The Voluntary Services Unit and UCL Union cannot recommend any particular international volunteering opportunities, as we are unable to verify the quality of the placements offered nor the soundness of the management.
However, we can provide some basic advice and links to websites you may find useful.
Firstly, if you are thinking about an overseas project, you should get involved in some local volunteering. Ruth Unstead-Joss, Programme Officer at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) told us: “Evidence that you've volunteered locally is one of the key factors we look for if you want to volunteer abroad with VSO. Relevant local volunteering experience is a valuable way for candidates to demonstrate that they have the skills, experience, enthusiasm and commitment to perform effectively overseas.”
You should also acquaint yourself with some of the debates about gap year volunteering ...
www.tourismconcern.org.uk/info-for-tourists/ethical-vols.html is one place to start.
VSO has created a 'Gap Year Checklist' that is well worth a look.
UCL Careers Service now have a website for international volunteering and work opportunities - visit it at www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/international .
UCL also has a Travel Grant scheme. Small grants are available to individuals who wish to undertake challenging independent travel. Competition is fierce, and there is only one applications round a year, but it is an option worth exploring, particularly if such an opportunity would otherwise be out of reach. Click here for more information and details of how to apply.
You may also wish to look at the following websites, although we stress that we do not officially endorse any of them.
www.vso.org.uk/youth
www.developmentinaction.org
www.yearoutgroup.org/
www.wwv.org.uk/Volunteer.asp
www.do-it.org.uk/wanttovolunteer/volunteeringoverseas
www.idealist.org
www.projecttrust.org.uk
www.worldvolunteerweb.org
www.experiencedevelopment.org
www.vesl.org
www.wse.org.uk
www.intervol.org.uk
www.crossculturalsolutions.org
www.nabuur.com
www.bunac.org/volunteer/
www.questoverseas.com
www.creative-corners.com
www.icye.org.uk
www.wcva.dircon.co.uk
www.isvonline.com
For Government safety info and background on countries:
www.gogapyear.com
For more info on ethical tourism, visit
www.tourismconcern.org.uk/index.html
www.gapyearresearch.org/
1. Make sure that you know exactly what you are looking for as 'volunteering' means many things in this sector. It can range from in-depth work linked to sustainability and development all the way to adventure travel with a stop to paint a school along the way (which may occur without ever having asked the local people if they wanted it - this happens!!)
2. Ask the charity or company you're going with what your money pays for before making a choice - does it pay for insurance, visas, training, support in the host country, medicines, etc. And where does the 'rest' go? Are they making a profit, or simply passing all their relevant costs onto you? It's not always a case of 'you get what you pay for'.
Almost all organisations will charge a fee. If the organisation had the resources to pay an international volunteer, they would most likely use that money toward hiring an inexpensive local worker who already knows the language and culture.
3. Ask questions of the organisation like - how well do you know the host project? Who runs it, how long have they been operating, how many people do they work with, what's the name of the guy who works at the front desk, etc. Building partnerships is the first step to good overseas volunteering and if they can't answer that then they don't know enough.
However, we can provide some basic advice and links to websites you may find useful.
Firstly, if you are thinking about an overseas project, you should get involved in some local volunteering. Ruth Unstead-Joss, Programme Officer at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) told us: “Evidence that you've volunteered locally is one of the key factors we look for if you want to volunteer abroad with VSO. Relevant local volunteering experience is a valuable way for candidates to demonstrate that they have the skills, experience, enthusiasm and commitment to perform effectively overseas.”
You should also acquaint yourself with some of the debates about gap year volunteering ...
www.tourismconcern.org.uk/info-for-tourists/ethical-vols.html is one place to start.
VSO has created a 'Gap Year Checklist' that is well worth a look.
UCL Careers Service now have a website for international volunteering and work opportunities - visit it at www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/international .
UCL also has a Travel Grant scheme. Small grants are available to individuals who wish to undertake challenging independent travel. Competition is fierce, and there is only one applications round a year, but it is an option worth exploring, particularly if such an opportunity would otherwise be out of reach. Click here for more information and details of how to apply.
You may also wish to look at the following websites, although we stress that we do not officially endorse any of them.
www.vso.org.uk/youth
www.developmentinaction.org
www.yearoutgroup.org/
www.wwv.org.uk/Volunteer.asp
www.do-it.org.uk/wanttovolunteer/volunteeringoverseas
www.idealist.org
www.projecttrust.org.uk
www.worldvolunteerweb.org
www.experiencedevelopment.org
www.vesl.org
www.wse.org.uk
www.intervol.org.uk
www.crossculturalsolutions.org
www.nabuur.com
www.bunac.org/volunteer/
www.questoverseas.com
www.creative-corners.com
www.icye.org.uk
www.wcva.dircon.co.uk
www.isvonline.com
For Government safety info and background on countries:
www.gogapyear.com
For more info on ethical tourism, visit
www.tourismconcern.org.uk/index.html
www.gapyearresearch.org/
Before you commit to anything:
1. Make sure that you know exactly what you are looking for as 'volunteering' means many things in this sector. It can range from in-depth work linked to sustainability and development all the way to adventure travel with a stop to paint a school along the way (which may occur without ever having asked the local people if they wanted it - this happens!!)
2. Ask the charity or company you're going with what your money pays for before making a choice - does it pay for insurance, visas, training, support in the host country, medicines, etc. And where does the 'rest' go? Are they making a profit, or simply passing all their relevant costs onto you? It's not always a case of 'you get what you pay for'.
Almost all organisations will charge a fee. If the organisation had the resources to pay an international volunteer, they would most likely use that money toward hiring an inexpensive local worker who already knows the language and culture.
3. Ask questions of the organisation like - how well do you know the host project? Who runs it, how long have they been operating, how many people do they work with, what's the name of the guy who works at the front desk, etc. Building partnerships is the first step to good overseas volunteering and if they can't answer that then they don't know enough.
Books:
- How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas, Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, Zahara Heckscher
- The Global Citizen, Elizabeth Kruempelmann
- The International Directory of Voluntary Work, Victoria Pybus
- Volunteer Vacations, Bill McMillon, Doug Cutchins, and Anne Geissinger
- World Volunteers, Fabio Ausenda and Erin McCloskey
