VOLUNTEERING & TRAVEL
"Tell me and I will forget;
Show me and I may remember;
Involve me and I will understand."
(Chinese proverb)
15 RECOMMENDED VOLUNTEERING AGENCIES
volunteeringoptions.org
ethicalvolunteering.org
bctv.org (Europe, Japan, Nepal, USA, New Zealand, South Africa)
conservationvolunteers.com.au (Australia)
conservationvolunteers.co.nz (New Zealand)
crossculturalsolutions.org (Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America)
different-travel.com (Africa, Asia, Latin America)
ecovolunteer.org.uk (Eastern Europe, Thailand, USA, Brazil)
gvi.co.uk (worldwide)
handsupholidays.com (short-term worldwide)
ivp.org.au (short-term worldwide for Australians)
opwall.com (Indonesia, Honduras, Egypt, South Africa, Mozambique, Cuba, Peru)
travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk (Gambia, Madagascar, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, Swaziland, South Africa)
projects-abroad.co.uk (worldwide)
questoverseas.com (Africa, South America)
raleighinternational.org (Borneo, India, Nicaragua, Costa Rica)
2waydevelopment.com (association with NGOs)
vso.org.uk (green.tv/vso)
The following agencies connect potential volunteers with organizations that arrange placements worldwide:
1/ Ecoteer.com
2/ greenvolunteers.com
3/ timebank.org.uk
4/ yearoutgroup.org
5/ worldwidevolunteering.org.uk
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>luvluv<
Going direct to the projects is the best way to volunteer on your travels. Dont use expensive agents which arrange your volunteering for you. The benefits are endless and you personally know 100% of your fee goes to the project. However the best way to find out a good volunteer project is to ask them how many staff they have in their headquarters and how many on site? If they say they have more in the headquarters you know they are an agent and most of your money will go direct to the headquarters and not spent on improving the project.
ReplyDeletealways remember this when you write to volunteer organisations
Volunteering brings with it so many benefits. You dont have to volunteer abroad why dont you volunteer at the local homeless shelter or cats and dogs home. You bring with you so many skills which the project may otherwise not have access to.
On a selfish note volunteering gives you the opportunity for you to do what you always dreamt of doing as a child. I wanted to be a vet when i was younger but i didnt get the grades in biology so now i volunteer once a week at a cats and dogs home and helping ill pets. Volunteering can help you achieve your dreams!
Daniel
Volunteer with Ecoteer!
A good rule is too look out for companies that really give back to the organisations they are providing volunteers to.
ReplyDeleteI am the director of Links for Change, an enterprise dedicated to supporting development, conservation and human and animal dignity through linking volunteers and charitable organisations around the world.
We don't run our own projects; we link volunteers with appropriate organisations around the world. By linking volunteers and charities and supporting both parties throughout the whole process, we feel we can help both organisations and individuals develop. We take the stress and apprehension out of the equation and help both sides understand how they can really benefit from such an experience.
For volunteers we offer a personalised linking service, providing placement options based on preferences and skills. We also provide a fully supportive service throughout the process, from pre-travel arrangements to continuing support whilst volunteering.
We use the volunteer's fee to provide a free volunteer recruitment service and complete support throughout the hosting process. We also now offer an advice ‘hot-desk’ where our partner organisations can receive one-to-one advice on any issue relating to the charity’s activities and development, regardless of if they have hosted volunteers or not.
More information about our services can be found on our website: http://www.links4change.com