Youth Challenge International builds the
skills, experience and confidence of young
Canadians by engaging them in overseas
international development projects with local
youth-serving organisations.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: four to 10 weeks.
destinations: ghana, tanzania, Kenya,
guyana, Costa rica, Vanuatu, guatemala and
nicaragua.
Costs: applicants must fundraise between
C$2800 (for four-week projects) and
C$3900 (for 10-week programmes); this
fee covers meals, lodging and in-country
transportation, as well as a contribution to
local administrative expenses. In addition,
volunteers are responsible for the costs of
their personal equipment, medical expenses,
visas and airfares.
eligibility: Canadian youth aged 18 to 30.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers may
engage individually or in a group project, with
team sizes averaging from four to 12 people.
annual no. of Volunteers: 17
annual projects: 32
partner programmes: 9
selection & Interview process: prospective
YCI volunteers can apply online through the
website at http://www.yci.org. once the application
is received, it is reviewed by the volunteer
programs team, and if successful, a phone
interview will be scheduled with the applicant.
selection is not based on quotas – volunteers
are selected on motivation, aptitude and
attitude. placement in a program will be
determined by past travel, work, education
and volunteer experience as well as skills and
interest.
In-country support: for the africa
programmes, YCI has a Country program
manager responsible for overall
programming and volunteer support. In
some cases, there are also other locally
identified staff supporting volunteers and
programming. YCI staff do not live with or
provide constant supervision to volunteers,
but are always on-call. groups function as
a unit to deliver programming with ongoing
support, risk and safety management
and guidance from the Country program
manager. In both guyana and Central
america, YCI has an International program
manager (Ipm) responsible for overall
programming and volunteer support.
Australasian Organisations
world Youth International
18 third st, brompton, sa 5007, australia
%+61 (0)8 8340 1266
fax +61 (0)8 8340 3677
[email protected]
http://www.worldyouth.com.au
wYI has an emphasis on supporting children
around the world and enables young people
to make a contribution in developing countries.
there are two types of packages available.
flexible overseas service projects run in China,
Kenya, nepal and peru. these involve general
or professional teaching in a primary school
and programmes are tailored to individuals’
timing and style preferences. overseas action
programmes offer the chance to work in
rural development, education, healthcare or
environmental projects with communities in
Kenya, nepal or peru. the focus is on cultural
immersion and contribution to ‘people less
fortunate’. Volunteers work in leader-led
groups. approved by aus aId and a signatory
to the australian Council for International
development (aCfId), the organisation is also
non-religious and non-political, and has a
good reputation for safety and the variety of
programmes on offer. It reputedly impacts on
the lives of over 40,000 children each year.
status: not-for-profit organisation.
timing & length of assignments: overseas
action programmes are five or 10 weeks long
with an optional adventure package at the
end.
destinations: China, Kenya, nepal,
Cambodia, uganda, India and peru.
Costs: the overseas action programme costs
a$3500 while individual placements start
from a$3120.
eligibility: You will need to be aged between
18 and 30 years of age to participate on
the team programme, the overseas action
programme. the minimum age for our
overseas service project is 18.
groups or Individuals: Individuals, friends and
families are encouraged.
annual no. of Volunteers: 150
annual projects: 25
partner programmes: 30
selection & Interview process: to apply for an
overseas placement, go to http://www.worldyouth
.org.au and complete the application form(including an application fee of a$55). You
will then be required to complete an online
interview form followed by a 30-minute
phone discussion which is designed to cover
all elements of your programme. once
selected, you will then have two weeks to pay
a deposit of a$550.In-country support: You will be guided by a
professional in-country programme manager
who will take you through an extensive
orientation programme and provide regular
ongoing support. weekly meetings allow you
to debrief your highs and lows for the week
and plan for the week ahead.06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:Options for the Under 30sPhoto: Guy Stockton/EarthwatchTracking the behaviour and range of elephants in Tsavo National Park, Kenya