Once upon a time volunteering overseas was only for the highly/ specifically skilled or exceptionally intrepid but times change. Today, in practically every corner of the world, you will find volunteer work placements of infinite diversity which include projects in conservation, organic farming, sustainable building, disaster relief, teaching and social projects. Commitments required range from a few days to many months.
The individuals, groups and families who fill these places are as diverse as the volunteer placements on offer – both old and young, skilled and unskilled are represented from every social, cultural and educational background imaginable. The motivation for undertaking such work will of course differ from individual to individual but each will be looking to immerse themselves to lesser or greater levels into alien cultures, unfamiliar living environments and hoping to gain valuable life experiences.
Not All Volunteer Projects are Created Equal
As demand for such volunteer work has increased, the market which supplies such opportunities has reacted accordingly and unfortunately not always in a positive way. Many set-ups are more concerned with the opportunity of making money than bringing much needed manpower into worthwhile projects. As such, some volunteer work placements provide manufactured experiences and ask for rather large amounts of cash as well as your time and energy. A nice holiday perhaps but hardly the truly worthwhile volunteer work experience that many are seeking.
But luckily for anyone wishing to take on voluntary work overseas there are easily accessible resources available listing genuine projects which are either completely free or ask for realistic low cost contributions for food and/or accommodation. From the websites listed below you will be able to search for projects which interest you. Each will give details of specific organisations, their work type, length of commitment required and any fee you will be expected to pay.
True Travellers Society – This directory was born from frustration with the ‘come and volunteer with us but pay us lots of money first’ type organisations. It allows potential volunteers to search their directory and find meaningful opportunities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
There is a volunteer blog where you can read of other’s experiences and many links to websites of various like-minded organisations committed to connecting volunteers with free or low cost projects.
This is my favourite resource and in my opinion the purest minded of all the websites of this kind.
Help Exchange – or Helpx for short is a membership based organisation set-up to provide cultural exchange opportunities for working holiday-makers on organic and non-organic farms, ranches, lodges and homestays all over the world.
You can browse the listings for free but in order to obtain host contact details you must be a member which costs 20 Euros for 2 years. Feedback left by both hosts (which must be approved) and helpers can be viewed by all members.
Independant Volunteers – this directory allows you to search projects either by country or work type. There is a very useful forum and FAQ section along with many articles written by volunteers wanting to share their experiences and tips.
Opportunities are listed for Africa, Antarctica, Middle East, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Ecoteer – most of the projects listed here are connected with eco-tourism and provide working opportunities in conservation, sustainable farming, at eco-lodges and teaching English.
There is a 15 pound annual fee or 25 pound lifetime membership fee. Many of the projects are a little more expensive than those of the other websites listed here but there are some truly unique experiences on offer.
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms/WWOOF – WWOOF workers offer their time to a host of their choice and, for an agreed amount of work each day, will receive their food, accommodation and endless opportunities to gain practical skills and knowledge.
Projects are available all over the world and each area/country has their own WWOOF organisation which requires you to register and pay a small joining fee which varies from counrty to country.