{"id":8895,"date":"2018-09-11T13:00:43","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T13:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?p=8895"},"modified":"2021-09-28T11:39:30","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T11:39:30","slug":"voluntourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/voluntourism\/","title":{"rendered":"So, You Want to Volunteer Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot of noise surrounding voluntourism<\/a> – some of it positive, most far from it. Commentary is right to be skeptical. After all, the billion-dollar volunteer tourism industry has its fair share of issues. The general premise is pretty simple: travellers (vastly white travellers) take off for a few days, weeks or months to volunteer in less privileged countries. In turn, they see a side of the world they haven\u2019t been exposed to before. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Not a bad idea, hey? Unfortunately travellers\u2019 good intentions, without deeper knowledge or experience to guide them, can be quite dangerous. The biggest criticisms surrounding short-term international volunteer programs are that they promote the age-old \u2018white saviour complex\u2019 (check out the <\/b>Barbie Savior Instagram account<\/a>, which\u00a0offers a\u00a0witty clap-back\u00a0to some volunteers\u2019 ill-informed, do-gooder rhetoric), bolsters unethical travel agencies looking to make a quick buck off of systemic, life-affecting issues, and is actually, in many cases, extremely detrimental to those communities volunteers are seeking to help. <\/b><\/p>\n

So, the vast negative aspects of voluntourism are well documented, but is there still a place for the international volunteer<\/a>? Are there activities volunteers can get involved in that do make a lasting difference and don\u2019t undermine the causes they seek to help? In short, yes, absolutely. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s our advice on finding ethical and needed volunteer work, and how to do your small bit with conscience and integrity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Avoid everything \u2018gap year\u2019 <\/b><\/h4>\n

Opt for volunteer opportunities with grassroots charities and not-for-profits, rather than commercial companies. Though often well-meaning, these companies have an agenda that goes beyond making a difference. One of the easiest ways to spot if a company is profiting from their volunteer programs is how they market. \u2018Once-in-a-lifetime\u2019 \u2018gap year\u2019 experiences are usually commercially-led programs, asking youngsters to pay significant money (\u00a32500 is the usual going rate in the UK) to work on often pointless (and possibly harmful) tasks in developing countries. (The fable that unqualified well-meaning volunteers spend ten days building a\u00a0toilet in a less privileged location, and locals spend ten days fixing said toilet, is unfortunately all too true). Instead, you want to\u00a0go for ethical, not-for-profit organisations, doing work that is actually needed in that specific community. Sites like <\/span>GoOverseas.com<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>GoAbroad.com<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>GoVoluntouring.com<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>Voluntourism.org<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0 <\/span>LearningService.info<\/a><\/strong> and <\/span>Next Generation Nepal\u2019s <\/span>guide to ethical volunteering<\/a><\/strong> provide advice on how to find meaningful volunteer work and service-oriented trips with regulated, interesting organisations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"travel<\/p>\n

Photo by Raw Pixel<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Ask questions <\/b><\/h4>\n

So, you\u2019ve found an organisation that you think could be a good, ethical fit for your volunteering aspirations. Now it\u2019s time to ask questions. Doing a little more digging ensures that you\u2019re signing up to a placement where your time and efforts will be well spent. Here are the key questions to ask before signing up to any international volunteer program\u2026 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n