planning

Voluntourism.org: A Dynamite Resource for the Voluntour Universe

Australian Volunteers Working in Marine Conservation

Image source: Adventure.howstuffworks.com

No matter who you are—a young professional, an inner-city high school student with big dreams, an empty nester, a college graduate, or a stay-at-home mom—when you’re planning a voluntour, you need good information. Once you’ve decided to voluntour, you’ve taken the first step, and that’s a big accomplishment. You’ve probably thought long and hard about what you want out of life, what you care about, and how you want to make a difference. It’s a life-changing decision and you’re well on your way, but there’s more to be done!

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.