Voluntourism: Choosing the Right Placement For You
I was conducting a voluntourism workshop not so long ago. Some participants were new to voluntourism and wanted to learn more, some were already semi-veterans of several volunteer tours of duty and wanted to learn how to “do-it-yourself” on a budget. But a couple of participants were rather disgruntled and unhappy former volunteers. They came to complain, though to no one in particular and voice their concerns.
They said they had followed all voluntouring instructions they’d read about to the letter and yet had been totally disappointed with their volunteering experiences. We sat down to chat after the workshop and one thing became immediately apparent. “Nobody told us that before,” they said. “If they had, maybe we would have enjoyed it more,” they said, “and maybe we would have chosen better.”
No, they did not end up with a crooked voluntour operator. Their provider arranged exactly what was promised. So what went wrong? Nothing really. Except for the participants’ initial choice of work.
One aspect of voluntouring that few, if any at all, prospective volunteers consider is thinking long and hard about the type of work they want to, or can, do.
One aspect of voluntouring that few, if any at all, prospective volunteers consider is thinking long and hard about the type of work they want to, or can, do. Let’s face it, working with homeless slum children sounds like fun, but it’s not for everyone. You’d need loads of patience. You’d need to be immune to sometimes very painful sights of human misery. You’d need to be prepared psychologically to deal with the after-effects this type of work will have on you. Because trust me, it will affect you in ways you can’t
even imagine right now.
So, let’s say you want to work with animals. A monkey sanctuary sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Not if you wear eyeglasses. The animals are sweet and cute and all that, but some of them like to snatch things. And that includes glasses. So bring a few extra pairs and don’t complain later on if they go missing. Or switch to contact lenses.
Big cats sound like fun too, right? But to work with them you’d need to be a calm, patient quiet person. There is a difference between an animal sanctuary and a zoo, and oddly enough, many volunteers are surprised when they find that out.
Can you handle backbreaking, physical labor? No? Then maybe volunteering on an organic farm cooperative or signing up for a construction project is not a good idea. And it might be an especially bad idea if you have back or joint problems.
Many prospective volunteers are so focused on finding an opportunity within their budgets (most volunteer placement services are ridiculously expensive) or are so set on going to their dream destinations (it’s Kenya or bust) that they tend to forget about another very important part of the process – selecting the right type of work for THEM.
What might have been just perfect for your cousin Larry or best friend Yvonne might be less than ideal for you. Yvonne might have majored in Early Education and taken classes in Psychology, and cousin Larry might be an unfulfilled biologist. You, on the other hand, may have a totally different set of skills and interests. Yet those skills and interests frequently go ignored when it comes to choosing a volunteer placement.
Unfortunately ignoring your skills and interests, as well as your psychological strengths and weaknesses, can (and will) mean the difference between an enjoyable voluntour and a month of hell.
So, if you are seriously thinking about doing good deeds and volunteering, please equally seriously consider details other than just your budget.
About the author:Anna is a writer, accidental photographer and travelholic moving through the world on a budget and trying to avoid trouble. On her blog, Budget Trouble, she shares about her experiences in Japan, Bhutan, Sweden and elsewhere.
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Posted by Anna Etmanska from Budget Trouble. on January 6th, 2009 in Articles.
#1Len Hough » January 7th, 2009 at 1:55 am:
We started our voluntourism website this time last year featuring holidays from providers around the world. It was hard to get enough straight Voluntourism holidays so we expanded it to include volunteer and “responsible tourism” holidays.
While it is working quite well it has not clicked with the voluntourism travellers as we had hoped.
I would be very grateful if any off you interested voluntourists could have a look at the site http://www.voluntourism.co.uk and tell me what you think is missing or wrong with it.
thanks
Len
#2Enduring Wanderlust » January 7th, 2009 at 12:22 pm:
Thoughtful article. It’s so important to give back especially since travelers gain so much knowledge from each country they enter. I also agree that it’s important to pick the right type of volunteering. A lot of people pick the location first instead of the actual activity.
#3South Padre Island Hotles » January 8th, 2009 at 6:24 am:
I agree with Enduring. Many people travel to places everybody goes to, not really looking into activies that the country or city has to offer. Volunteering is also important.
#4AnnaE » January 9th, 2009 at 9:37 pm:
Hi guys! And thanks for your comments.
Len, I took a look at your site and I think I know where the problem is. When I have a minute I’ll review the site on my blog.
Gennaro & South Padre,
Glad you agree! But still, today I got an email from two wanna-be volunteers, and it goes like this (and I quote) “Hi Anna, we want to go to India or maybe Kenya and do you know of any volunteer things in those countries?” LOL! Can these people read? It seems that no matter how much is written on this subject, it’s never enough.
#5Rick » January 15th, 2009 at 5:57 pm:
So i’m wondering exactly what does a voluntourism business do? The price to get to these places is the same just going there alone…. You can volunteer to help people and probably help a volunteer organization while you are there, and not be set by a schedule to do it all the time. I see that as a problem with this system. If you are signing up to volunteer, it really shouldn’t cost a volunteer anything. Why pay someone to put you to work? That’s fairly backwards.
I kind of wonder if a government is paying the volunteer organization money to round people up like a temporary job placement organization whilst making the actual volunteer pay his/her own way.
#6Liv Unni » January 21st, 2009 at 8:26 am:
Nice to read some thoughts on volunteer work. I have worked as a volunteer with African animals for a couple of months in Namibia(www.x-plore.no)and are now planning to work with children this summer:)It’s my way of giving something back after years of just backpacking around the world. I would however like to give a comment to Rick who thinks it’s a problem with the system and that you should not pay to work. Well, first of all many projects are funded mainly by volunteers, meaning that when you pay to do volunteer work(food and accommodation)you also support the project so that they can keep on working with conservation, rehabilitation and so on.. Often if you are a wildlife volunteer, part of your project fee goes to a wildlife foundation. Second, if the volunteer work should not cost anything, there will be no one to give you training or information about the project, no accommodation.. Should people just drop by and do the hours they felt like, without knowing what to do? This is off course a little bit exaggerated. But, what about safety? You can’t have people coming and going at all times. The projects have to have some kind of record of you,who is gonna pay this person? And many times where talking about orphanage, shelters, farms, animal rescue senters ect. Places were you should stay more than a week not only to build up contact, but to actually contribute you need time. Anyways I’m one of those who don’t mind working long hours and supporting a project that I believe in, and at the same time paying for it! And luckily there are many like me:)) Hope you find a way to contribute without feeling that you pay too much money. Life is a journey:))Ciao!
#7Liv Unni Sødem » January 21st, 2009 at 9:05 am:
….and I so so agree with what you’re saying Anna:)It’s really important to know what you can do for the project that you’ve chosen.
And that it can also be a cultural shock for many people.
Ciao ciao;))
#8Travelanthropist » January 24th, 2009 at 3:50 am:
Very practical tips on finding a good placement match!
Often we get swept up with the ideas of doing good and forget there are practical implications that can make or break our travel experiences.
Anna, love to read more of your DIY voluntourism articles.
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