Helping You to Decide
I presume that if you have already found this webpage then you
are probably well along the road to deciding that you would like to
volunteer abroad and are just seeking a little bit of advice or trying
to find out a bit more about it before you commit. Anyone can volunteer
and
if you have the desire, enthusiasm and the want to make a difference
feeling then
I strongly urge you to follow that impulse and volunteer. I have listed
below a few points that
you might want to consider if you are not sure that will hopefully help
you decide. Do not forget
to visit the why volunteer
section
to see what some of the benefits are of being
a volunteer abroad. I hope you decide it is something you would like to
do as, speaking from
personal experience, I am sure it is something you will enjoy and
remember for the rest of your life.
-
Being a volunteer is loads of fun, but it also carries with it a level
responsibility
as you are helping others or contributing to important projects around
the world
that are relying on people like you in order to survive and continue.
There are fantastic volunteer
opportunities and some will appeal more than others so choose wisely
and think about what you can do
and how much time and money you can commit to your volunteering
exerience. The more doubts you have the more research you should do.
-
Being a volunteer is likely to cost you money. Look at various
projects, what they do, compare their costs
and check what is included in the price and what you have to pay for.
For example you will probably have to pay your own
air fare and this in itself can be quite expensive depending upon your
destination. Our section on funding
gives you more information and some ideas about how you may be able to
raise money if you are unable to pay for some or all of
the volunteering trip yourself.
- As a volunteer you will probably see countries and parts of
countries that tourists do not
ordinarily see. This is part of the whole experience and is usually fun
and very rewarding as you meet
lots of people who will want to get to know you. It can be difficult ,
however, and you may observe
things that you do not feel comfortable with, such as poverty for
example, or cultures that have traditions that you may not agree with.
How you deal with such scenarios depends on your
personality but it can sometimes be a little distressing. Overall the
experience should be fantastic but
you should bear in mind that you will encounter many things that will
surprise you.
- The rewards that come with volunteering are second to none
in my opinion. Seeing the joy in people's faces
when you help them, getting to know other cultures and languages, eat
new foods and sample new experiences are all part of the adventure that
you undetake as a volunteer. There is so much to gain from being a
volunteer both in terms
of your own personal development and the benefits to those you help,
that this alone could be enough to persuade you to be a volunteer. You
will have a few downs, but you will have a lot more ups and when you
look back it should be
with a fondness of a time that you will never forget.
I hope that has helped a little bit. Ultimately of course it
is your decision. I did not have to think too long about it because I
knew it was something that I just wanted to do and that I would not
feel settled until I had done it. Now that I have been a volunteer
I am already considering my next venture...