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Overseas Voluntering ideas?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm taking a year out and would like to volunteer overseas, does anyone know of any good organisations that don't cost the world! I would be willing to do just about anything.. thanks guys!

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    how about www.i-to-i.com , i'm thinking of volunteering with them in Australia doing conservation work <IMG SRC="smile.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just checked out the i to i site and it seems to me nothing more than an overpriced travel agent for wealthy people wanting somthing to put on there cv (with good intentions of course).

    [ 15-04-2002: Message edited by: SHELLEY ]
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I took a year out last year. What I really wanted to do was voluntary work but was unable to find anywhere that wasn't going to cost the earth. In the end I worked for a holiday company as a kiddies courier and had a great time. One web site which I did find was good though was www.jobsabroad.com .... I think that was the one anyway. There are a selection of paid and voluntary jobs depending on which bit you go into. I'll see if I can find out my stuff from last year though and if there are any more addresses I'll post them on here tonight.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just remembered that that's an American based web site ... well, I think that it is anyway. There is also www.overseasjobs.com but it doesn't have a specific volunteering bit on it. If you search though you may come across many that pretty much are.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Try http://www.do-it.org.uk/find_opp/do-it_overseas/

    Lots of links. Lots of info. <IMG SRC="smile.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree with J, it is hard to volunteer, I have wanted to train as an advisor with the CAB for ages now, phoned them, emailed them, and they make it sooo difficult!!

    I need to get a work placement now and have tried this site: www.mvonline.gov.uk and www.do-it.org

    I phoned up one place from do it (a rehabilitation centre for people who have had head injuries), left a message and no-one even phoned me back <IMG SRC="frown.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If youre really interested in voluenteering abroad you should all check out www.wwoof.com/ www.wwoof.org / www.wwoof.co.uk (sorry cant rememeber which one it is). Anyway this organisation is called Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Thay have a UK based organisation and sperate organistaions for Australia, New Zealand, Africa etc. but also have details of Wwoof independents which will get you placemnts in just about any possible place you can imagine and in any country pretty much as well! You have to pay £10 or something to join as member for one year but it is well worth it (this is only to get the proper contact details- I think you can have a look at examples before you send money), thay can put you in touch with places where you dont have to pay anything to volunteer- all you have to do is get there. Places range from small organic farms, interns in rainforsets, eco-villages, places where you can help locals learn English/how to grow food and look after themsleves, places where you helps street children replant jungle/forest- the list is endless and the only difficult thing is working out which one to go for!..... anyway I have done it in the UK and It is very rewarding. hope this is of help to someone.
    Peace, Laters
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you are a christian you could be a missionary.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree

    I am from Toronto, Ontario and in order to graduate from high school one must complete 40 hours of volunteer service. At first you may think that there are no places to volunteer but there are lots. You just have to go to smaller organizations for example u can volunteer at somewhere like a local school. I volunteer once week at my local school where I tutor children in math skills. So even though they seem like smaller things you are still helping people and later on u can get into larger organization like "WorldVision" or "Save the children"
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    GAP Activity Projects

    GAP Activity Projects offer year out work placements doing teaching, caring, conservation and medical work in 34 countries. Go to www.gap.org.uk or email volunteer@gap.org.uk.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    GAP is a rip off.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by PussyKatty
    GAP is a rip off.

    Why? I have never heard of this organisation.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They are very expensive and make a huge profit out of peoples good will which I think is wrong. Go to their site and look at the prices they charge- thousands. There are lots of young people who would like to volunteer but not at that price.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you're thinking of going to South America there is a great volunteer site rehabilitating animals back into the wild:

    see my site www.geocities.com/refugiobolivia
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was going to do a TEFL course and teach in China this year, but then my new job came up.

    Will do it one day. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi!
    You might want to check out Youth Challenge International too (www.yci.org). They have programs in Costa Rica, Guyana and Vanuatu. Haven't gone with them though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How about going to www.do-it.org.uk and looking at opportunities they may have? You can also use their message boards to get further information.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    PussyKatty,

    GAP Activitity Projects is a not-for-profit organisation therefore they cannot be making tonnes of money out of people who volunteer through them like myself. Heaps of their staff are actually volunteers too giving up there free time to sort out GAP placements for young people for expenses only.

    Yeah it seems expensive but if you look at the breakdown of costs you can see that it generally goes on airfare and insurance etc. Having compared lots of GAP year providers I found that GAP Activity Projects was by far the best value of them all for what I wanted to do on my GAP year (I am doing a 5 month caring placement in Brazil from Feb 2003).

    A good website to look on is that of the "YearOutGroup" which has an overview of many different GAP year providers.

    Good luck to all of you planning your GAP years!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    a more ethical alternative to Gap etc

    I went to India to do 5 months voluntary work with Student Action India, they are a small organisation run by return volunteers and don't charge the earth like organisations such as Gap and i to i. You still pay, but costs are much less (about £950 for 5 months) and they are really clear about where exactly the money goes.

    have a look at www.studentactionindia.org.uk
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