Volunteer
Travel Guide

What is volunteer travel?

For the purpose of this volunteer travel guide, volunteer travel is defined simply as the act of volunteering while engaging in travel.

In itself, volunteering means giving your time, help or services to an organisation or community without receiving any financial gain for your contributions. There are many types of volunteer travel, which we will expand on later. Generally, though, volunteer travel can be grouped into a few universal categories: medical/healthcare, conservation/wildlife work, and social impact.

Overall, there seem to be two main ways in which you can take part in volunteer travel. The first and possibly the most popular is to volunteer abroad through an established organisation that organises your trip. Essentially, the organisation works as a liaison between you and the on-site organisation where you will be volunteering.

The second way to engage in volunteer travel is to do so independently. Usually, you must arrange all travel, accommodation and food. You also offer your time and/or services to the on-site organisation directly. While these opportunities seem a tad harder to find, they may be less costly to you and also bring more direct benefits to the local organisation. In fact, the volunteering platform HelpStay connects travellers interested in volunteering with great global projects in exchange for accommodation.

Besides these two key points, there are also other important factors to consider in volunteer travel, particularly in relation to the ethical dimensions of volunteering overseas.

As a result, it’s absolutely crucial you do extensive and adequate research to ensure you are not choosing a volunteer travel experience that causes more harm than good. Something that is not uncommon, as you will see in the following section.

DO GOOD

Volunteer travel guide: the ethics of volunteer travel

While you may think that volunteering overseas brings positive change to the communities in which you are volunteering, the reality can be quite different.

Time after time it has been reported that voluntourism (a combination of the word volunteer and tourism) can actually negatively impact local communities.

There are several ways this happens:

✦ Voluntourists may not have the ability, knowledge or skills to provide adequate support in the communities they visit. By volunteering, they may actually be perpetuating inaccurate, patronising and unhelpful ideas about the destinations they visit.

Further, by not having the necessary skills to provide aid, voluntourists may actually cause more harm than good, particularly when working in the healthcare sector.

Ask yourself: If you were in your own country, would you expect a nurse without the proper skills to attend your medical needs? Of course not! And yet this same scenario is justified in developing countries. It seems that in the absence of adequate medical personnel, something is better than nothing.

✦ Voluntourism within poverty-stricken societies in places like Africa perpetuates the notion that communities or children in Africa lack the basic social support system to lift themselves out of poverty. Therefore, the only way they can alleviate these conditions is through Western intervention.

Of course, this can’t be farther from the truth! And yet, voluntourism can perpetuate the ‘white saviour complex’. “What the hell is the white saviour complex?” I hear you ask. In the words of the NoWhiteSaviours Instagram account, a “White Savior travels to other countries with the idea of helping people, but often fails to understand the complexity of their problems and can even end up making things worse.”

✦ The design of volunteer travel programs often leads to superficial engagement between the volunteer and the communities. As a result, volunteers often do not understand the structural issues that cause the problems they are trying to address in the first place.

In fact, academic research has shown that students who engage in volunteer travel programs actually contribute to the mystification of larger systems that contribute to poverty, inequality, and even multiple forms of violence.

Working with children is particularly sensitive, especially in orphanages. Having a revolving door of volunteers contributes to children’s feelings of abandonment. Reports also show that some orphanages are using children as a commodity.

For as long as Westerners continue to pay thousands of dollars to volunteer with children, orphanages will continue to sustain this business model that brings in profits but doesn’t help the children.

✦ Volunteer travel may also lead to communities being dependent on foreign aid, which in turn leads to their continuous disfranchisement. Moreover, this foreign aid may hurt local economies by diverting business from local markets. For example, volunteer labour may steal jobs or income from locals. Because these communities have low-resources in the first place, organisations benefit from bringing in a foreigner to do unpaid work instead of paying a local to do the labour.

How can I ensure my volunteer travel experience benefits host communities?

This volunteer travel guide is not meant to deter you from volunteering abroad! Indeed, volunteering abroad can and does bring benefits, while also enabling cultural exchange between volunteers and their host communities.

However, there are several key points to keep in mind to ensure you are choosing the right programme.

First and foremost…do your research! You’re already ahead of the game by reading our volunteer travel guide.

Further research should constitute two key points:

✦ Research the destination.

Prepare yourself with adequate information before you go. Learn about the country’s or community’s social, political, economic and cultural histories. Explore their systems of inequality and poverty in greater depth.

✦ Research the organisation. Ask them:

✦ Duration: How long does the program run for? You should be aiming to stay in the country for a month or longer. This is particularly important if your role entails working with people. 

