Volunteering While Traveling: The Complete Guide

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Volunteering while traveling is a great way to travel on a budget, give back to local communities and make a positive impact as you explore

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Whether you’ve just finished college or you’re taking a career break, traveling is on nearly everyone’s bucket list. Who doesn’t want to see the world, experience new cultures, and learn more about themselves along the way?

Of course, it can also be very expensive…so, how do you travel on a limited budget? One popular way is to volunteer your way across the globe.

Volunteering while traveling is a great way to give back to local communities and make a positive impact as you explore. But it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to volunteering abroad.

In this complete volunteer travel guide, we’ll show you how to travel and volunteer responsibly and the best organizations to get started with.

Is Volunteering Right for You?

Although volunteering is an incredibly rewarding experience, it’s also hard work. Before looking for projects to sign up for, consider if you have the following traits that would make you the best volunteer.

Reliability

Organizations plan each volunteer program based on the number of global volunteers that sign up. The volunteer project might be caught short or even canceled if you aren’t reliable. It can be a little tougher to plan a reliable schedule when you’re traveling while volunteering, so make sure you have the time to give before signing up.

Interpersonal skills

You’ll meet a lot of new people while volunteering from all over the world, so having great people skills will help you form friendships much quicker. Remember, everyone is in the same boat as you are, and everyone wants to make friends while volunteering abroad.

Willingness to learn

Whether you have volunteer experience or not, there is always something new to learn and additional training. You’ll need to be open to new ideas and processes, pick up skills quickly and be willing to improve as you go.

Problem Solving

There will be times when you have to think on your feet and solve problems on the fly. You need to be up for a challenge and willing to solve issues on your own. You’ll always have your team to fall back on, but problem-solving is an important skill to work on as you volunteer.

How to Travel Through Volunteer Work Responsibly

Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there that masquerade as a volunteer opportunity, so it’s important to make sure the organization you’re working with is legit.

Here’s how you can travel through volunteer work responsibly and give back to local communities.

1. Research the organization and project

No matter how professional an organization looks, always do extensive research before you sign up. Here are some things you should know:

The cost of signing up
The nature of the project
The impact of the work done up until now
The ethical procedures of the organization
Who the beneficiaries of the project are
Where you’ll be staying
Past projects and testimonials from other volunteers
Travel information

It’s normal for volunteers to pay to take part in a project, and the money usually covers your transportation, accommodation and food. But make sure there aren’t any hidden fees that will pop up while you’re working.

2. Don’t get confused by service learning projects

Volunteering abroad is different from service learning, and it’s important to know the difference. Service learning projects have agendas and research aims and are usually funded by the government or agencies.

You’ll often be tasked with a service learning project as part of an academic degree or job role, and you’ll usually get a grant.

On the other hand, volunteering abroad typically sets out to aid local communities and achieve specific goals for welfare projects. There are private volunteer opportunities as well, such as on working farms.

When you’re researching projects, don’t get confused with service learning roles on offer.

3. Have the right mindset

Many people use volunteering as a means of affordable travel, but it’s crucial to also use the role as an opportunity to learn about new cultures and be of service to others.

For example, if you’re volunteering in developing countries, don’t judge the people you meet as somehow inferior or in need of being saved — you are there to help them move past challenges often caused by failures in governments and to improve their quality of life.

4. Take action after learning

As well as personal development and learning, it’s important to actually take action. After all, any volunteer work aims to better communities, so do all you can to take action after you’ve learned, observed, and immersed yourself in the culture.

5. Live like a local

One of the key components (and joys) of being a responsible volunteer is living like a local. This helps positively impact the local community and boost micro-economies. Luckily, this is easy to do on a volunteer placement:

Shop locally
Eat locally sourced foods wherever possible
Spend time in local markets
Visit local artisans and shop owners

How Volunteering while Traveling Helps You Grow

As well as providing you with an incredible sense of accomplishment, volunteering while you travel helps you grow in several ways.

Gain new skills

No matter what kind of volunteer abroad project you sign up for, you’ll learn some new skills while you’re there. Did you know that if you participate in marine conservation, you can get your PADI Diving Certificate?

Many more wildlife conservation projects offer certifications and unique skills you’ll have with you forever. In a more general sense, you’ll also hone some of your core skills, including:

Time management
Problem-solving
People skills
Patience
Confidence
Teamwork

Get a better idea of your professional path

If you’re totally unsure what you want to do as a career and you’re feeling a little lost, volunteering will help immeasurably. You’ll start to get a sense of what your passions are and the kinds of roles you’d love to do as a career.

If you have an idea of what career you’d like, volunteering is also an opportunity to test the waters and figure out if it’s right for you. For example, if you’re interested in zoology, you can volunteer for a Conversation Project in South Africa and see if it’s the right fit.

Make new friends and lasting friendships

Volunteers often make lifelong friends while working and traveling. You may make fleeting friendships while traveling normally, but volunteering gives you an opportunity to get to know people better, share a unique experience, and rely on others.

You’ll come away from the experience with lasting friendships with people you would never have met otherwise.

Develop a sensitivity to other cultures

When we don’t travel often, we tend to stay within our small bubble of culture and community and rarely experience how others live. However, this limits our perspective and causes unnecessary divides in the world.

Volunteers are taught about local customs, body language, gestures, experiences, and religions. All of this will give you a deeper understanding of different cultures, greater sensitivity and allows you to reflect on your behavior in your daily life.

Improve physical fitness

Physical and mental health are both important when volunteering. Many projects can be physically demanding, so you’ll likely see your fitness levels improve. Whether you’re looking after endangered animals in a National Park in Costa Rica or doing a charity run in South America, you’ll come back with a better level of fitness.

And the challenges you will face, both culturally and personally as you navigate a radically new experience, will fortify your mental fitness as well, strengthening your ability to adapt and feel empathy.

Best Opportunities For Volunteering Abroad

If you’re raring to go and love the idea of volunteering overseas, here is a short list of some of the best volunteering opportunities and organizations that can help you get started as an international volunteer:

Traveling is a fantastic way to experience new cultures, explore different parts of the world, and make lifeline memories. Why not give back to the communities you visit?

Volunteering while traveling opens up whole new experiences and allows you to develop a real understanding of cultures that you don’t get while traveling normally. Just make sure you choose the right volunteer organization and give your time responsibly on your next adventure.

You may also enjoy reading Explore More: Tips to Travel Abroad on a Budget, by Paisley Hansen