Posts Tagged ‘volunteering’
Travel Guy
After spending 11 months in Ecuador volunteering as an English teacher, Jon Brandt is back in the US biding his time before his next trip. Destination: Buenos Aires.
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.
How You Can Change the World Through Volunteer Work
Find a need. Fill a need.
For many of us there comes a point in life, when you take pause, look around and realize we have it pretty good. It’s that moment when you discover that no matter how many points the Dow has dropped, or how high gas prices have become, we still live like kings and queens compared to a lot of people in the world. Then comes the wave of guilt, compassion, inspiration – whatever it is that moves a person to say: “ I want to do something. I, (insert full name here), want to make a difference.”
The World By Sea
In November 2007, Derek set out with his friend to sail around the world, while helping charities and communities along the way by raising funds on his blog.
Budget Trouble
Anna is a writer, accidental photographer and travelholic moving through the world on a budget and trying to avoid trouble. On her blog, she shares about her experiences in Japan, Bhutan, Sweden and elsewhere. (Interview with Anna)
Travel and Volunteer Differently: Interview with Anna Etmanska
Anna Etmanska likes to do things a bit differently. While most of the world is off prefers such tried-and-true destinations as France, Italy or Thailand, Anna opts to spend her days in off-the-beaten track locations – like Bahrain, or far-north Sweden. And while many people are signing up for ready-made volunteer packages sold by voluntourism agencies, Anna likes to get out there and organise her own volunteer work.
In this interview, Anna talks about volunteering, writing, and her inspiration to travel.
Volunteer Work in Ghana: Interview with Brian Hermon
How valuable are volunteer experiences? And who do they benefit the most: the volunteer or the community being served?
Brian Hermon has done his fair share of volunteering, from an early two-week experience in Costa Rica to longer-term projects in Tanzania, Vietnam, and now Ghana.
In this interview with TravelBlogs, Brian talks about the impact volunteering has had on his life, the work he is doing in Ghana, and some of the difficulties of life in Africa.
Every Country in the World in 5 Years: Interview with Chris Guillebeau
In 2002, Chris Guillebeau and his wife Jolie moved to West Africa, where they would spend the next four years volunteering for a medical charity. For Chris, that experience sparked a passion for travel that has led him to embark on a new mission: to visit every country in the world. And he's well on his way, having visited 77 countries already.
In this interview with TravelBlogs, Chris talks about his dream of visiting every country in the world, Africa and volunteering, and combining work with travel.
Rambling Traveler: An Interview with Stacy
Travel does not necessarily have to involve a lot of money or a lot of time. Nor does it need to involve a flight overseas. Truly rewarding travel experiences can be enjoyed much closer to home, as people like Stacy from Rambling Traveler will testify. Many of her trips are day trips or weekends away around her home in Minnesota, though she also takes every opportunity she can get to head further afield, whether it be a volunteering trip down to Guatemala or an upcoming trip to Scotland.
