Being proficient in the language of your chosen country will enable you to widen your
search much further, as Kirsi Korhonen, who volunteered in Bolivia with the boys’ home
Amanecer, discovered:
I just started searching the net with all kinds of keywords and, after having decided on Bo-
livia, concentrated on finding opportunities there. We found Amanecer with the keyword
combination trabajo voluntario, niños de la calle (voluntary work, street kids).
Just keep in mind that, more often than not, typing ‘volunteering in country x’ into a
search engine will produce lists of sending agencies rather than local charities, as only a
few of the latter have the resources and know-how to exploit the web effectively.
Guidebooks & Career or Travel Fairs
Elizabeth France used a variety of channels in her research, and found her university helpful:
I went to a number of career fairs and information sessions at my university and found out
about different NGOs and their projects. I took information sheets from these sessions and
then checked out the projects online.
With the growing popularity of international volunteering, some guidebooks also list the
contact details of grass-roots organisations.
Researching Opportunities In-country
Karla Gergen, who volunteered for the Child Care Foundation in Ghana, opted to find a
placement once she reached her destination:
I was with some friends on a planned trip that was to include touring and volunteering for
two weeks each. My plan was just to keep my ears and eyes open during the two touring
weeks to find an opportunity.
Karla was able to adopt this approach in Ghana, as she spoke English, which is widely
understood there. However, without a basic knowledge of your chosen country’s language
you may struggle to find a suitable placement. Even if you are accepted, the language bar-
rier could limit your contribution, as Jo Shuttleworth, who volunteered in Burkina Faso,
admits:
My French isn’t amazing so it was limited in what I could do, but I could mark work and
correct spelling.
It is useful to have at least one lead to get you started on your in-country research. Gener-
ally, in popular tourist destinations, facilities used by travellers (such as hostels, internet
cafés, laundrettes, language schools and tour offices), will have noticeboards displaying ads
for jobs and volunteering vacancies.
Talking to other travellers and locals connected with the travel industry, such as tour
guides or hostel owners, can often point you in the right direction. Jordan Jones, who
volunteered in Guatemala, tuned in to the local community to find leads:
From the day I landed and began travelling I just kept my eyes and ears open for volunteer
projects. I checked bulletin boards in hostels and asked all the other travellers I met if they
had heard of any projects on their travels. I would even directly ask projects and national
park employees if they wanted a volunteer, even if I had no indication that they had a
volunteer programme.
Another source of ideas and contacts is local newspapers – news items will cover issues
affecting the local community and environment.
If you’re clear about the type of volunteering activity you wish to undertake, then it
makes sense to focus your search. Visit some local orphanages and schools in the
area if you’re passionate about working with orphans or in education (although do
take school holidays into account in the latter case). Local churches or religious organ-
isations can also be a valuable source of information for volunteering in community
organisations.
Equally, if you are qualified in a particular field such as medicine or IT, then approach
organisations that could most benefit from your skills: medical centres, community techni-
cal centres or local businesses, for instance.Some Final Advice
Getting in touch with a couple of past volunteers who have worked with the organisations
on your shortlist could mean the difference between a life-changing experience and total
disillusionment. Of course, seeking endorsement may not be possible if you are the organi-
sation’s first volunteer or, indeed, if you are in situ.
Kristine Randall, who volunteered in Cameroon, emphasises the importance of seeking
advice from past volunteers:
As pessimistic as it may sound, many organisations in developing countries are not man-
aged or run to the high standards that we expect, coming from a developed country. Their
answers to your queries may not always reflect the reality of the situation. I would strongly
suggest contacting a previous volunteer and asking them all the same questions that you
would put to the project director. You may be surprised by just how different the answers
can be!I was keen to volunteer in South America, having visited and backpacked through the region
on a couple of occasions. Although I was happy to cover my own travel, food and accommo-
dation costs, I wanted to volunteer independently, for about six months, without paying any
agency or middle-man fees. I began my research and soon discovered how difficult it was to
find locally based, grass-roots volunteer programmes in South America.
The problem I found was that the internet search engines were dominated by ‘big ticket’
volunteer placement agencies, which offer a more packaged, higher-cost volunteer experi-
ence than I was looking for.
I then began monitoring internet travel forums, particularly Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree. Over a
period of time, some interesting grass-roots volunteer programmes came to light – recom-
mended by backpackers and travellers. Many of these programmes were (and are) truly
inspiring, working with disadvantaged children, communities, wildlife and rainforest conser-
vation etc. Most of these organisations didn’t charge volunteers to participate and some even
provided free food and accommodation to long-term volunteers.
Having found these locally run volunteer programmes, I felt a sense of injustice that the
websites of these organisations were so difficult to find online. I wanted to help, so I created a
website to promote these programmes and to show that free volunteering does exist in South
and Central America. The site is http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net.
I normally update the website when I hear good or bad reports about a volunteer pro-
gramme, but other than that I don’t check or validate any of the organisations listed. The
purpose of the site is simply to let people know that these programmes are out there. My
advice is always to contact past volunteers of any programme you are interested in to get a
better idea of what you may be letting yourself in for!
Steve McElhinney
http://www.volunteersouthamerica.netThe Origins of http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net
08: Do-It-Yourself Volunteer Placements:The Search Begins