The most important thing to do before you start your volunteer abroad program is research. Many great resources provide information on the best ways to select a volunteer project, how much it will cost, and what type of insurance coverage you need. Once this is decided, it’s time to choose where you want to go!
This blog post provides few tips for a successful volunteer abroad experience.
Let’s look at the tips:
– Find a reputable company – Make sure to research the organization you want to volunteer with and make sure they are well established. You can do this by looking at their website or contacting them directly for more information.
– Choose your project – There is such a wide range of projects available, so find one that matches your interests!
This list provides some ideas about what activities might suit different personalities best: Food lovers could help in an animal sanctuary feeding and caring for rescued animals while gaining hands-on experience about local food production methods.
Examples include Love Volunteers’ Elephant Care Projects, Animal Friends Jogja’s Dog Rescue Project, and Travel To Teach Veterinary Program.
Animal lovers could work at an animal shelter or wildlife rescue center, caring for animals and helping to nurse them back to health.
Some examples include Love Volunteers’ Dog Shelter, Animal Friends Jogja’s Elephant Care Project, Travel To Teach Veterinary Program, and WVS Wildlife Rescue.
– Location – Depending on the goals of the volunteer abroad program you choose, you may want to consider where it is located.
This list provides some ideas about different locations that might suit different types of projects: If learning a new language is part of what interests you in this project, then South America would be great because Spanish is spoken throughout most countries.
A few example trips are Costa Rica Spanish & Conservation Immersion Trip by A Broader View, Volunteering In South America with Projects Abroad, and Spanish & Animal Welfare Project in Ecuador by Love Volunteers.
If you want to work alongside locals, then China is a great option!
Some examples include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in Shanghai with A Broader View or Teaching With Orphanages In Chengdu: Volunteering With Chinese Children Without Parental Support with Projects Abroad.
– Budget – Make sure to consider how much money it will cost the program before committing yourself too tightly to anything.
This list provides some ideas about what prices might be reasonable based on different types of projects: For short-term volunteer abroad programs such as one-week-long trips, expect your total costs, including flights, accommodation, and in-country travel, to be anywhere from $400-$1500.
For mid-length volunteer abroad programs such as two-week-long trips, expect your total costs, including flights, accommodation, and in-country travel, to be anywhere from $800-$2100.
A longer-term volunteer abroad program can include three months or longer stays, with your total costs being more than the other two options but over a shorter period.
Some examples are The Nepalese Medical Project by Projects Abroad, which is 18 weeks long costing around $4000 all-inclusive, while Adventure In Ghana With Conservation And Teaching is 24 weeks long priced at about $6000 all-inclusive.
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