subject: Get A New Meaning Of Life With International Volunteering Opportunities [print this page] The benefits of volunteering skills and time to those in need extend far beyond the recipients of the volunteer's work.
Why Volunteer Abroad
In the western world, we take so much for granted. Water runs when we turn on the tap and food is available just down the road at the local shop that is often open all hours for our convenience. Very few of us understand what poverty really means. We feel impoverished if we can't afford the latest model of mobile phone or if we find we can't afford to run a car.
Becoming a volunteer is one way to gain a deeper understanding of some of the issues facing areas of the world where large communities live in poverty we can little imagine. The wider causes are complex and no one individual can hope to change things forever. However, simply by gaining a new understanding it's possible to shift perspective and many volunteers report the most lasting changes have been within themselves rather than within the communities they volunteered with.
Making a Difference
The more people who can change the ways in which they live, think and feel, the closer we come to solving some of the problems that cause hunger and poverty around the world.
What starts out with many volunteers as a desire to travel and experience different cultures often ends up having a massive impact on personal growth and development. It's not for nothing that one of the most highly recommended gap year activities for students is that of taking up a volunteering role.
Types of Volunteer Opportunities
At first glance the types of international volunteer opportunities appears vast. One of the best ways to choose a programme or activity is to consider existing skills. Experience in a professional field can often be put to good use. For instance, medical professionals, business experts or those with experience in a technical field can choose to put their expertise to practical use whilst volunteering.
For others, most programmes require no particular or specialised skills beyond a willingness to help and an open mind to the possibilities. Opportunities exist across the board, including helping with construction projects, such as local schools or clinics, renovation projects or helping to develop business enterprises. Agricultural opportunities can include helping establish sustainable farming methods and taking part in local conservation efforts. For those interested in wildlife conservation, the protection and monitoring of sea turtles may appeal.
Teaching opportunities exist all over the world, helping out in small village schools where basic literacy is needed or where the pupils are learning English. There is also the chance for volunteers work abroad to learn a new language with many programmes offering home-stay accommodation with a family in the host country. Some programmes will even give basic language lessons before departure to give an initial grounding in the local language.
Whatever time or skill you can bring to a volunteering endeavour, you can be sure of a warm welcome. However many people volunteer each year, there is always more work than bodies to do it. Being part of the fight against world hunger and poverty is probably one of the most valuable ways of spending your time.
