5 Things To Consider Before Volunteering Overseas

We all know someone who has travelled overseas and taught English in a monestary, worked in an orphanage, or even built houses. I've volunteered abroad myself. And while it made me feel all mushy inside, I found myself wondering how much ‘good’ volunteer programs actually do. 

There's been a lot of talk about how problematic 'voluntourism' is and yeah, it's pretty cooked. It’s all about the self fulfilment of westerners taking away the much needed employment of local workers in third world countries. It does more damage than good, but I’m by no means saying ditch the idea all together. 

Meaningful and responsible volunteering is much more than sending groups of unqualified volunteers to slap mud on some bricks. Meaningful volunteering must be part of a bigger plan. Before you book your flights here’s some things you should look out for.

1. Research the destination

There is a lot of corruption that is sadly occurring in developing countries so you need to do the right preparation and research into the destination, organisation and voluntourism itself. Compare prices so you can get an estimate of what it should actually cost. Research what countries actually have the biggest need, are safe to visit and match your skillset. Ask your mates too! You’d be surprised about how many people will know someone from an organisation you can work with, or know someone who has done what you’re interested to do.

2. Transparency with money

I know a girl who spent some time teaching English to monks in Nepal and got seriously stiched up. At the end of her gig, she discovered the money she spent on the volunteering experience didn’t go to the monks she was teaching... or even the monastery that hosted her. Yikes. 

Make sure the organisation you go with is transparent with their money handling and that fundraising goes directly to where it intends to be donated. Sustainable and ethical organisations shouldn't take any profit from having you. I’ve found that smaller charities with a low number of staff and local participation are the best option because larger, international voices tend to be the ones that take some kind of profit, like admin fees.

3. Leave skills behind

“Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life”.

The best volunteering opportunities create local dependence. This means they are really making change and leave skills behind for when no volunteers are there. Projects should have a timeline where locals can take over the project themselves with newly developed skills. 

The best volunteer programs are not just bringing in unqualified students to teach English. Instead, they bring qualified teachers to teach local teachers how to better communicate and educate children. The same goes for bringing in medical specialists into communities and leaving behind skills with local doctors! 

4. Avoid short term stints

Not to discredit the the value of sustainable short term stints that are done correctly, but long term volunteer roles in an area where you are trained and skilled to has much more impact.  

Short term stints go hand in hand with orphanages and dodgy charities. Ever heard of orphan trafficking? Children are stolen and trafficked to become nothing more than tourist attractions. They live in orphanages away from their families where they're reduced to the status of animals in a zoo, just to profit off naive volunteers. 

5. Be honest with yourself and your intentions

We all have reasons why we want to do something, but before you make this big decision it’s important to ensure your intentions are genuine. Because it's bloody hard work! If you can’t even use a drill, you probably shouldn't be building a house. If you aren't a qualified teacher or medical professional, you shouldn't be teaching or giving medical advice. 

It's important to steer clear of doing work you aren't qualified for. Your free labour could take away the much needed employment of local workers.

Ask yourself: why am I doing this? Are you doing it to beef up your resume and get some pics to flex on social media? Are you doing it to prove to someone that you are a good person? Are you comfortable doing shoddy, unqualified work to then return to your comfortable suburban life while these communities continue to suffer?

The issues associated with voluntourism are real, but don't let them turn them turn you off from volunteering abroad. When done right, it's heart warming and worthwhile for everyone.