Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RedLion]

Recently--as in, the last 6 months--I've developed a deep desire to do something more constructive that I've been doing with my life hitherto. I've been volunteering at local places like the animal shelter and the homeless shelter, and I've donated a fair amount of my income to charities, but I feel driven to do more. Couple this with my insatiable desire to travel the world (As I've said enough times now, I recently got back from about 3 weeks in Europe, my first time outside of the North American continent, and found it to be everything I had thought it could be, and more), and the idea of volunteering abroad has really struck a chord with me. I've been doing some research the last month or so, and found some good <a href="http://www.geovisions.org/pages/119_lion_conservation_project.cfm>ones[/url], or at least ones that interest me and would make me feel like I was doing something concrete. (I love animals, and lions inparticuar, so that's why the lion conservation project is something I'm looking at strongly.)

I probably  sound like a pretentious college age student talking about finding themselves through volunteer work in a poor country or something, but that's not really what I feel this is about. I'm not really looking to get anything specific out of this on my end, other than just knowing that I've actually done something, not just sat on my ass, comfortable and complacent, reading newspapers and magazines, saying "wow, that's horrible, somebody really should do something," and then going back to eating Cheez-its.

I'm well aware that there's poverty and suffering here at home, and like I said, I currently take time to help out in my local community. But the point is I'd like to have the experience of being in a different place, doing this work.

Of course, the problem is I'm due to start college in less than a month. Obviously, I can't just drop college for this. However, I may see if I can work something out with my college regarding this--they're extremely liberal when it comes to student freedoms and crafting a unique and individual college career. They have school-sponsored study abroad programs, but they specifically say that they encourage private volunteerism, whether at home or abroad, so perhaps I can work this into my school-schedule somehow, if not this year then next--or perhaps just the summer between this year and next. Or hell, even Christmas Break, if I choose to do a program that lasts only two weeks or so.

I'm writing all this to ask if anyone on these forums has ever volunteered for an organization, whether in their country or abroad, or done something similar. If so, how was the experience? Where did you go, what did you do, etc?

Do you know any more good organizations that facilitate things like this? I know there's always the peace corps, and that's on my list, but I'm looking at alternatives right now.

Further, does anyone have any suggestions or advice on how to make this mesh with being a freshman college student? I'm aware this whole thing probably sounds overly high-minded, naive or pretentious in some way, but it's something that, in an inexorable way, I kind of feel like I need to do. Thanks in advance for any responses.

[ruyi]

Something I'm looking at right now:

http://www.volunteer.org/nz

My friend went to Ghana through this organization and has said good things about it.

Another useful database:

http://idealist.org

Also I think that WWOOF thing onewheelwizard mentioned a while back sounded pretty interesting.

[öde]

I hope to have about £1500 saved up in a few years so I can volunteer in the Himalayas. I do lots of local volunteering stuff, I just want to go to the Himalayas.

[Thlayli]

I haven't volunteered overseas myself, but I just wanted to offer encouragement. Tommy was dead on about how much it costs, and these types of programs tend to be highly selective. If you actually make this work, it will also cause your resume to look that much better when you finish with college; international work experience is never a bad thing.

[Social Bacon]

A friend of mine goes off for two weeks every summer to build a house in an impoverished nation. Last year he was in Romania and this year he's in Bolivia. I have no idea what program he does it through but he loves it and keeps doing it every year. For the sake of your student schedule taking two weeks off in the summer would be very feasible.

[waterloosunset]

How about the Peace Corps? They'll send you off to help others, and pay you for it, so you won't have to worry about saving up for it. I know a lot of volunteering programs are designed to take money off young people, making them pay £3000 to help build houses somewhere, when they could organise it themselves for much less.


And I know the UN does a lot of humanitarian work, with the World Food Program etc

[ViolentDove]

I looked into doing this for a while as well. If you've got a qualification or experience in something, you might be able to find a program that'll let you use your skills and pay your way over there, or at least provide accommodation and meals free of charge. I know there's a scheme in Australia for skilled volunteers, no idea about the U.S. or U.K. though, sorry.

I never ended up doing it (I was looking at working in a TB clinic), on account of re-enrolling in Uni for another year. Maybe next year!

Edit: With regards to meshing with college, you could possibly look at a volunteer program in an area related to your studies, so you might be slightly knowledgeable about what you're doing, and gain some experience that might help your studies as well.

[RedLion]

Great guys, thanks for the responses. I'm going to see what happens as college starts, but I am definitely going to pursue this.

