in your placement, or the extent to which religion will play a role in the work. It’s vital that
you are clear about this in advance and feel comfortable with what’s expected of you. Many
placements are based in affiliated churches or organisations overseas and so you’ll also need to
consider the way in which religion is followed in the community you’re going to. For instance,
a not particularly conservative religious organisation in the UK might place you in a very
orthodox community abroad, which could make for difficulties. It might also pay to find out
whether or not the religion of your sending organisation is accepted or practised in the wider
community you’ll be placed in; you may find yourself working within a community of a dif-
ferent faith. Robin Dawson, for example, managed a community development programme in
Afghanistan through the Church Mission Society (CMS, p205):
Afghanistan is an Islamic state and I was working for a Christian organisation. I knew
that there would be tensions and limitations... and this proved to be the case. However,
I was also aware of the rich exchanges that can be experienced as part of an international
community... We are required by the protocols our organisations sign with the govern-
ment not to proselytise. However, in a faith-dominated society such as Afghanistan,
this does not prevent Afghans from asking questions about our religion (which they
see as essentially corrupt and containing doctrines which are clearly both incorrect and
illogical). It is most interesting trying to answer these questions. In many ways, I have
felt more comfortable discussing matters of faith in Afghanistan than I have in secular
Western society. God is not called upon to justify his actions in Afghanistan. Where I
have felt uncomfortable is with the tensions that arise between those, like me, who see
our protocols not to proselytise as a discipline to be adhered to, and others who feel that
there should be more proclamation of the Christian message. The way these issues are
dealt with can be a matter of life and death to Afghanis who may become involved.
It’s also important to be clear about your expectations and goals and whether or not
these are a good fit with the organisation’s programmes. If you’re hoping for very
hands-on work and the chance to accomplish something tangible, you need to make sure
that the programme has the kind of project-focused approach to enable this. On the
other hand, if your main goal is to develop your faith through volunteering, be sure that
there is adequate provision for you to practise it. Liz Bodner found this more difficult
than she expected when volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity (p203) in India:
When I went to Kolkata, I thought that I would have a very spiritual experience and would
grow in my faith. This was not the case, however. It was very easy to get into the routine
of work without being spiritually aware or intentional. The Missionaries of Charity are
service oriented and are focused on sharing God’s love through acts rather than words... I
had to make the decision to go to mass in the mornings and adoration in the afternoons in
order to keep myself connected to my faith.
“Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame, but for greatness, because
greatness is determined by service.”
Martin Luther King Juniorpros & Cons
Volunteering with a religious organisation is not for everyone. However, if you’re con-
sidering going down this path, the pros and cons in this section zero in on some of the
defining features of these placements.Support
A strong characteristic of most religious organisations, and one which is a drawcard for
prospective volunteers, is the level of support they offer. This extends to many aspects
of the placement. Firstly, there is the shared faith, which provides the foundation for the
project as well as, in most cases, a corresponding community of faith into which volun-
teers are welcomed. Ben Martin worked with a renewable energies empowerment project
in India through Karuna (p207), as well as fundraising for the organisation in London.
While he is not Buddhist, he found the faith-based support impressive and constructive:
I have to admit that the fact that Karuna was a Buddhist organisation had little bearing on
my decision to volunteer with them... Having said that, however, I cannot stress enough
the benefits I gained from working with a group of people sharing a common bond of
Buddhist faith. The atmosphere in the office is one of mutual respect and friendliness;
office ‘politics’ simply don’t come into play. Frank conversations about motivations, goals
and personal contributions really helped me think more about myself, and also ensured
that I did as much as I could to help the organisation.
Your faith can also act as a sort of security blanket, as it offers an element of the ‘known’
within a culture and country that may well be unfamiliar to you. If you are religious, you
can also feel comfortable knowing that your beliefs and practices will be accepted in your
placement. Ele Ramsey found this to be the case when she volunteered with Christian Aid
(p212) in the UK and Nicaragua:
My placement working in ‘new’ evangelical and charismatic churches meant that I didn’t
feel, at any point, that I had to suppress my own interpretation of Christianity. All the
congregations I worked with held the same set of beliefs as I did.
Perhaps due to their community-minded focus, religious organisations tend to offer a huge
amount of support in non-religious areas as well. Volunteers placed together are generally
very team oriented, and even those working as partners or individually often maintain
close contact with other volunteers and the organisation’s base through emails, blogs and
newsletters. Sue Towler, the programme manager of Tearfund’s volunteer programme
(p208), describes the support given to a volunteer in an emergency situation:
We had a six-week Transform team in western Uganda, volunteering at a rural hospital and
local school... During the trip, one girl developed suspected acute appendicitis. In close con-
tact with Tearfund, the team immediately contacted the British High Commission and ACE
Rescue (a 24-hour travel insurance company for business travellers that Tearfund uses for all
Transform teams). We were in very close contact with the girl’s parents throughout, as well as
the doctor at the hospital the girl was volunteering at. Because she was a diabetic, her condi-
tion was too serious to be treated at the local hospital, so [we] arranged for her to be evacuated
by helicopter to Kampala to receive treatment. We also arranged for her mother to fly out to
Kampala to be with her. We were concerned that the incident had an impact on the team, so
arranged for them all to have a full debrief on their return.07: Religious Organsiations:Pros & ConsPhoto: Paul PiaiaThis fragile vessel symbolises the precarious livelihoods of people in East Timor, where volunteers are welcomed.