Travel to foreign countries, get to know foreign cultures and support where your help is urgently needed. All this connects the Volunteering abroad. Doesn't that sound more exciting than an uneventful vacation on a tourist-crowded beach in Hurghada or Mallorca? When volunteering, you can support conservation or animal welfare projects, teach children new things, or join existing research groups. In today's post, I'll give you an overview of volunteering abroad. I'll tell you what you should consider and which providers are best suited for your support in distant countries.
Here is another short Table of contents of the article for you:
- Types (Learn which variant suits you best)
- Find volunteer work (Tips for a short search)
- Tips for volunteering (What you should pay attention to)
What are the types of volunteering abroad?
Volunteering abroad is usually a unpaid, social commitment in one of the many charitable projects worldwide. For volunteers, the social commitment and the experiences to be gained are in the foreground instead of the money. Depending on the way in which one would like to support, there are of course different variants of volunteering. In addition to the usual volunteer work abroad, there are also the following forms of support:
International Volunteer Services
The term International Volunteer Service refers to a wide variety of volunteer activities that last between 3 and 18 months. Here you have many opportunities to support, such as childcare or animal and environmental protection.
Support on farms & ranches
In addition to environmental protection, supportive volunteer work on ecological farms is a good option. Here you can help out, get a safe place to stay and learn about the culture and environment of the country. If you want to learn more, search for WWOOF (world wide oppertunities on organic farms).
Corporate volunteering
Maybe you are in the middle of a secure job that you enjoy and it is difficult to get the time to volunteer. Some employers offer so-called "company volunteer programs" in which their employees are given time to support social projects. It's worth asking the human resources manager about this.
To plan volunteering abroad, you can either approach sending organizations or sponsoring organizations or work with volunteer agencies or tour operators.
Find the right volunteer work abroad for you
To find the activity abroad that suits you best, you should first check out the portals for volunteering abroad. Volunteering will change your life. You'll make a tangible contribution to improving the quality of life in your area, support nature conservation, and also get to know exciting people and wonderful new cultures. By the way, no matter where you go, please try to keep your Make journey sustainable! Below I present you the most popular portals for volunteering and hope that you will find there a suitable volunteer work abroad.
1. volunteering abroad with Travelworks.com
The Travelworks.de portal is one of the many providers of volunteer work abroad and also organizes fantastic language trips. The volunteer work abroad goes from classic work & travel trips to internships abroad. When volunteering abroad through Travelworks, you engage yourself, for example, as a volunteer in Asian, Latin American and African countries in the areas of social welfare, education, conservation, health, culture and medicine. It is possible, for example, to work in a school as a teacher in Nepal, childcare in a kindergarten in Cambodia or as a national park ranger in Costa Rica.
During this time, you will be exposed to an incredible amount of new experiences. But you will also find enough time for your free time during your work abroad, where you can get to know the cultures and the wonderful nature of the country. You will not be alone on the trip, because you will also meet other travel workers who are doing their volunteer work abroad.
To apply, simply fill out the Travelworks booking form and then receive a questionnaire about your personal knowledge, so that your wishes can be met optimally. Then you will find out if your trip can begin. Click here to visit the Travelworks website. Below I'll show you another short info video about volunteering with Travelworks.
What do I need to consider when volunteering abroad?
There are of course differences between volunteering and an internship abroad. With volunteer work you are still much more flexible in your activity. Because in volunteering usually no fixed work schedule or scheduled feedback meetings. You can ask how you can support and are therefore very flexible. Finally, I would like to give you an important tip that you should keep in mind when volunteering abroad.
As a rule, you can expect a completely new culture that requires a certain degree of independence and adaptability. This is because safety, health and infrastructure conditions are not comparable to the conditions we are used to here in Germany. It is best to inform yourself in advance at the German Foreign Office about the conditions in your host country. For some projects there are also age requirements, so check first if your age fits into the project.
I hope I could help you with this article about volunteering abroad. I wish you that you find the perfect volunteer work abroad for you.
Have fun on your journey,
PS.: I travel the world and organize Plastic waste CleanUps in countries where the recycling system unfortunately does not yet work so well. If you like, you can check out my plastic-free e-book with tips for a plastic free life and the best relief actions download here for free. Have fun!
Hey Christoph,
I think your work is great and would like to encourage you to continue with my comment. For me and just like for you, it is unimaginable to simply pour his garbage into nature. I often think to myself which impulse of mankind is missing to this global problem the insight to change. Actually, the only solution I ever come up with is that politics should impose worldwide bans on plastic production in order to get a grip on the problem in the long term. Many countries are already doing this, but unfortunately other countries are massively driven by capitalism which ultimately leads to such decisions being made far too late or not at all. Many people are not willing to change, although the situation is more than obvious. I find however that you set in your function completely mad exemplary and impulses, so that finally which changes. Please keep it up!
I, for my part, try to keep my eyes open here in Germany and pick up and collect garbage and plastic in the woods or in front of my door in the field to throw it away afterwards. Unfortunately, I never see people who would do this from their side.
But I think it is also the small deeds of both of us that contribute to making the world a better place!
Love Kevin
Moin Kevin! Thank you for your kind words, that made me very happy. Also your attitude I find great! 🙂
Yes, bans can reduce the increasing Plastic waste in the environment be reduced quickly.
Every individual who takes action in whatever form to combat excessive plastic waste is making a valuable contribution to tackling the problem in the long term.
Keep up the good work and stay clean,
Christoph
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