Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes :Selection & EligibilityAt the weekends I stayed at a guest house in Kandy which is owned by the charity’s repre-
sentative. I became friendly with another volunteer and we travelled around the country
together on Saturdays and Sundays.Health, Safety & In-country Support
Volunteering in a foreign country miles away from home is not without its risks. If there’s
a medical or security emergency you need to know that the organisation you’re volunteer-
ing with has up-to-date plans and procedures for dealing with the situation.
Before you travel overseas it is important that you feel fully briefed and prepared. In
some cases there will be further briefings or training once you arrive in the country. For
instance, Andrew Sansom, who volunteered with Biosphere Expeditions (p174) on wildlife
projects in Slovakia and Sri Lanka, remembers:
At the start of the expedition, our leader took us through the Risk Register, which related
to everything from wild animals to heatstroke. She then pointed out that we had already
survived the biggest risk of all: Sri Lankan drivers.
When Robert Driver volunteered in of Belize with Trekforce Worldwide (p115), he says:
We had intensive jungle training and an acclimatisation period, so when we went to the
jungle for the first time we felt confident we could live there for eight weeks. Medics were
also on the project site at all times.
One of the key ways to ensure that volunteers remain safe and well overseas is through
in-country support. This means that your sending agency either has one or more lo-
cal staff members whose job it is to help you and advise you, as well as deal with any
emergencies. When choosing a volunteer organisation it is always wise to ask about
in-country support and find out how ‘local’ the local support really is. Are they talking
about a person just down the road or someone a hundred miles away looking after
dozens of volunteers?
Rachel Guise, who volunteered in health and sanitation, sustainable livelihoods and
conservation in Madagascar with Azafady (p133), says:
The charity ensured there was always a night guard at our campsite and there was always a
local guide on site with us. We could go into town by ourselves if we chose, but the guides
were always happy to come with us and offered advice and assistance. There were also
other representatives of the charity in Madagascar who were easy to contact.
So much for predictable risks; however, what happens if the country you’re volunteering in
becomes politically unstable? In this case, not only do you need good in-country support,
but well-planned security procedures. Sue Towler, Transform Programme Manager at
the charity Tearfund (p208), had a difficult security issue to handle in early 2006 but the
organisation was well prepared to assist staff in the field:
We had a Transform team in Bangalore, India, for four months, working with Tearfund’s
partner, Oasis. As with all teams, we had conducted a thorough risk assessment before
departure and considered it safe for the team to travel. But a month into their stay, a
leading Indian actor died, triggering major riots in the city. As news of the unrest reached
us, the team was immediately advised to return to its accommodation on the outskirts of
the city and to remain there until further notice. Events were unfolding quickly so we had
a decision to make: was it safe for the team to stay or should we evacuate? We were par-
ticularly concerned when we learned that the unrest had prompted the British consulate
in the city to close. We were in twice-daily phone contact with the team and our partner,
Oasis, as well as in regular contact with Tearfund’s Security Adviser and the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office. Thankfully, the situation soon calmed and the consulate reopened,
enabling us to avoid initiating our evacuation plan.
First-class support and emergency planning was also a feature of Jacqueline Hill’s volun-
teer placement in Bangladesh:02: Choosing Your Volunteer Experience:Arranging a Worthwhile Placement
full-time then finding that you’re only needed for a couple of hours a day or less. Some-
times, this can happen mid-placement rather than at the start. Sharon Baxter, who taught
in Tibet, comments:
When I first arrived we taught 15 classes a week. That was nice and easy and even with prep-
aration and marking meant we still had plenty of free time. However, about half way through
the six months, the school employed a Tibetan English teacher and cut our classes to only
nine per week. There wasn’t really enough to do after that and at times I felt a bit redundant.
If you are volunteering on a short-term or medium-term basis, the issue of holidays or
extra time off might not be relevant. Poonam Sattee, who worked with street children in
Guatemala, admits:
I was told I could have time off but I chose not to take it as I genuinely enjoyed my work
and wanted to be there. I also knew I would be having a long holiday at the end of my time
with Casa Alianza and so was prepared to wait.
Even on short-term or medium-term assignments, you can usually negotiate time off with
your host organisation or you’ll be given a certain amount of leave commensurate with the
time you have worked. Whatever your arrangements for free time are, it is important to
have a responsible and professional attitude towards arranging it.
However, if you are volunteering long term you will expect (and need) proper and
pre-arranged vacation times. Many charities or sending agencies that arrange these types
of placements have standard terms. For instance, Kerry Davies, who volunteered for two
years in Cambodia, explains:
I had the choice of either the VSO holidays (four weeks plus all the public holidays – total-
ling 25 days) or UNICEF holidays (30 days plus seven UNICEF standard public holidays).
I chose the latter as it was more flexible and I was working with other UNICEF staff.
Depending on how long you volunteer for, weekends off and holidays are an important
part of your volunteer experience. Many international volunteers choose to travel at
weekends to see more of the country in which they are living and many manage to visit
neighbouring countries too. Oliver Walker taught in Sri Lanka and explains:
An Azafady Pioneer camp in a Madagascan villagePhoto: Azafady