Why Volunteer Abroad

Though people have been volunteering abroad for over 20 years, within recent years volunteering has soared in popularity, especially in the UK, North America and Australasia. Indeed, increasing numbers of people each year discover that volunteering overseas is a fantastic way to see a new bit of the world whilst giving something back. As well as helping vitally needed programmes, when you volunteer abroad you can make new friends, learn new skills and languages, and experience a new culture and way of life in a way not possible if you were just travelling through a country.

In response to this increase in volunteering popularity, large numbers of volunteering organisations have been created which all seem to offer volunteers the trip of a lifetime. However, we at GVI would advise anyone looking for an overseas volunteer placement to do their research and planning carefully to ensure that they will get a safe, and well organised experience, which is beneficial both to the individual and to the host country. There are a variety of ways in which you can establish the quality of a particular organisation. See the downloadable guide for pointers of what questions to ask and things to find out.

There are also a host of things you should consider yourself before you book yourself onto a volunteer programme, such as: Why are you volunteering? Where do you want to go? How long to you want to volunteer for? How much will it cost? Do you need any specific skills? What is the in-country support like? Who will you call in an emergency? There are also practical points to consider, such as preparing yourself pre-departure, booking flights and insurance, buying the necessary kit and raising the funds for your programme. There are some great resources to use, both websites and books, to aid with your research and planning. Answers to many of your questions can also be found in our Volunteering Abroad Guide.