huge amount of transferable skills!