✦ Local involvement: How is the organisation involving the local people? Are communities being involved in decision making? Organisations need to work with them, not just for them. 

✦ Evidence: How and where is the money you’re paying being invested in? Can the organisation provide you with a breakdown of the costs or a report that shows where previous funds have been invested? 

✦ Previous feedback: What kind of feedback has the organisation received from previous volunteers? 

✦ Training: What kind of support and training do they offer? This training should be aimed towards you before, during and after your volunteering placement, but also towards the local community. 

✦ Vetting process: Is there a vetting process for placements that entail working with children? 

✦ Local benefits: What evidence does the organisation have that demonstrates how the volunteer programme has improved the local community so far? The goal of any volunteer programme should be to train the locals so that they are not reliant on the volunteer organisation in the long term. 

✦ Purpose: Why are my skills appropriate for this project and why are volunteers needed? Can a local be doing my job? 

✦ Sustainable development: Which Sustainable Development Goal does the project aim to contribute towards? 

✦ Other considerations

✦ Partake in activities that you are actually skilled for. If you haven’t received medical training, don’t choose a volunteer travel programme in the healthcare sector. By the same token, you wouldn’t teach a classroom at home, so why volunteer as a teacher overseas?

✦ If the organisation is making the project about you and the benefits you will receive by participating, instead of the benefits the community receives, I would take this as a red flag and look for another option. 

✦ Focus on sustainable efforts that empower the community to look after themselves independently. Ask yourself if the work you will be doing will continue to benefit the community after you leave. For example, if you are qualified as a doctor, choose a programme that enables you to train local nurses. This way, they can continue supporting the community long after you’re gone.

✦ Be aware of the complex issues with volunteering and keep them front of mind when engaging in volunteer travel. Kayley Gould’s TEDx talk title “The White Saviour Complex: The Dark Side of Volunteering” is a good place to start.

Once you have considered the above issues, you then need to ask yourself:

Is volunteer travel right for me?

Remember, volunteer travel will be very different than travelling while on holiday. Essentially, you will be working without pay. However, if you take part in the right program, the rewards for volunteering overseas will make up for any hard work you put in.

To help you answer the question if volunteering is right for you, we’ve included the key points below.

Importantly, though, do consider the points we raised above on the ethics of volunteer travel.

✦ Go on a volunteer travel trip if you…

✦ Enjoy helping others.

✦ Are open-minded and have the ability to step outside of your comfort zone.

✦ Have useful skills to share and are qualified for the job you are signing up for.

✦ Enjoy meeting new people. 

✦ Are doing it for the right reasons.

✦ Have the funds to sustain your trip. This is particularly important if you are engaging in volunteer travel through a third-party organisation.

✦ Have done your research and are sure that the work you’ll be doing will continue to benefit the local community long after you’ve left.

✦ Are adaptable to change.

✦ Enjoy travelling.

✦ Can work under pressure and unknown environments. 

✦ Are open to other cultures.

✦ Do not go on a volunteer travel trip if you:

✦ Haven’t done your research on the destination you’re visiting and the programme you are choosing.

✦ Need a set structure or routine to your day-to-day.  

✦ Are unable to manage your expectations. 

✦ Want a 5-star resort-style accommodation with air-conditioners in your room.

✦ Have no idea what you’re getting into.

✦ Want a holiday to relax, sightsee or hang out with friends. 

✦ Struggle being away from home in an unfamiliar environment.

✦ Are not qualified to do the job you’re volunteering for.

✦ Are only ‘doing it for the gram’. People in developing countries and in vulnerable situations are not props to be splattered across your social media platforms.

✦ Haven’t considered the message you are sending. Are you perpetuating the notion that vulnerable communities in developing countries need saving? Because newsflash, we don’t. As someone born in a developing country, I can attest to the fact that we are completely capable of driving our own progress. However, there is a range of social, economic and mostly political issues that hinder our capacity to do so.

Now that we’ve set the right context for volunteer travel, let’s dive into the types of experiences you can engage in while doing volunteer travel.

A LITTLE HELP GOES A LONG WAY

Volunteer travel guide: Types of volunteer travel

For our volunteer travel guide, we have only included options that we consider ethical.

✦ Disaster relief

This is a particularly specialised type of volunteering due to the nature of natural disasters. Depending on how, when and to what extent they strike, communities will need many hands on deck to help them navigate the crisis.

Many disaster relief volunteers help people during a disaster. For example, greeting people at evacuation centres, checking in on people after fires or floods, or registering people so their family and friends can find them. Other options for disaster relief volunteering include helping communities prepare for emergencies and supporting people with their healing process.

