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Overseas Volunteering
Volunteering abroad has become a big business recently with many organisations offering short-term and long-term volunteering experiences in countries such as India, Bolivia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Because there are so many varied organisations out there, we do not recommend or advertise any particular ones. We feel it wouldn’t be fair to point you in the direction of companies without knowing for sure whether they will offer you a great experience or if their activities represent good value for money.
For this reason, we do not advertise or promote talks from overseas volunteering organisations. I’m afraid we can’t help you if you are having problems with an organisation which has advertised or given a talk at the University as it won’t have been booked through the Volunteering Hub and we have no connection to them.
**Companies, including those offering international volunteering, are able to book and pay for a stall in the Union to promote their organisation. These organisations are not endorsed or provided by the Union. The money from these stalls and other advertisements ensures that Hull can continue to provide all Hull students with our services such as our clubs and societies, campaigning support, advice and representation.**
We have put together a list of things to consider if you are thinking of volunteering overseas. Please, please, please do your research before you commit to a particular organisation and country – it could save you a lot of hassle in the long-term! Search for reviews and try to get in touch with people who have travelled with the same company, preferably to the same place. Don’t rely just on the reviews on the company website – see if you can get personal recommendations from people who have been away.
Costs:
Most overseas volunteering organisations require you to pay for your placement. With fees typically ranging from around £500 to thousands of pounds, it’s advisable to make sure you know where your money is going and what’s included in the price. Remember, you’ll need to cost up anything that’s not included – your final total could end up being a lot more than you anticipate.
• What will you get for your money?
• Are your travel costs (including flights) included?
• Is insurance included? If so, what are you covered for? What are you not covered for?
• Is your accommodation covered in the price?
• Are any of your meals included?
• Do any of the fees go to the project where you will be working?
• If there is a great deal of discrepancy between the amount you’re paying and what you’re getting, where does the rest of it go?
Training and Support
Wherever you go and whatever you do, you’ll need to know what’s expected of you. The chances are that you will have to make big adjustments when you go away and your organisation should make sure you are as prepared as possible for your volunteering experience. Treat with caution any organisations or companies which don’t demand specific skills or provide training beforehand.
• What training will you receive before you go on your trip? Are the costs (cost of training, travel to training) included in the overall price?
• Do you have a defined role and purpose? If the organisation is vague about the details of what you will be doing, it may be a sign that the project hasn’t been thought through and that you may not receive the support you need when you’re out there.
• Will the organisation have representatives to meet and support you in the destination country?
• What is the procedure if you have a problem with your volunteering or are the victim of crime?
• Does the organisation provide information on the culture, laws and customs of the destination country before you travel?
• What kind of post-trip support is provided?
Ethical volunteering
Lots of overseas volunteers make a real and lasting difference to the people they meet and the communities where they live. However, a recent survey by DEMOS found that one in five people felt that “they made no positive difference to the lives of those around them”. Volunteers need to be aware that not all companies care about the impact they have on the communities where they work.
It’s not unheard of for volunteers to pay for a placement and travel to their destination country only to find that the project doesn’t exist. Some companies only have a short-term commitment to the community and leave abruptly, leaving projects such as building a school unfinished.
With the boom in overseas volunteering, many companies are just out to make money from you and put little or no thought into their “projects” and whether they will have a positive impact on the local community. It’s worth spending a little time investigating what you will be doing and how it will benefit the local community.
• How long has the organisation been working in the destination country?
• Does the company work closely with local partners?
• How does the project meet the needs of the local community?
• Is the project sustainable in the long-term?
• Where will you be staying? If you are staying with a host family, will they receive money for having you or will they have to subsidise your living costs?
• Are volunteers replacing local employment?
• How is the local community prepared for the influx of volunteers?
Fundraising
You will probably have to raise a considerable sum of money to pay for your placement. Remember that if flights and other costs are not included you will have to add this to the total cost of the trip.
• What is your total target?
• How will you raise the full amount? Fundraising, savings, part-time job or a combination of these?
• Who can support you with fundraising? Members of HUU’s RAG (Raising and Giving) may be able to give you some tips on how to raise funds for your trip. Often the company you have booked your trip with will also give you ideas and pointers for fundraising.
• You may be eligible to apply for funds from grant-giving bodies. This website http://www.grantsforindividuals.org.uk may be a good place to start.
• Beware of any companies telling you how to fundraise for placements such as selling magazines, taking on unpaid labour sorting out clothing from clothing banks or collecting in the city streets. Organisations which employ these techniques have been linked to exploitation of volunteers and embezzlement of funds intended for overseas projects. Ensure you do your research thoroughly.
Staying Safe
Be aware that things may not go as planned on your trip. Taking precautions before you go will help your trip run more smoothly and help you to be better prepared should things go wrong. Here are a few things to consider. The Foreign Office website is an excellent source of up to date information http://www.fco.gov.uk/.
Health
Make sure that you get all the requisite vaccinations before you go. Find out about food and drink – is the water safe to drink? Will you need to source bottled water, boil the tap water or take water purification tablets with you? Be aware that fresh fruit and salads may be washed with untreated tap water – check to see if this is the case before ordering.
Crime
Make a note of travellers cheques numbers, take copies of your passport and ensure you have contact details for your embassy/consulate. Leave copies of this information at home too so if you lose everything, you can still get the information you need relatively quickly.
Insurance
Even if travel insurance is included in the organisation fees, it may be worth taking out a separate policy. Some travellers have found that organisations recommend particular insurance providers but in some cases the level of cover is not adequate. Think about things such as repatriation, hospital costs, civil unrest, situations where you may have to postpone or cut short your trip and so on.
