communities or on global education and advocacy projects. On each leg of the exchange
the pair live with a host family.
To qualify for this programme you need to be:
~ Between 18 and 25.
~ A resident of the UK; although residents of the EU, Norway, Liechtenstein or Iceland
qualify if they’ve lived in the UK for a year or more, and residents of other countries
can apply through partner organisations, which are listed on the website,www.
globalxchange.org.uk.
~ Able to communicate in English.
Placements start in March and September and you need to raise at least £600 towards your
costs. VSO pays for medical costs, training, international travel, accommodation, food, visas
and a basic allowance. Again, competition is tough and the selection process is demanding.
Check out their website (www.vso.org.uk/globalxchange) to get an idea of the complete pro-
gramme. There are two application periods, both six months before departure. Successful
applicants attend two compulsory training courses before working with volunteer partners
from India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malawi, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philip-
pines and South Africa.
Peace Corps
For Americans, the Peace Corps (www
.peacecorps.gov) is to volunteering what
McDonald’s is to fast food. Founded in
1961, the organisation is an independent
federal agency of the United States
Government, and has sent almost 200,000
people on 27-month development,
humanitarian and relief assignments around
the world. Even though there was a whiff of
Cold War politics behind its founding, these
days the Peace Corps’ focus is on providing
long-term volunteers to needy regions
around the globe (currently 70 countries
worldwide). Any US citizen over 18 can
apply, and while there is no upper age limit,
most volunteers are in their mid 20s.
Placements vary widely. You may work
with subsistence farmers in a remote
African village or end up living in air-
conditioned comfort in an Asian metropolis
mentoring college students – it all depends
on the current needs of the programme and
your skills. Volunteers range from bright-
eyed college grads to professionals who
want to escape the corporate doldrums.
New Yorker Ryan Andersen joined
the Peace Corps as a break from a career
in finance:
I served as a Peace Corps volunteer for
two years in the Dominican Republic and
transferred and extended for a third year to
help launch a new project in Zambia. The
overarching goal of my project in the DR was to teach business skills to farmers, women’s
groups and youth groups. In Zambia I lectured at a college on farm management and worked
with the Zambian Ministry of Education to develop a new distance-learning programme for
orphans and vulnerable children.
The experience surpassed my expectations – almost every week I get emails and
handwritten letters that have traversed half the world carrying a stamp that cost a quarter
of a day’s wages. These letters reaffirm the bonds that I went to Zambia and DR to build.
I’ve recently returned to the States and I’m still searching for that perfect job, but Peace
Corps gave me a great new perspective. In some ways it made me more motivated to take
advantage of all the opportunities that I have here and it also made me reassess what is
truly important in life and where I should focus my priorities.
The Peace Corps is not a soft option – there’s a three-month training programme before
a full two-year assignment. To smooth the way, the US Government provides a monthly
living allowance, dental and health insurance, flights and a lump sum of around US$6000
to help volunteers readjust to life back home at the end of their placement. Volunteers can
also defer, or apply for reduced payments on, many student loans.
With all these perks, it’s no surprise that competition for placements is fierce. The tough
selection process includes reams of paperwork, a convincing personal statement about
your motivations for applying, an in-depth interview (possibly including questions about
what your partner thinks of your application), and a medical exam. Assuming you are up
to scratch, you’ll be assigned a placement matching your skills – which could be anywhere
in the world doing almost anything. The whole process – from sending off the application
to leaving the tarmac – can take six months.European Voluntary Service (EVS)
EVS is funded by the European Union and will basically pay you to volunteer in another
European country. Placements are coordinated by the volunteer, a sending organisation
(usually from the volunteer’s home country) and a host organisation (usually the one with
which volunteers do their service). Placements are normally between two and 12 months,
but shorter ones are available for people with special needs. The wide variety of placements
include work in the social, environmental or cultural sectors.
EVS provides lots of assistance to their volunteers. They pay an allowance of
approximately £100 per month and cover accommodation, food, insurance, language
training and international travel costs. To qualify, you need to be between 18 and 30
and live in an eligible country – which includes EU member countries, the UK, Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. In addition, some projects
take place in partner regions of the EU throughout Eastern Europe and the Caucasus,
southeastern Europe and even Latin America.
In the UK, the scheme is administered by Connect Youth (%+44 (0)20-7389 4030; c/o the British
Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN; http://www.britishcouncil.org/connectyouth.htm; connectyouth.enquiries@
britishcouncil.org), but you need to apply locally through EVS-affiliated sending organisations.
There’s a list of these on the Connect Youth website.
As you might imagine, getting paid to travel and volunteer makes this scheme immensely
popular. The organisation makes about 600 placements per year and successful applicants are
subjected to a rigorous assessment process. To increase your chances of being selected, apply
at least nine months in advance of your intended departure, have some foreign-language
skills (or at least demonstrate an interest in learning the language of your destination), and
make it evident that you’re dedicated to your project. It’s also a good idea to look at the
comments on the website for current and ex-EVS volunteers: http://www.myers.net.
This programme also allows volunteers who have completed an EVS placement to apply for
a Future Capital grant to devise and manage their own project in programme countries. You
need to apply within two years of completing an EVS placement.05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Major International Placement ProgrammesAn old mission house used by Azafady volunteers
for capacity-building in St Luce, MadagascarPhoto: Azafady