Have you ever thought about making your next vacation a completely different experience than anything you’ve done before, by contributing your time and money? So join the thousands of people traveling to exotic destinations around the world and be part of the new ecotourism revolution. Many otherwise well-informed or those who consider themselves “travel-conscious” are surprised to learn that volunteers don’t just travel abroad to work for someone else, they pay for the privilege! There has been a very subtle change from the standard backpacking, overland type experience to this new type of vacation, and it’s a fantastic experience to boot!

So what exactly is volunteering? Just type volunteer trips or gap year trips into Google and you’ll be inundated with hits from around the world detailing projects you can contribute to. These projects are very varied and range from humanitarian assistance, conservation based work to cultural exhibition and everything in between. You could work with lion rehabilitation programs in East Africa or South Africa, help HIV/AIDS orphans on the Garden Route, dive underwater while researching coral reefs in Australia, or help teach English to Tibetan monks. The number of projects available is mind-boggling, with budgets and extras to suit anyone of any age.

Most volunteer projects can be divided into two groups: wildlife-oriented and humanitarian/cultural. Wildlife type projects are usually a bit more expensive with projects starting at £1000 for a month, and can go much higher than this for extended expeditions or on projects that give you a grade when you leave, such as a certificate of PADI diving. Conversely, you could work on a humanitarian project in India or Africa at a starting cost of £500 for four weeks. The reason for the difference isn’t obvious, but it’s probably due to the charismatic marketing potential of working with wildlife. That’s not to say that these projects are less valuable, but generally people are willing to pay more for this type of experience.

Accommodation will vary with various projects and like most tourism based activities; In general, the more you pay, the better the facilities and services available to you. Fortunately, we don’t all need 5-star accommodation to work, or a comfortable double room with a private bathroom, and there are fantastic opportunities to stay with local communities, live their life and eat their food. Alternatively, you could literally sleep under the stars while at a research camp and eat very basic meals, a sobering but fantastically rewarding experience being in truly wild places.

The average volunteer program lasts about a month, but many companies will accommodate you for a reduced duration. Most will also hire you for an extended period of time, but usually not more than an additional month, especially on projects of a social or humanitarian nature. The emotional bond one can develop with communities and people can be life-changing, but it can also be detrimental when a volunteer stays too long and then must leave due to financial constraints or visa requirements. The ideal volunteer program will offer a regular supply of volunteers to keep the program consistent and funded, a routine that the local community can adapt to and not become dependent on a few people.

A question that is sometimes raised regarding volunteer travel and the work to which these intrepid adventurers contribute is: “Do volunteers really contribute something worthwhile, in addition to the funds they provide?” The answer in my opinion is definitely yes! Of course, there will always be organizations that will jump on the volunteer or ecotourism bandwagon and try to exploit the local community, the wildlife conservation initiative and the volunteers themselves by hiding the facts about the objectives of the project, the money reinvested in the project. and the role that volunteers will have to positively change the situation. Your best defense is to make an informed decision, and to do this you need information.

There are some do’s and don’ts as a potential volunteer which are outlined shortly in this article below.
Volunteers can have a significant and lasting positive impact on many projects. The key is to have a project structure that provides the right support, training and offers good value for money. All of these aspects are basically controlled by the company you’re booking with, which is all the more reason to find out as much as you can about their proposed company. Scientific research requires a fairly rigid project structure in which the objectives and methods for data collection are clearly explained, while having a project coordinator to monitor you and your colleagues and explain or correct any errors is helpful. vitally important to ensure that the data captured is robust and usable. published in an academic capacity. After all, the dissemination of information is the primary goal of scientific research, it has the ability to affect the way we think and influence policy makers, all of which can contribute to truly effective conservation.

By contrast, humanitarian assistance can be much less rigidly structured, but must still have an established long-term goal, whether it is building an orphanage from voluntary donations or helping to establish a long-term sustainable teacher training institution. It is vitally important that the local community, whenever possible, be fully self-sufficient with the support of volunteers or the financial benefits of the company involved. If volunteers are denied access to these individuals for whatever reason, it should ideally not unduly affect the community, they should never become dependent on volunteer participation or any associated income generation. You should investigate this situation to ensure that your involvement does not contribute to this possibility and that the project has clearly defined objectives that are sustainable and allow for community self-sufficiency.

The following probably goes without saying, as most new age travelers are quite aware of travel and its potential dangers, but a few things are worth explaining. Some organizations are not what they seem! It sounds obvious in today’s naturally cynical world, but the potential for misconduct is much greater in the volunteer travel industry, where there are a number of stakeholders who stand to lose, not just you, but also local communities and/or or wildlife. You should strive to get as much information as possible about a volunteer organization that interests you. Your first stop should be the company’s website to take a look at their mission statement and ethics policy, if they have one. If your questions are not answered here, please contact a company representative and ask their position on certain issues, for example, their environmental responsibility, what percentage of their fee is reinvested in the project, what are the sleeping arrangements, what is your refund policy if I am not happy with how the project is run when I arrive, is your conservation initiative based on sound conservation science, etc.? I don’t intend to mention any particular industry here, but for example, if an organization claims they’ve been breeding lions since the 1970s and offers volunteers the chance to help with their breeding program, they better have some solid reasons for explain why not the lions have been released into the wild ever since! It is your responsibility to obtain as much information as possible and make an informed decision to contribute to a company that is positively helping your projects.

Another great way to get information about a particular organization is through referrals, either provided by the organization itself or provided by you. Travel forums, blogs, and travel-related ezines are good ways to get the information you need. Ask the same questions you ask company representatives and see if they match up with what past volunteers experienced. Remember that it’s easy enough to say one thing and commit your company to saving the world, but when money starts flowing into another set of ethics, it’s easy to put it into action.

So there we have it, volunteer travel is one of the fastest growing sectors in ecotourism and gap year travel, and for good reason! The potential for massive, far-reaching and totally worthwhile contribution from volunteers is indisputable. Volunteers can benefit scientific research by providing additional manpower and all important funds, as well as helping our fellow men to improve. As a feel-good boost and a way to see a country and people in an entirely different light, volunteering has few equals. Go ahead, I guarantee that it will change your perceptions and offer you a new vision of travel.