Holiday volunteering: What's in it for you? Heaps!
By Sarah Wiecek
There is an old adage about travelling through unfamiliar places which says 'take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints'. Many of us, of course, leave things in hotel rooms and come home with far too many blurred photographs! But an increasing number of people is returning home with a sense of pride about the contributions they've made overseas – newly built houses, entering data for endangered species conservation or teaching new skills in local classrooms.
This desire when travelling to contribute to countries, to gain work experience and to 'learn from the inside' about different people and different places is the reason behind the growing interest in holiday volunteering. Rather than being at the back of a tour group rushing through the countryside and feeling powerless as you witness poverty or learn about another endangered species, many people are choosing to volunteer on projects such as community development, teaching in local schools, building and environmental conservation.
"There is a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic benefits of volunteering while travelling," explained Liz Grady, from the Australian office of the volunteer travel company i-to-i. "For example, volunteering impacts positively on communities in need of help. In addition to making a difference, personal benefits of volunteering include the opportunity to be immersed in a new culture while you live and work with the local community, enhance your résumé and gain confidence through an invaluable life experience."
Surveys undertaken by Travelocity, Orbitz and the Travel Industry Association of America show that baby boomers comprise a significant proportion of those choosing to volunteer while on holiday. Liz Grady added: "The increasing popularity of GAP years has also seen an increase in holiday volunteering, as recent school leavers and students look to travel and gain work and life experience."
With volunteer opportunities available in all corners of the globe, it is perhaps not surprising that holiday volunteering is catching on. "There is a proliferation of volunteer projects in countries in Africa, South-east Asia and South America. i-to-i currently offers approximately 500 meaningful travel placements in 24 countries on five continents, and is continuously adding more project locations to its portfolio," Liz said.
With projects as diverse as sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica, community work with orphans in Kuala Lumpur, building homes for underprivileged families in Mexico and working with special needs children in Vietnam, there is something to interest almost everyone. Right now, i-to-i is even offering the opportunity to coach a female soccer team in Brazil.
Although the benefits of volunteering within a foreign country may be significant, it is important to remember that the volunteering experience will not always be a smooth or happy transition for everyone. Your own culture is always going to seem 'natural' or even 'invisible' to you, making it difficult to know which gestures and behaviours you should not use. In Bangladesh, for example, the 'thumbs up' gesture is considered obscene. In Malaysia, it is impolite to point with your forefinger, especially at another person. Thus, researching your chosen destination will go a long way towards preparing you for your trip and the inevitable changes and challenges.
If you are going to volunteer in a non-English speaking country, you should try to learn some of the national language and history and be familiar with dress codes and local customs. Liz Grady agreed that research is crucial. "Researching helps ensure a potential volunteer has accurate expectations of their trip, reduces culture shock and ensures volunteers receive the most out of their experience."
Apart from making sure you have travel insurance, visas and any relevant inoculations, there are also particular issues that arise when travelling alone, especially if you are a woman, that should be addressed before you leave. The Safety Abroad Handbook provides advice on all these issues, and links to relevant government departments and websites that will be able to help you.
If you've ever returned from a holiday feeling relaxed, and yet somehow unsatisfied, holiday volunteering might just be for you. Many people experience a sort of 'post-holiday depression' when they return home to find that, although they've now seen the Amazon rainforest or the battlefields of the Somme, nothing about how they feel in their everyday lives has really changed. Imagine these two scenarios – returning home not only having seen the Amazon rainforest but also having worked hard to ensure its conservation or having not only viewed the consequences of historical catastrophes but also working with locals to rebuild and strengthen communities.
If you're thinking about holiday volunteering, follow Liz Grady's advice and 'take the leap'. "It will be the experience of a lifetime so, don't just sit back and dream about it, start planning!"
Holiday volunteering:
- Conservation Volunteers
- i-to-i
- International Exchange Programs
- International Student Volunteers
- International Volunteers for Peace
- Involvement Volunteers
- Overseas Working Holidays
Research these safe travel websites before you leave Australia:
The Centre
for Volunteering [ABN 28 002 416 024]
Level 2, 228 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033 | E: info@volunteering.com.au
www.volunteering.com.au