Author: Developer

This author has written 159 articles

Choosing the Right VolunTour for You

Volunteer in Africa Building a House

Image source: Yourtravelchoice.org

Deciding to go on a voluntour is a big decision. You’re giving your time—time that may be in short supply if you’ve got a full-time job or a family (or both)—but you know the experience you have will be worth every second you put into it. Unfortunately, for some people, voluntours end up being negative experiences. Often this is because their expectations didn’t match up with the reality of their trip, or because the nature of the work they were asked to do was beyond their physical or emotional abilities. Or sometimes the voluntour organization is just in it for the money (check back for tomorrow’s post on how to evaluate voluntour companies). Making sure you have a positive experience starts with some deep thinking about where you want to be and what you want to do. It also requires you to be realistic about your individual strengths and weaknesses.

Help Tammy Help Haiti

Help Tammy Help Haiti

Image source: Samaritanmag.com

The more I learn about voluntouring and the people who do it, the more I seem to stumble on stories of lives diverted in dramatically new directions, and always for the better. Take, for example, the story of Tammy Babcock, a security supervisor at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario. Babcock was just like us, our friends, or our neighbors—a professional young woman leading a quiet, comfortable life. And like many of the stories I’ve read lately, a single event turned all that around.

Dr. Bob Paeglow: Compassion in Action

Dr. Robert Paeglow in Haiti

Image source: Pr.com

There was a time, several years ago, when I didn’t have any money. I was just out of college, didn’t have a job, and was trying to pay rent, student loans, bills, and to eat (if there was anything left). It was the first time in my life that I felt the real stress of poverty. It could have been worse—I had an education—but I couldn’t find a job and didn’t know when I would. I was two months late on rent and looking at eviction, desperately trying to sell everything I owned to raise the funds. Then one morning I woke up and couldn’t walk. My leg was swollen to three times its size and I was in incredible pain. After years of ballet spent abusing my feet, I’d neglected to care for the blister on my heel, and now it was festering. I knew I needed medical attention but didn’t have money, let alone insurance. Lucky for me, I found Dr. Bob.

Allan Lissner: Documenting to Make a Difference

Helping people can take many forms. When we think of volunteering, we often think of performing physical labor, educating children, or providing medical attention. Of course, these are all essential services, but there are many other creative avenues out there for bringing aid to the people who need it. For example, Allan Lissner helps people by telling their stories with photographs.

Funding Your VolunTour

Girl from Somos Village

Image source: Voluntours.ca

There’s no doubt about it: voluntours cost money, even if all you have to pay for is the airfare. Typically though, with most trips that are planned through an organization, you’ll also have to pay a flat fee that covers your food and lodging during your stay. Much of the time, the money you spend to participate in a volunteer experience contributes directly to the project itself. For example, if you choose the Project Samos Children’s Village Project in Guatemala, your tour fees are guaranteed to contribute to the orphaned and abandoned children’s village infrastructure. This is certainly something to look out for when you’re deciding where to go and how much you’re going to spend.