Gap Year Volunteering - Who To Trust
If you are considering gap year volunteering, which we will assume means spending part of your gap year abroad, you need the answers to one very important question. Who can you trust?
The problem is there are quite a few volunteer organizations and if you search the internet for gap years student forums you will find several unpleasant stories from people who have put their trust in a company only to find themselves waiting at an airport in a strange country with nobody to help them.
Gap year volunteering is a hugely worthwhile thing to do and we certainly wouldn't want to put anybody off. You can have excitement and adventure while making a real difference to the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. You really can change people's lives for the better and you don't need to be a doctor or a nurse, there's a place for everyone. In Africa, for example, you can help conserve wildlife, be an assistant to a teacher working with Zulu children or help in an orphanage. There are, of course, places for those who want to be medical assistants but your time is just as valuable if you want to be a sports coach or help with building schools, painting and decorating or even planting crops.
In your free time you can go bungee jumping at Victoria Falls, white water rafting down the Zambezi or on an elephant safari. How's that for adventure!
But it's not much of an adventure if your volunteer organization doesn't meet you at the airport, or takes your money and then asks you for extra for food, or to buy building materials. Sadly these are the sort of stories that get around. Fortunately it is just a tiny minority and there are ways to avoid the same kind of thing happening to you.
Start with who you talk to and what they seem to know. Are you talking to someone who is reading from a brochure like an ordinary travel agent or do they know what it's like on the ground where you want to go? Does your volunteer organization have ties with the country you want to go to or are they happy to send you anywhere as long as they get your money? Will they meet you when you get there? Will they work with you to make sure you can give your best to the local projects? Do they know what the local projects are, how long they have been going and what they want to achieve?
The internet is also a tremendous source of information. Search gap year volunteering forums and see who others have had problems with. When you first get in touch with someone from the company you think you want to go with it's common to deal via email. After that though, if you have any concerns ask to speak to someone on the telephone. You'll be able to judge the kind of people you are dealing with. Often the larger, better-known companies are a bit too far removed from the action and a smaller more specialized organization might be better for you.
Always remember there is never just one choice. If you have any doubts find someone else. Gap year volunteering should be the opportunity for you to make a positive impact wherever you decide to go. It should give you incredible experiences and the chance to make friendships that will last a lifetime. Make sure you're absolutely comfortable with who is organizing your trip. If you're not, choose someone else.
About the Author
We don't try to be everywhere. We are specialists for gap year volunteering in Africa. If having your own African adventure excites you then visit Gap Year Volunteering. You get personal assistance with making the right choice for you - and we're more than happy to answer all your questions!
|
US $79.95