✦ Conservation

We believe that conservation volunteer should entail zero direct contact with animals. The exception to this is if you are working as a qualified veterinarian. Further, conservation should be related to habitat conservation, not directly looking after animals in a sanctuary, unless the sanctuary operates with the best interests of the animals involved.

For example, if the animals have been rescued to be released once they recover. And still, it is important to do proper research on the sanctuary, as many are actually illegitimate. The best way of reducing the needs for sanctuaries is to promote and drive habitat conservation. A benefit of engaging in habitat conservation is that it requires few high-level skills. Usually, you will be engaging in maintaining trails, species monitoring (including marine species. Hello diving!), planting trees, etc.

✦ Animal welfare

Animal lovers can volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation projects, fundraising schemes or animal patrols. For example, turtle conservation needs beach patrols, nest protection, awareness and education sessions and even help in hatchling releases. Elephant care is also in high demand. However, be mindful of the sanctuary you choose. A good rule of thumb is that a sanctuary that allows for direct human-wildlife interaction is not a good option. This is particularly true if they allow elephant riding.

Another way of volunteering in animal welfare is to help educate communities about the importance of protecting local animals. And, if you’re qualified, you can also join research teams working to protect animals in their natural environments. Earthwatch, for example, connects people with scientists around the world to conduct environmental research.

✦ Health/Medical

Only engage in a health or medical volunteer placement if you are a trained healthcare professional. Even better, use those skills to train, educate and help develop the skills of local healthcare professionals. This way, they can continue supporting their own communities after you have left or the project has finished.

✦ Teaching and coaching

There are many ways to teach while volunteering abroad. For example, you can teach a language, science, maths, even conservation awareness. The important thing is that your skills match the content you’re teaching. If you’re not qualified, there are also opportunities to work as a classroom assistant or help students with their homework.

✦ Social work

The work related to social work and volunteer travel ranges from helping disadvantaged communities to assisting refugees settling into their new country, to volunteering in food shelters for the homeless, and even empowering women. The projects related to women’s empowerment help progress the Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Volunteer travel guide: 7 organisations to consider for volunteer travel

Let’s finish this volunteer travel guide with some suggestions for organisations to choose when going on a volunteering trip.

✦ AVI

AVI has been in the volunteer travel industry for almost 70 years. Their main focus is in supporting the development process of individual communities, not drive it. As a result, the change they are making is fit for purpose and sustainable. AVI also manages the Australian Volunteers Program.

✦ Responsible Travel

Responsible Travel has pioneered the sustainable tourism industry since 2001. They focus on selling authentic and sustainable holidays. They have a special screening process for every trip they offer, which guarantees the ethicality of each trip. You can find the full range of their volunteer travel holidays here.

✦ GVI

GVI has been running volunteer travel programs since 1998. Each of their projects aligns with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Their operations are also guided by ten ethical commitments. They also invest in resources that help them continuously apply the latest best practices as agreed by the global sustainable development community. Finally, each project is set up in collaboration with an on-ground, local partner.

✦ Reef Check

 Reef Check is on a mission to empower people to save our reefs and oceans through education, research, and conservation. They offer EcoDiver training, where scuba divers are trained on Reef Check’s monitoring protocol. By conducting reef health surveys, volunteers can contribute towards advancing knowledge on the health of reefs worldwide. The best part is that you can use your training in several countries around the world, as long as you’re trained to identify the indicator species of the region.

✦ Earthwatch

Earthwatch specialises on citizen science and community engagement. Since 1971, Earthwatch has used citizen science to help address global change. The organisation pairs citizen science volunteers from all sectors of society with researchers around the world.

✦ Sadhana Forest

Sadhana Forest is on a mission to transform acres of severely eroded land back into forests. They have projects in India, Haiti and Kenya. They aim to introduce many people to sustainable living, wasteland reclamation, food security through ecological transformation, and veganism.

✦ WWOOF

WWOOF helps connect people who want to live, work and learn on organic farms with people and/or organisations that are welcoming volunteer help. They have projects in places like Africa, Asia, Europa, Americas, Middle East and Oceania.

Further Resources

Are you interested in learning more about volunteer travel outside of what we provided in this volunteer travel guide?

Head on over to the following links for more: 

• A Little Adrift: Shannon is an expert in volunteer travel. She even wrote a book that covers the topic. 

• Grassroots Volunteering: A list of great resources to help you in your knowledge acquisition about volunteer travel. 

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