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Anybody can take a holiday to far-flung parts of the world. We’ve all seen the Instagram photos to prove it. While most people opt to follow the beaten track, others take a different route and volunteer abroad. Volunteering is a hugely rewarding experience. Here are ten reasons you should volunteer abroad.
EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CULTURES
It’s the reason we all travel, but when you volunteer abroad, you don’t just see the tourist attractions and meet fellow travellers. When you volunteer abroad, you are immersed in the local culture, surrounded by local people and really experience life in another country. Many volunteer programs arrange for home-stays which really let you experience family life in your chosen country, daily rituals, food and language.
GIVE SOMETHING BACK
Volunteering is about working. It’s not a sun holiday or a city break. When you volunteer abroad, you are contributing something meaningful to the community you are travelling and working in. This isn’t only beneficial for the community but is a hugely rewarding experience for you too.
MEET DIVERSE PEOPLE
You are guaranteed to meet new and interesting people when you volunteer abroad. This could mean the volunteers and workers on your project, local families or people you might live with or among, project co-ordinators, fellow travellers and much more. Each of these people has a different story and you will have the chance to learn them all.
BUILD ON YOUR EXPERIENCE
Quite often, volunteer programmes offer opportunities that are relevant to your area of work or study. You may wish to build on your experience caring for children, working on archaeology digs or writing for a newspaper in different countries. By volunteering abroad, you can learn and develop your skills. Teaching English abroad is an invaluable life experience and you can gain qualifications while you work. This experience will also stand out to potential employers.
LEARN NEW SKILLS
Maybe you like a challenge. For most volunteer programmes, you don’t need to have a specific skill set as you will learn on the job. Maybe you’ve always wanted to work in a turtle conservation centre. You can when you volunteer abroad, and you will learn a whole new range of skills that you would never experience in your day-to-day life.
BE PART OF A COMMUNITY
You’re not just a visitor when you volunteer abroad. You become part of a local community during your stay. Many volunteers have experienced festivals and learned of special traditions in the towns, villages and cities they have stayed in. To local people, you are not just passing through, you are staying and contributing to their community. They are just as interested in meeting people from other cultures as you are, so be sure to exchange stories and partake in all local traditions and customs to really soak up the atmosphere.
LEARN NEW LANGUAGES
One of the main benefits of volunteering abroad is that you can choose to visit a country that speaks a language you’d like to learn or improve. When you’re surrounded by people speaking another language, you’ll definitely learn a little. Being immersed in another culture will teach you valuable language skills that you can’t pick up in a classroom. The more effort you make, the more productive your experience will be, so make the most of the opportunity.
MAKE LASTING MEMORIES
Regardless of where you travel to or volunteer, your experience is sure to be very special. Whether your memories are of friendly neighbours, rewarding work, local customs or that bumpy bus ride on dirt roads, you’re likely to remember your trip forever.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS
For many of the people in the communities you will visit, your input will help to change and shape their futures. Volunteering is essential to sustaining and improving lives in societies facing difficulties that most of us will never have to face. Volunteering abroad gives you the opportunity to be the change you want to see in the world. It may be a cliché, but for good reason. Volunteering abroad lets you contribute to a brighter future for many.
EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS
One thing is for certain, after volunteering abroad, you will return home with a broader mind. Volunteering opens your mind to new cultures, societies and ways of life that you may not have known much about before. Many volunteers go on to work on voluntary projects at home, or further volunteer abroad programs in order to continue their positive contribution to the world, but also to continue learning, developing and expanding their horizons.
