Volunteering Abroad

Hi All.

I'm re-assessing what I want to do with myself over the next few years, including whether I do want to use my current savings as a deposit on a flat.

One option is to use part of these savings and go volunteer abroad. I already do some volunteering in the Uk for a couple of different institutions and love it, so the idea of travelling+helping people really appeals to me.

Unfortunately I've never really travelled, and will happily admit to probably being fairly naive about the whole thing. I've been doing a load of googling and trying to do my research but it seems like there is so much information out there and I don't really know where to turn. It's possible I'm just being some sort of giant, magical eejit.

So I thought I'd ask here! Can anyone advise reputable places to look for information on this sort of thing. Or what sort of things to look out for when viewing projects.

Thanks in advance!

If you want to travel, travel. If you want to help else where, you're probably better off donating money and continuing your good deeds in the UK. That is unless you have specific skills that might be helpful to a project...

That's just my opinion on it, but the without borders sound like good people, and I knew someone who went to india to teach kids how to juggle.

Look up GVI.co.uk I did a few trips with them and it's a really good company (have found others mainly gear towards teenage gap year students on a lash) they genuinely have good projects round the world. A large portion of ur fee will go to find the projects which range from marine research to painting classrooms to rain forest conservation. For each project they have a few leaders who are usually PHD students ad thy teach you research methods etc, you help collect data, maintain camp, take turn to clean and cook etc. I went to one that is based in a Kenya remote village, we taught kids maths and English, I did extra stuff like teach people how to swim etc. highly recommend it!

Indians love to juggle!

Be sure not to turn into one of those ego serving, self gratifying patronising gap year wankers.

I'm well beyond my gap year so no worries there. It's hard enough being an ego serving, self gratifying, patronising cyclist.

If you've got nothing in mind I'd suggest going traveling somewhere you want to go, then if you want to settle for a bit somewhere you like, or come across a project you want to help with, just get involved.

I find organised volunteering often (not always) to be a massive waste of cash. Many of these are run like businesses and it's real hard to see where the cash goes.

I went and taught in Chile (not volunteering), but my girlfriend followed me and ended up working in an orphanage. She had to be interviewed and background checked, but there was no paying to volunteer stuff going on.

Or, go traveling, enjoy yourself, and give a struggling family 500 quid.

Check out wwoofing (WWOOF) - some of them are good projects and you get food and board in return for labour.