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Responsible Volunteering

by Bianca Caruana October 7, 2018March 24, 2020

Volunteering responsibly and ethically is an important topic to discuss.

Many of us choose to donate our time rather than our money to a good cause abroad, and this can be a great exchange for both parties involved. On one hand, the volunteer is gaining worldly experiences, learning about a new culture and experiencing life in another country. On the other hand, an organisation is getting much-needed help for their cause.

It’s important to be mindful that some volunteer companies charge excessive amounts of money for volunteering, and more often than not that money does not make it into the hands of the organisation you are volunteering for. Do your research before choosing a platform to volunteer with.

I’ve heard horror stories where volunteers pay thousands of dollars to volunteer and are not even placed in a role that meets their experience. This can be incredibly disruptive for the people involved.

Related reading: No White Saviours 

While volunteering abroad can be a wonderful exchange, there are ways that you can make your experience a responsible and ethical one. I’ve teamed up as Responsible Travel Ambassador for GivingWay, a platform that lists ethical volunteer opportunities around the world. Here’s how it works –

  • Search volunteering opportunities by location and cause, read nonprofits’ profiles and learn from reviews of other volunteers.
  • Contact nonprofits to get all the information you need and connect with volunteers on the ground or volunteers heading the same way.
  • Finalise all details of your volunteer trip directly with the local nonprofit you will work with.

GivingWay works with transparent organisations so you know the money you are spending is going to the right place.

Other volunteer platforms include:

  • Globalteer
  • Workaway
  • Grassroots volunteering
  • African Impact
  • WWOOF
  • HelpX
  • I Like Local

Suggested reading: How to Plan a Meaningful Trip and Give Back at the Same Time

 

What you need to know about orphanage volunteering

Orphanage volunteering is common among travellers. Seeing disadvantaged children can really pull at our heartstrings but what many of us don’t know is that opportunists have sadly exploited the volunteer industry, using children as a way to make money and putting them at risk.

The debate about whether people should be allowed to volunteer with children is a long and complicated one. Some say that the constant flow of new volunteers is harmful to a child’s mental health, others say that children should not grow up in institutions and rather we should work to keep children with their families, working to improve circumstances at home.

What’s important as a volunteer is to educate yourself as much as you can about these issues before you decide to volunteer.

Below is an informative documentary that talks about the “volontourist” movement.

 

Related Reading: Volungearing: A New Way to Do Good

Here are some websites that provide information about child protection in the volunteer industry:

  • Next Generation Nepal
  • Childsafe International
  • Concert Cambodia

Articles related to Ethical Volunteering

  • where-to-volunteer-colombia Where to Volunteer in Medellín or Bogota, Colombia - Want to volunteer in Colombia? Find out where you can volunteer in Medellin or Bogota. Guest blog by Diego Garzon. Click to read more.  Continue Reading
  • 25 Ways to Travel For Less Than $50 a Day - How to travel the world for less than the weekly rent of your condo. 25 tips from a world traveller who's been to over 35 countries. Continue Reading
  • Globalteer-volunteer exchange When Exchange Edges Out Appropriation: One NGO’s Perspective - Immersion is quite the tightrope. As volunteers abroad (sometimes literally) drape themselves in new cultures, they may not grasp the implications of their choices. Cultural appropriation, broadly defined as the adoption of… Continue Reading
  • clean-water-dominican-volunteer Support Clean Water & Sanitation Projects in the Dominican Republic with BLUE Missions - Water is the source of life yet somehow, in 2020, over 700 million people in the world lack access to clean water. It may be hard to comprehend this, but factors such… Continue Reading
  • volunteer-nepal Finding & Rebuilding Community in Nepal with Conscious Impact - One Sunday morning in early May a group of foreigners gathered outside the Ananda Wellness Centre in Thamel, the lively heart of Kathmandu, Nepal. We had journeyed here from our home countries… Continue Reading
  • rebuild-nepal Helping to Rebuild Nepal | Volunteering with Conscious Impact Part 1 - On the 25th of April 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring nearly 22,000. This earthquake was one of the darkest days in Nepal’s history, 800,000 homes… Continue Reading
  • Learn Spanish and Support Education Projects in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico - Na’atik Mexico is a non-profit language school in Zona Maya, Mexico who are offering travellers the chance learn Spanish or Maya and support local education projects.  Continue Reading
  • 9 Ways to Have a Sustainable Volunteering Experience in South America - Because sustainable volunteering is not about providing help that fades, but giving assistance that keeps on giving. Volunteer sustainably with these 9 tips Continue Reading
  • 7 Responsible Tours To Add To Your Bucket List - A list of 7 responsible tours that have a positive impact on both people and the environment. Be a responsible traveller and add these to your bucket list. Continue Reading
  • The Buddhist Library Project Cambodia – Teaching Cambodia’s Children - The Buddhist Library Project Cambodia - Teaching Cambodia's Children Continue Reading
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About Bianca

About Bianca

The Altruistic Traveller

I am a freelance journalist, blogger & podcast host specialising in stories that ignite thoughts surrounding compassion, ethics and the happiness of all beings. I travel the world as a digital nomad with the aim to promote ethical values and give a voice to those who are making the world a better place.

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