[redglasscurls]

Just don't go via religious mission group, and really check into the background of the group you go with to make sure the things you do are actually worthwhile. The Washington Post ran this article about bullshit mission trips a few weeks ago, and made the point that if you're willing to spend all the money it takes to go someplace and build them a church they really don't need, why not just send that money to the people in question and let it be used for things that are actually lacking?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/04/AR2008070402233_pf.html

[Jimmy the Squid]

My cousin, who is an arsehole, is one of those people who go to impoverished nations and build unneccesary churches so that missionaries can withhold food, water and medical assistance to everyone who refuses to give up their culture in favour of Christianity. He essentially uses this as a way to get free flights to places, spend two weeks pretending to give a shit about the world and then spend another three weeks surfing and being a tourist.

If I'm able to I would like to spend a year with the Doctors Without Borders program after I finish my masters degree. I hear, via my lecturers, that they need psychologists so in a couple of years when I have finished my studies I think I would like to do that.

[Lines]

Great guys, thanks for the responses. I'm going to see what happens as college starts, but I am definitely going to pursue this.

You can actually see if your college offers volunteering abroad trips. I know a girl who went through my university and went to a country in Central America (forget which) to help build houses for a few weeks. Also, if it's through your study abroad program, they might even offer scholarships or grants to help you go. Even if you don't go through a program through school, looking for grants at your university can at least help you get somewhere.

[Liz]

Was it Guatemala, Linds? Because my university does a trip to Guatemala every May to build houses and work in homeless shelters. I think I am going to apply to go this year- you have to apply because they only take 11 students each year and there are interviews and that kind of thing before they'll even consider you. A bunch of my friends went this year so hopefully i have a shot!

[Lines]

It might have been. I can't really remember the exact country. I just know she was in Central America.

Also, guys, not all religious trips build worthless churches. It's like any non-profit organization/charity - you have to make sure what you're doing before you donate your money, or in this case your time.

[ruyi]

A good article related to this: To Hell with Good Intentions, by Ivan Illich.

[ViolentDove]

If I'm able to I would like to spend a year with the Doctors Without Borders program after I finish my masters degree. I hear, via my lecturers, that they need psychologists so in a couple of years when I have finished my studies I think I would like to do that.

Good luck with this! Doctors Without Borders is one of the organisations held in pretty high regard by most people I've talked to in medical professions. They do a lot of good things, IMO.

[Johnny C]

A good article related to this: To Hell with Good Intentions, by Ivan Illich.

I guess. I've volunteered in the ghetto and nobody spit on me.

[E. Spaceman]

I did this a lot when i was younger, but I've become of the opinion that first you have to fix yourself, then you fix your community and then you fix the world

[BrittanyMarie]

At what point do you decide you've been fixed?

[E. Spaceman]

I'll let you know if i ever do! It's a completely individual thing, if you can honestly say that you are without problems requiring immediate attention then please help others as much as you can. I can't wait for the day when i can do that.

[supersheep]

I guess. I've volunteered in the ghetto and nobody spit on me.

Different context. In 1968, I'd say things would be a lot different. Since then, class struggle has become much more subdued, less open and overt, as gestures towards increased inclusiveness and social mobility have made people feel that things are much better.
It's an interesting article. I wouldn't agree entirely, but he does have a point - that doing things for people a) isn't necessarily that helpful and b) indicative of an attitude of superiority. Reconciling this with a desire to help in less-economically-developed areas is difficult.

[Johnny C]

I understand the context and I grasp the underlying sentiment but I still don't really agree with what he says. There are specific approaches that aren't helpful and there are specific approaches that indicate an attitude of superiority - likewise, there are specific approaches that are practical and useful and there are other approaches that act not out of an inflated cultural ego Like literally everything else there are shades of grey that he doesn't address and it does a disservice to both international volunteer work and the argument that he has.

I guess if you want to treat every action by a first world citizen as imperialistic you're welcome to it but it strikes me as a bit... is "xenophobic" the proper word here? I think it is.

[Patrick]

This has nothing to do with the discussion that's evolved from the original topic, but may prove useful for RedLion's decision-making process.

How about the Peace Corps?

I saw this topic and instantly wanted to suggest this. I'm good friends with many of the PCVs back home in Albania, and the best summary of what they've said can be condensed into "We get sent someplace unique completely free of charge, learn a new language for free, and have one of the most enriching and educational experiences anybody can have." It personally benefits other nations by providing such things as free English classes, health education, and computer education. It also serves as a chance for other countries to see the true face of the United States, not just the one that's seen in the news or entertainment media.

A less altruistic (but still very enticing) upside is that as a result of your low pay (you're paid the average daily wage of somebody living on the economy), your income for your two years of service in the Peace Corps will be, depending on location, something like $4000 a year at most. And when you file your taxes, having that low income on record will make it nearly impossible to be refused financial aid for higher education. You'd probably have to stab all the aid staff before they'd deny your application.