what is volunteer abroad?

Volunteer Abroad Guidebook

Volunteering is an amazing way to explore oneself. Letting go everything in your life and heading off to another part of the world to give your valuable time and effort to accomplish something which advantages individuals that you don't know can be extremely reinforcing. Purpose of volunteering abroad is to have a positive impact on the needy people and environment of that country.

Volunteering abroad involves travelling to a developing country where you can offer your time, skill and compassion that can help make difference to the lives of people there. Volunteering abroad is emerging as a popular alternative form of travel that provides additional opportunities for cultural exchange as well as personal development.

Volunteering abroad is a chance to share your aptitudes, information and eagerness while immersing yourself in a different culture, finding new places and contributing to a noble cause. People volunteer for a variety of reasons. For some it offers the opportunity to give something back to the group or have any kind of effect to the general population around them. For others, it gives a chance to grow new dimension or expand on existing background and learning. However, volunteering creates motivation and self-expansion and benefits you in number of ways, you will find it challenging yet rewarding.

This guidebook is aimed to answer all of your questions like finding ideal volunteering opportunities, things to know before volunteer travel, Selecting among different volunteer program, things to consider before volunteer abroad, and many more about volunteering abroad.

A Complete Checklist for Volunteer Abroad Program Participants

Here we will discuss all the necessary checklist that you have tick before you embark into your next trip with a volunteer abroad program.

Picking the Best Organization

The most important aspect of your program would be the program organizer itself. If you browse the internet, you will be overwhelmed with the number of providers you see online. It is advisable to research thoroughly, look for the reviews for the organization, evaluate the impact it made to the local community before picking any organization for your next volunteer abroad trip.

Flight

After you decide for the program and organization, your next step would be to fly to your destination country. Please confirm if the program covers the flight or not. If you have to arrange your flight yourself then it is advised to book the flight few months in advance to ensure getting cheap flights in time.

Travel Insurance

Most of the volunteer abroad programs are in low income and developing countries, so traveling to such countries would come with certain risks involved, it is advisable to get the necessary travel insurance before you leave for the trip.

Airport Pickup and Transportation

 van for volunteer transportation

Your trip begins with a proper welcome and well managed airport pickup, it is advisable to ensure all the details of airport pickup before you begin the trip. You might have to provide the arrival and flight details to local coordinator, so that the organization can arrange a proper airport pickup. Also during the program, you will have to travel different places, confirm all the transportation arrangement for that purpose.

Vaccination

To prevent getting infected by certain diseases, it is suggested to get the necessary vaccinations. CDC issues notices for the destination countries based on health safety precautions needed. Also for each country you can check for the recommended vaccinations.

The CDC suggests vaccines for the diseases such  as COVID-19, Chickenpox, Cholera, Flu (Influenza), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Meningococcal, Pneumococcal, Polio, Rabies, Shingles, Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis), Typhoid, and Yellow fever. Based on your destination you can pick which you need to take.

Accommodation

accommodation for volunteers

Based on your destination and program your accommodation could be in different setup, some program provide it with the host family, others provide in hostel or hotel , for the programs like meditation and Buddhist monastery it could be inside the monastery itself. So while finalizing the program it is advised to confirm your accommodation arrangement.

Food

Food is very important to maintain your energy in a volunteer trip. Most of the international trip providers offer local food in the program it is advisable that you check what kind of food is provided to you. Also inform about your food preference such as you need vegetarian or vegan food, or if you have allergy to any specific fruit or vegetable in advance.

Weather

Different countries have different weathers in different months, also some travelers like to travel in winter while others prefer to travel in summer. Autumn and spring are also preferred by many travel enthusiasts, though monsoon is least preferred yet some travelers may like it to, it depends on the person. Hence it is advisable to inquire about the weather, temperature, humidity and rain in advance before your opt for you next volunteer abroad trip.

Health and Safety

Your volunteering destination country could have  different political and social situation, hence it is advisable to consult with local coordinator for necessary safety protocols and situations before venturing into your trip.

Also, food and water might not be very clean in the developing countries, it is advisable to properly process and clean the fruits before consuming and look for the reviews while eating out in the restaurants.


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This guide book contains several chapter that explain about the various concerns regarding volunteering abroad. Here is a quick links to the chapters:

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Volunteer Abroad Destinations
Our Volunteers' Experiences and Reviews

I met calm, nice and good people.

Thank you for welcoming me into this program.

volunteer review marina

- Marina Parejo

Spain, Volunteered in Sri Lanka Monastery

I would recommend this as it is a very full immersive experience in the beautiful Kenyan culture and there is a lot to be learnt.

volunteer testimony Anna

- Anna Avataneo,

Italy, Volunteered in Kenya Medical Project

I was having a wonderful time, more than I could have hoped for.

volunteer testimony marlene

- Marlene Baumann

Switzerland, Psychology and Meditation Program

In our journey of more than 9 years, we hosted and enrolled hundreds of volunteers. All the good reviews from our previous participants say it all.

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