lonely planet -volunteer abroad guide

destinations: belize, India, sri lanka, tanzania
and Kenya, with plans to extend further into
asia and africa.
Costs: £1500 contribution which covers
end-to-end support, including pre-departure
training and weekly appraisals; a logistics
advisory service and fundraising support.
additional costs will be necessary for
extras such as Chartered management
Qualification.
eligibility: the average age of volunteers is
35, although volunteers can be aged 18 to 65.
Volunteers are required to have some level of
relevant education and experience and will
be matched according to their skills and work
backgrounds.
groups or Individuals: project work is
designed for individuals, however, attempts
will be made to find two projects within close
proximity if partners wish to travel and stay
together. project work depends on the needs
of the host partners in the developing country
and their capacity to work with a given
number of volunteers.
annual no. of Volunteers: 100 plus.

annual projects: 100 plus.

partner programmes: over 60.

selection & Interview process: applicants

submit a full CV and supporting

documentation. successful applicants will

have a phone or face-to-face interview and

be invited to attend the two-day predeparture

preparation and training session in

edinburgh.

In-country support: support is provided

through a local in-country placement leader.

full mentor support is provided by Cww

recruitment and an overseas officer with 24-

hour contact is available in emergencies.

skillshare International

126 new walk, leicester le 1 7ja, uK

%+44 116 2541862

fax +44 116 2542614

[email protected]

http://www.skillshare.org

skillshare International works to reduce

poverty and inequality in europe, africa and

asia by recruiting professionals to share their

skills and experience with local communities

to further economic and social development.

projects cover a wide range of activities

and general management, agricultural,

technical, educational and medical skills are

all required.

status: registered charity.

timing & length of placements: recruitment

takes place throughout the year. the average

length of placement is 18 months.

destinations: botswana, Cambodia, lesotho,

south africa, nepal, namibia, swaziland,

mozambique, India, uganda, tanzania,

Kenya, mali and burkina faso.

Costs/pay: development workers are

encouraged to raise £500 towards their

placement cost. skillshare International offers

return flights, a small living allowance, free

accommodation and comprehensive medical

insurance, as well as ongoing support and

supervision.

eligibility: people with two years of relevant

work experience can apply, including those

with disabilities.

groups or Individuals: the placements are for

individuals. occasionally it is possible for a

partner and/or dependents to accompany.

annual no. of Volunteers: approximately 30.

annual projects: approximately 65.

partner programmes: 65

selection & Interview process: skillshare

does not accept CVs. You can apply online

at http://www.skillshare.org, either as a general

applicant or in response to a specific role

advertisement. the selection process

includes an interview, referencing, medical

and police checks. Candidates do not

have to be based in the uK in order to be

considered.

In-country support: In-country staff provide

ongoing support, including orientation,

periodic reviews and help with medical

emergencies. full support is also available in

rare cases of national emergencies.

North American

Organisations

IesC geekcorps

1900 m st nw, ste 500

washington dC 20036, usa

%+1 202 326 0280

fax +1 202 326 0289

[email protected]

http://www.geekcorps.org

this international non-profit organisation

disseminates information and communication

technology (ICt) in the developing world.

Ies C geekcorps’ volunteers and consultants

aim to teach communities how to be digitally

independent: able to create and expand

private enterprise with innovative, appropriate

and affordable ICt.

status: non-profit organisation.

timing & length of projects: four months;

extensions and shorter projects are also

available. Volunteers are needed year-round

on a rolling basis.

destinations: bulgaria, romania, armenia,

Kyrgyzstan, mongolia, thailand, ghana,

rwanda, Zimbabwe, senegal, mali, lebanon

and jordan.

Costs/pay: all volunteer expenses are

covered, including airfares, lodging,

immunisations and basic medical insurance.

a monthly stipend is also issued to each

volunteer to reimburse them for meals and

incidental expenses in the host country.

eligibility: Volunteers must be in good health

and have at least five years of professional

experience. no nationality restrictions apply.

groups or Individuals: depending on the

project, volunteers may work independently

or in groups. all volunteers work with local

counterparts to ensure project sustainability.

annual no. of Volunteers: 15-20

annual projects: 4-5, with multiple volunteers

on each project.

partner programmes: four regional

programmes, in collaboration with the

us agency for International development

(usaId).

selection & Interview process: the

organisation designs its own programmes

and identifies trusted partners at the outset.

skills, experience and adaptability are

considered when matching volunteers to

programmes.

In-country support: Volunteers are given

information about their host country prior

to departure, and work with local partners

on the ground. In-country personnel are

responsible for volunteers’ safety and

wellbeing; if there are no local programme

staff, the volunteer’s primary contact is the

home office in washington, dC.

lawyers without borders

750 main st, hartford Ct 06106, usa

%+1 860 541 2288

fax +1 860 525 0287

[email protected]

http://www.lwob.org

this organisation is dedicated to connecting

rule-of-law projects and initiatives, legally

oriented issues in the human rights arena,

projects and programmes involving capacity-

building for emerging nations and regions

emerging from strife or conflict, and situations

calling for neutral observers and lawyers

willing to serve pro bono.

status: registered charity.

timing & length of placements: one week to

one year.

destinations: latin america, the Caribbean,

africa and eastern europe.

Costs: dependent upon the project and

funding parameters. some projects are

entirely self-funding by the individual, some

offer airfares but with all other costs borne by

the volunteer.

eligibility: all volunteers must have a law

degree or be currently enrolled in law

school. eligibility of volunteers aged 22 to 30

depends upon their international experience.

International experience is not required for

volunteers aged 30 and over.

05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:

Skilled Volunteering

Photo: (www.biosphere-expeditions.org

Monitoring porcupines and other wildlife in the

Namibian savannah with Biosphere Expeditions.