General Tips And Advice

Top 5 Tips: Safety Abroad

Date: July 7th, 2007 |

While the measures you should take to stay safe abroad will obviously vary to some extent by country, here are a few that I’ve found useful:

Be aware of your surroundings – avoid getting so caught up in the scenery or in your loud English conversation that what’s going on around you fades into the background. [read more]

The Decision To Go

Date: July 4th, 2007 |

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Tons of people are interested in volunteering abroad – or the idea of it at least. How do you make the decision to go?
Each case, like each person, will be unique, but here are some common reasons why people don’t go…and my thoughts on overcoming them.
The financial cost: This is generally something you just [read more]

Taking A Leadership Role?

Date: June 28th, 2007 |

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I’ve come across the viewpoint that volunteers should take on leadership roles, and I have to say I have mixed feelings on this - or at least feel that it depends on the context.
On the one hand, especially if you are volunteering independently, the ability to take the initiative is integral. It’s unlikely that [read more]

“Our Man In Granada” On The Downside Of Voluntourism

Date: June 18th, 2007 |

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Steve Jackson is a former VSO volunteer (in Vietnam), and a current self-funded volunteer in Nicaragua. He’s also the author of the blog Our Man In Granada.
He took the time to explain his views on some of the problems with voluntourism. While I don’t agree in full (and don’t worry – I’ll explain in [read more]

“Our Man In Granada” On The Downside Of Voluntourism, Part 3

Date: June 18th, 2007 |

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(Start here for the first part of Steve Jackson’s guest post)
“The voluntourists (VTs) have contacted the NGO in the developing country. They’d like to visit and play with the kids for a week. The sustainable volunteer (SV) is wary about this. He knows it would mean taking all the children out of [read more]

Fear Of The Unknown

Date: July 5th, 2007 |

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It can be hard to take that leap and go volunteer abroad. People often worry not only about the financial cost but also the career cost…but once you’ve overcome those concerns, one big one remains, and it may actually mask itself as worries about cost and career: fear of the unknown.
I really don’t believe [read more]

The Importance Of Feedback

Date: June 28th, 2007 |

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What is it?
Feedback is some form of input on your work; it could come from supervisors, co-workers, or others you interact with. In some contexts it can be quite formal, but I think it can take many forms – it can be something as simple as a short verbal comment.
Why does it matter?
It seems [read more]

World Refugee Day And Volunteering With Refugees

Date: June 23rd, 2007 |

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June 20 is World Refugee Day and thanks to an email sent out by the International Refugee Committee, I can link to the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner on Refugees) special events page, which points out that today over 40 million people worldwide are already uprooted by violence and persecution. Many others have likely been [read more]

“Our Man In Granada” On The Downside Of Voluntourism, Part 2

Date: June 18th, 2007 |

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(Find the beginning of Steve Jackson’s guest post here.)
“Imagine you spend two weeks as a voluntourist. Say you have no skills but are happy to help build a school and are just as happy to pay for the experience. Fantastic.
But if you’re paying then are you undercutting a local man who might only [read more]

From The Ecuatraveler: Tips On More Effective Volunteering

Date: June 17th, 2007 |

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I was recently alerted to a useful post about volunteering which appeared on the Ecuatraveler (via the Tranquilo Traveler); it’s entitled “How to Actually ‘Make a Difference’ As A Volunteer”.
I think the tips are great and that they deserve a listing here, and not only a link to the site. I’ve added a few [read more]