186
Australasian Organisations
australian business Volunteers
fecca house, phipps Close,
deakin aCt 2600, australia
(po box 25, deakin west, aCt 2600)
%+61 (0)2 6285 1686
fax +61 (0)2 6285 1424
[email protected]
http://www.abv.org.au
abV is an overseas development agency
established in 1981, largely funded by ausaId.
abV focuses on assisting the development
of the private sector as a ‘sustainable
engine for development’. at the request of
clients in developing countries of southeast
asia and the pacific, abV sends skilled
and experienced australian volunteers to
undertake short-term training and advisory
and mentoring assignments with client
counterparts overseas, including micro-
businesses and small- and medium-sized
businesses, local government bodies, ngos
and civil society organisations.
status: abV ltd is a not-for-profit incorporated
company, limited by guarantee.
timing & length of assignments: Volunteers
are sent on assignments throughout the year,
lasting between one and 12 months.
destinations: Cambodia, east timor, fiji,
Indonesia, laos, papua new guinea, the
philippines, the solomon Islands, thailand,
Vanuatu and Vietnam.
Costs/pay: abV pays all costs (visas,
airfares and insurance) but encourages
contributions from clients (who often provide
accommodation, food or allowances).
Volunteers receive a weekly allowance of
between a$100 and a$250.
eligibility: no age restrictions (but abV is unable
to provide insurance coverage for those over
80). the average age of abV volunteers is
about 55. people with disabilities can apply.
groups or Individuals: Individual volunteers.
some volunteers are accompanied by their
partners (who travel at their own expense).
annual no. of Volunteers: 260 volunteers in
2006/07.
annual projects: between 200 and 250.
partner programmes: In-country
organisations, business councils and
chambers of commerce in the asia-pacific,
and australian professional organisations.selection & Interview process: a CV with
evidence of work skills and experience is
required, along with recent work referees.
this is followed by an interview which focuses
on a set of core competencies.
In-country support: there’s an in-country
manager in each country to provide support.engineers without borders australia
po box 79, elsternwick, Vic 3185, australia
%+61 (0)3 9696 9040
fax +61 (0)3 9696 9034
[email protected]
http://www.ewb.org.au
the ideal opportunity for engineers with
a global conscience, ewb works with
disadvantaged communities to improve their
quality of life through education and the
implementation of sustainable engineering
projects. Collaborating with engineering
students, professionals, industry and the
broader community, ewb provides assistance
to local communities on water, sanitation
and energy projects, information and
communication technology and disability
access. ewb volunteers will continue to be in
demand if the worldwide shortage of skilled
engineers continues.
status: not-for-profit limited company.
timing & length of projects: there are no
set departure dates, as volunteers are sent
overseas as projects arise. projects are
typically three, six or 12 months in length.
destinations: Cambodia, India, Indonesia,
laos, maldives, nepal and east timor. projects
are also run in remote areas of australia.
Costs/pay: Volunteers receive an allowance
of around a$1000 a month, depending on the
country. ewb covers all travel, insurance and
medical costs.
eligibility: overseas positions are advertised
and volunteers are selected based on merit.
applicants must be over 18 years of age.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers are typically
sent on their own, although some volunteers
may spend time with other volunteers on
ongoing projects.
annual no. of Volunteers: ewb has sent 40
volunteers overseas since it started in 2003.
annual projects: In 2007 ewb managed over
25 projects overseas and in remote areas of
australia.
partner programmes: ewb works with partner
organisations ranging from small grass-rootsorganisations to the likes of unicef.
selection & Interview process: all overseas
positions are advertised on the website
and are open to all paid ewb members
(membership is a$50 for professionals; a$10
for students). You must submit a formal
application for a position that outlines your
experience and addresses project-selection
criteria. applicants are then interviewed and
selected based on merit.
In-country support: Volunteers are supported
by ewb partner organisations and their safety
is monitored by a ewb in-country support
officer. In addition to financial support,
volunteers receive pre-departure training.Options for the Under 30s
Many people choose to volunteer soon after
leaving school, either as a means of gaining
work experience and directing career goals
or simply as a way of contributing to the
global community before heading into
university or the workforce. The organisa-
tions listed in this section cater largely
to younger volunteers. There are also
organisations listed elsewhere in this chap-
ter that aren’t geared specifically to those
under 30, but are nevertheless popular with
younger participants. Check out Dakshi-
nayan (p158), AidCamps (p165), the Karen
Hilltribes Trust (p169) and the Orangutan
Foundation (p175).UK Organisations
Concordia
2nd flr, 19 north st, portslade,
east sussex bn41 1dh uK
%+44 (0)1273 422218
fax +44 (0)1273 421182
[email protected]
http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk
Concordia offers diverse volunteer
opportunities to those over the age of 18. past
volunteers have undertaken tasks like painting
orphanages in the ukraine, organising art
activities for kids in mexico, working with
disabled people in france and germany, and
constructing a health centre in uganda. other
activities include restoration, archaeology,construction and nature conservation.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: projects run
for two to four weeks, with the majority
operating from june to september. a smaller
programme operates from october to may.
destinations: worldwide.
Costs: Volunteers pay a registration fee to
Concordia of £180 and fund their own travel
and insurance. board and accommodation
is free of charge for projects in europe, north
america, japan and south Korea. for projects
in latin america, asia, the middle east and
africa, volunteers pay an extra fee on arrival
of £150 that covers food and accommodation,
as well as funding the programme in the host
country.
eligibility: Volunteers must be at least 16.
there are no required skills or experience, but
volunteers must be motivated, and committed
to the project. people with disabilities can
apply, however, there is a limited number of
suitable projects available.
groups or Individuals: a maximum of two
volunteers are sent from Concordia to any
one project. once there, volunteers work with
a group of 10 to 15 participants from around
the world. Volunteers can apply to be placed
with a friend or partner.
annual no. of Volunteers: 350
annual projects: approximately 2000 projects
are available.
partner programmes: 80
selection & Interview process: all projects
are listed on the website with an application
form. for projects in africa, asia and latin
america volunteers must attend a preparation
weekend before departure.
In-country support: during the project,
volunteers are supported 24 hours a day by a
local coordinator. on their return, volunteers
give a report of their experience and any
issues that arise are followed up.North American
OrganisationsYouth Challenge International
555 richmond st w, ste 313, po box 1205,
toronto, on, m5V 3b1, Canada
%+1 877 504 3370
fax +1 416 504 3376
[email protected]
http://www.yci.org187
06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:Options for the Under 30s