benefits aside from money. And this money in itself can sometimes be misspent or used
inappropriately. The Volunteer Africa programme was extremely transparent.
Edwin Griffiths had a similar experience when teaching in Brazil with Iko Poran (p157):
A lot of the other volunteering organisations appeared to be very money-orientated;
this one was a lot cheaper and I knew that half of the money I paid was going directly to
the project.
Freedom & Flexibility
Structured programmes offer volunteers the opportunity to create and tailor their place-
ment to suit their own interests and skills. This appealed to Nayna Wood when she taught
in India with DiA (p165):
A DiA placement is very flexible, and the fact that I could have an input into where I was
placed and a relatively large degree of independence during my placement was also a great
bonus. I really enjoyed the freedom I had and it allowed me to make much better use of
my very short time than I might have done in a more tailored environment. Some of the
most interesting and enjoyable experiences I had came out of using my initiative and from
being the only volunteer at the time.
Gerrard Graf has similar memories of his time spent teaching in Africa:
The main benefits were that you could see a real difference being made and could work
within a flexible and rewarding environment. The fact that we were able to introduce and
develop new and existing ideas and projects meant we could readily utilise all our skills to
assist where we felt help was most required. Overall, the experience exceeded my expecta-
tions – it was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things I have ever done.
However, the freedom to determine the course of your placement can also pose problems.
Volunteers left to their own devices in communities where they don’t speak the language,
and may be suffering culture shock, can find themselves feeling bored or frustrated. The
onus is often on the volunteer to plan a course of action, and if this is something they’ve
never done before, it can be daunting. It’s well worth putting some time and energy into
researching and preparing for your placement to head off these potential problems.
The way in which structured placements are set up also means that volunteers have much
more flexibility with their travel itineraries. As volunteers book their own transport and
travel, most tack some independent travel on to the beginning or end of their placement.
This gives them the chance to round out their experience of a country, seeing it through
the eyes of a short-term resident as well as those of a tourist. And as most volunteers man-
age to pick up a little of the language while on their placement, as well as an understand-
ing of the culture and day-to-day practicalities, it’s easy to gain the confidence to travel
independently after their placement is over.
Cultural Immersion
Most volunteers on structured programmes are placed individually or in very small groups
within a local community, so cultural immersion often plays a large role in their
experience. Almost all volunteers find this a rewarding part, if not the highlight of, their
placement.
Michael Best speaks highly of his cultural experience in Nepal:
I was completely embraced by the local population. As far as I’m concerned this was the
‘experience’. There would have been no point in me travelling to Nepal (a country vastly
different from my own) and surrounding myself with anybody except the local people. The
most rewarding aspect of the experience was the sense of being integrated into the com-
munity. Over the course of the placement I got to know the parents of the children I was
teaching: I bought my papers from them in the morning, sat on the bus with them in the
afternoon and shared a Coke with them while watching the sunset in the evening.
Nayna Wood’s experience in Africa also highlighted the importance of cultural interaction:
I don’t see how you can learn anything meaningful about a place without interacting with
the locals; you may as well be watching them on television. Even with a language barrier it
is amazing how much you can learn about a place and its people with a bit
of effort.
Past volunteers recommend that those after in-depth cultural immersion choose a programme
that offers homestays, as it is gives you the chance to join in the everyday life of locals.
Gemma Niebieszczanski describes her experience of living with a Karen hilltribe family
in Thailand:
All volunteers with KHT live with a Karen family in their house. I shared a room with
another volunteer, but we ate meals and spent our free time with the rest of the family. We
really became involved in village life and gained a sense that the teaching was only one part
of our experience. A lot of it was about cultural exchange and really getting to know how
these people live. People were always keen to talk to me and I made many friends, both
from my village and other villages nearby; this definitely enhanced my experience: I felt I
was part of the village and could really get to know the Karen lifestyle. I don’t think there
was any way I could have had more interaction with the local population, and I certainly
wouldn’t have changed that.
Ben Donaldson also lived with a Karen Hilltribe family and found it equally rewarding:
Living with a local family was probably the most special part of the whole experience. Be-
ing welcomed as a child of their own was quite amazing. Socialising with the locals was an
essential part of every waking minute, let alone every day. Privacy was a real rarity, but this
suited me fine.
Even if the programme you’re interested in doesn’t offer homestays, the flexibility of struc-
tured programmes generally means that you will have free time to immerse yourself in the
culture. As with most aspects of a structured placement, the level of cultural interaction
you have is largely dependent on the initiative you take, as well as on your cross-cultural
communication skills.
Oliver Middlemiss, who lived and volunteered with a rural community in India, describes
how he got to know the locals:
You had to pitch the interaction at the right level. Kids were easy to get on with, as all you
needed was a football or Frisbee and off you went! The adult villagers were naturally a lot
more stand-offish, and you had to earn their respect. It is important not to dive straight
into a community and start acting as if you’ve known everyone for years.
It should, of course, be noted that if the idea of being dropped on your own into a foreign
culture with people who speak a different language makes you break out in a cold sweat, then
you need to think carefully about which programme you choose. There are structured pro-
grammes that always place volunteers in pairs, and others (particularly those in conservation)
where volunteers work in groups. Bridging a cultural gap alone is certainly not going to appeal
to everyone. If this is the case for you, it’s best to recognise this before you sign up. Also, if
privacy is important to you, look for a programme that offers alternatives to homestays.In-Country Support
Organisations offering structured programmes are generally small and have little infrastruc-
ture. While this can be appealing in regard to transparency and cost, when it comes to sup-
port in emergencies, structured programmes can suddenly appear rather less attractive. Most
organisations are upfront about the support they’re able to offer and the fact that the onus
is often on the volunteer to be as self-reliant as possible. It pays to be aware from the outset
about what help you can expect to receive in an emergency. If you’re going to be placed in
the middle of nowhere, at a considerable distance from a telephone or hospital, be sure to
take all precautions necessary to ensure your safety in the event of something going wrong.06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:Pros & Cons