Selection & Eligibility
The selection process for structured placements largely depends on the type of work you
will be doing and where the organisation is based. Organisations based in the volunteer’s
home country will often hold telephone or face-to-face interviews, while those based
overseas are usually restricted to online applications. In the latter case, it is very important
that you make a special effort to find out whether the organisation you’re applying for a
placement with is one you’d be happy working with and that seeks to match your interests
and abilities with its needs. Wherever possible, talk to people who have volunteered with
the organisation in the past; most organisations are happy to give out these contacts.
For skilled positions, the selection process is fairly strict – proof of qualifications is often
required and references checked – but for many structured programmes, the only require-
ment is that you are at least 18 years old. Some organisations state a preference for experi-
ence in a particular field, but most welcome volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds
and ages. Instead of specific skills, many structured programmes list attributes like com-
mitment, enthusiasm, a spirit of adventure and flexibility as necessary qualities. However,
the two most important qualities you’ll require are motivation and initiative, as the nature
of these placements generally means that it is up to you to determine both what kind of
involvement you want to have and your level of involvement.
Tom Wilmot’s experience of volunteering in India with Development in Action (p165)
illustrates just how important these qualities are:
I found that I needed to be proactive in choosing and finding jobs to do. DiA doesn’t specify
what work volunteers will do, since it’s entirely up to the partner organisations. At Barli it
was really a case of communicating what sort of thing I wanted to do, appearing keen and
motivated, and then getting on with it. This was the secret of my success as a volunteer.
There were plenty of opportunities to do a wide variety of work and, depending on their
skills, volunteers could exploit these opportunities and contribute in many different ways.
Michele Moody took up a manual labour placement with Volunteer Africa (p171). She
speaks of the necessity of self-motivation in a placement:
Once on site and participating in the project, we had complete freedom over what we did
and this motivated us to push ourselves harder than we may have done if we had specific
tasks each day. We knew what the goal of the project was and were keen to make our mark.
Matthew Sykes, who taught in Brazil with the Association Iko Poran (p157), also found
that being pushed to take initiative was very motivating:
Iko Poran places a lot of emphasis on individual volunteers making a unique contribution
by using their particular skills and experiences. This was very challenging, but far more
rewarding than simply being told what to do.
Length of Programmes
While some structured programmes offer two-week placements, most ask for a minimum
commitment of at least a month and others require volunteers to stay for a minimum of
three to six months. Almost all programmes prefer longer-term commitments. Because of
their flexible nature, many organisations will allow you to extend your stay.
Heather Graham did exactly this when she volunteered at Casa Guatemala (p160) on the
Rio Dulce in Guatemala:
Originally, I was only planning to stay for six months, but I ended up staying almost three
years, and I still go back every year. Because of this I have participated in almost all aspects
of the project, from being farm supervisor to store manager to working in the administra-
tion of the orphanage.What to Look for
This depends entirely on what you’re after. One of the first things you need to determine
is whether to volunteer through an organisation based in your home country or one
based overseas. Both options have their advantages. Sending agencies and organisa-
tions in your home country can offer face-to-face assistance prior to the placement and
pre-departure support. It’s often easier to discuss expectations and potential hurdles
with someone from your own culture and to check out the reputation of an organisation
located in your own country. On the other hand, overseas organisations often charge
cheaper rates and you can be pretty sure that all of your fee is going directly to the lo-
cal community. The programme is likely to be very grass roots, with all aspects of the
project run and managed by locals.
It’s important to have clear expectations of your experience: do you want to undertake
a certain type of work; use a particular skill; be immersed in a new culture or have the
opportunity to accomplish something on your own initiative? If so, will the organisation
enable you to achieve your aim(s)?
Gemma Niebieszczanski volunteered in Thailand with the Karen Hilltribes Trust (p169)
and gives this advice:
Think about what you want to get out of your volunteer experience, where you’d like to
go and what you’d like to do. For me, the aim of the trip was to get some work experience
in a developing country in order to pursue a career in overseas development. Therefore, I
wanted a long-term project and ideally something that would give me the opportunity to
do more than just teach.
In pinpointing a programme that suits you, try and determine what the primary aims
of a given programme are. For example, is the programme focused mainly on cultural
exchange and learning about development work, or on practical work? To what degree is
it able to offer opportunities in these areas? As structured programmes are generally more
loosely organised and grass roots in nature, volunteers are often in a great position to gain
an insight into development work, which is the focus of many placements. For volunteers
who were hoping for a placement focused more on practical work, this can be frustrating:
many complain of feeling ‘useless’ and of being unable to use their skills or get their teeth
into any ‘real work’. Others are happy to simply go with the flow, experience the culture
and exchange knowledge, and see working as a bonus.
Peggy Melmoth took this perspective when volunteering in India with Indian Volunteers
for Community Service (IVCS, p167):
What I liked about IVCS was the emphasis on observing and learning. You are a ‘project
visitor’, not a ‘volunteer’. This allowed me to try out lots of different types of work: I
painted murals, helped with English conversation classes, taught hypnotherapy and joined
yoga and Hindi classes. The overall experience was very fulfilling.Thinking of fundraising to cover the costs of your placement? Consider these tried-and-tested
methods:
~ Get funky and organise a night of live music.
~ Add some humour to the raffle idea (see p52).
~ Hold a car-boot or garage sale.
~ Toast your endeavour with a pub night.
~ Sing or play your way overseas by busking.
~ Display your creative side and sell home-made goods.
~ Get energised with a sponsored swim, bike ride, run or dance-a-thon.Fun, Fun, Funds
06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:How Do They Work?