Your nearest and dearest are less likely to have a nervous breakdown worrying
about you
Organisations aimed at the under-30 set are used to dealing with hand-wringing parents
while you are halfway around the globe. Some go to great lengths to ensure that both you
and your parents are kept happy while you’re away, for example providing secure blogs on
their websites so that friends and family can track your itinerary.
Cons
the costs
As we have mentioned, some of these programmes are expensive, though many
organisations offer help in raising the programme fees. But if you get a thrill from not
knowing where the next meal is coming from or where the next bus is going to, there are
plenty of programmes that offer a less structured approach, along with a more affordable
price tag.
You’re locked into a pre-paid commitment for a rigid period of time, and you may be
too coddled
Programmes vary in length, but some, like Project Trust (p107), require very specific and
restrictive time commitments. If you’re fresh out of school or college, these structured
commitments might feel too institutional. Consider this carefully, because with many
organisations, if you decide to pack up your bags and leave early, it’s very unlikely your
money will be refunded.
You’re worried about not interacting enough with local people
Sometimes a group-based volunteer experience might not provide you with enough
exposure to the local people and culture. Are you sure you want to be surrounded by
compatriots when you go abroad? A good way to ensure interaction with local people is to
live with a host family, so check if this is an option with the programme you’re interested
in. Otherwise, an immersive placement, where you work on your own or in pairs, might be
more your cup of tea.
You came halfway around the world to do volunteer work, not for this personal
development nonsense
If you’re serious about rolling up your sleeves and committing your time to a charitable
organisation in the developing world, you might be better off volunteering with an outfit
that’s focused on intensive volunteer work, rather than on a combination of volunteering
and personal development.
Programmes Major International Placement
programmes
When you think of volunteering abroad, a handful of well-established, long-standing
organisations probably spring to mind. Agencies like VSO and the Peace Corps are
heavy hitters with well-organised programmes, elaborate support systems, and decades-
old relationships with their host countries. It’s worth bearing in mind, however,
that smaller, grass-roots organisations usually offer more flexibility than these large
organisations.
VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas)
VSO, an international development charity working to alleviate poverty, is the largest
independent volunteer-sending agency in the world. VSO sends skilled volunteers who
pass on their expertise to local people. They accept applicants between 20 and 75 from
a variety of professional backgrounds, such as medicine, engineering, small business,
social work, health, management consulting, arts and crafts, accounting and agriculture.
VSO pays your airfare and insurance, and provides accommodation, a small local wage, a
resettlement grant when you return and other benefits. The average age of most volunteers
is 38. Postings are usually for two years, although shorter placements do exist.
For people without professional expertise, VSO has two volunteering programmes aimed
at people aged between 17 and 25: Youth for Development (YfD) and the newly minted
Global Xchange.Youth for Development Programme (YfD)
By concentrating on six areas – education, HIV & AIDS, disability, health & social well-
being, participation & governance and secure livelihoods – VSO’s Youth for Development
Programme helps young people get their first taste of intensive international volunteer
service. The projects themselves are immensely varied. Volunteers on education placements
may go to Kathmandu to run workshops and activities for disadvantaged children.
Volunteers on secure livelihoods placements might be sent to Mongolia to help with
small-scale farming projects. Participants are expected to develop a global education project
before, during and after their placement. There are examples of these on the VSO website.
To qualify for this programme you need to:
~ Be between 18 and 25.
~ Be a resident of the UK or Ireland.
~ Have a year’s volunteering or community-service experience under your belt.Placements start in August, September and October of each year and you’re expected to
raise £900 towards placement costs. Apart from that, all other costs including airfares,
accommodation and food, are paid by VSO. There’s a competitive assessment procedure
for this programme and approved applicants undertake four compulsory training courses.
You need to apply giving at least 10 months’ notice. Alice Tedd, a successful YfD volunteer,
describes her experience with the programme:
I went to the Philippines and after three weeks of training (in language and culture etc)
the six of us youth volunteers were let loose. I was working with a small NGO in Manila
which implemented renewable energy projects in remote communities. Simple electricity
can make a huge difference to people’s lives. I was lucky because I was able to travel to the
project sites, dotted all around the country, and then go back to Manila and relax in the
relative luxury of the house there. I felt that I got to know the country and the people very
well. I learnt about the contrasts that exist in Filipino culture: from the very wealthy people
in the capital frequenting plush malls to the poorest of the poor in the remote villages
with nothing to their name but a small patch of land to feed a large family. It was fun and
supportive having the VSO network in the country – especially at holiday times when our
group of YfDs met up to travel around together.
For more information on VSO and YfD call %+44 020-8780 7500, log onto http://www.vso.org
.uk or email [email protected].Global Xchange
Another VSO initiative, the newly unveiled Global Xchange (formerly known as World
Youth), offers participants a more team-oriented experience than YfD, giving young
people opportunities to work in teams on development projects around the world on
six-month placements. Twice a year, nine individuals are paired with nine overseas
participants to spend three months together in the UK, followed by three months working
on a practical project in the country that the overseas participant comes from. Community
projects include such things as working with older people, children, marginalised05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Major International Placement Programmes