Volunteering in South America is a life-changing way of travelling and can help you see a completely different side to the continent, all while making a tangible difference. But with 12 countries to choose from, a surprising eight different official languages and environments ranging from jungle to mountain and desert, it can be difficult to decide […]
Here’s Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Volunteering Is Wrong
Volunteering’s a great thing to do, right? All those sad-looking children, or abused animals, just waiting for you to come and help them escape the hand that old lady luck has dealt. You’ll change the world. You’ll inspire a whole community to dream bigger. You’ll become a hero. Maybe not. I’m not saying that volunteering […]
How to Use Volunteering Abroad For a Career Change
Volunteering abroad has often been regarded as the preserve of the pre- or post-university student. But having personally spent the past 18 months travelling and volunteering for a range of different social organisations, I’ve been surprised by the varied demographic of those whom I’ve met and the number of others who are seeking to use volunteering […]
The Big Question: Should You Pay to Volunteer?
As I’ve been writing my Finding Your Next Volunteering Placement series, I’ve talked about why you have to volunteer this year, discussed questions you need to ask yourself before volunteering, and given you my definitive guide to finding meaningful volunteering in South America. This week, I want to face that tricky question: should you pay to volunteer? […]
The 7 Best Websites For Volunteering For Free in South America
Type “find volunteering South America” into Google and it’ll bring up a list of over fourteen million results. Most of these sites will claim they’re offering you placements that will have a guaranteed deep and positive impact upon local communities. But they’re also charging big bucks to put you in touch with organisations, money that I frankly […]
Volunteering Abroad near Sucre, Bolivia: A Rural Adventure
“So the new teacher has come to this class to help you work on your skills of summarising texts. Over to you, teacher.” It wasn’t exactly the introduction I had been expecting nor the handover I’d anticipated when I’d agreed to support one of the teachers in her class. Her year 7 biology class to […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Megan Graff
Age: 46 Home country and city: That’s a tricky one. I have dual citizenship (USA and Canada) but I identify as Canadian. I lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from the time I was 10 until I was 25 so it is my default short answer. However, since leaving Canada ten years ago, I have lived […]
My 2016 Volunteering Resolutions
2015 was my first year of long-term volunteering: a year of new friendships, often bizarre experiences, and unlimited opportunities to discover South America and learn how volunteering could be of real benefit to the local people I encountered. While 2015 was a great year for volunteering, I want to make 2016 ever better. So here […]
Seven Questions To Ask Yourself Before Volunteering
It’s decided. You’re going to take the plunge and volunteer abroad. But where do you even begin? How do you decide what type of placement you’re looking for, which country, or even with which organisation? If I managed to inspire you with my Six Reasons Why You Should Volunteer Abroad article last week, then the next […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Mariasilvia Froio
Age: 27 Home country and city: The Calabria region, Southern Italy Current volunteering experience and location: I am volunteering as the International Partnerships Assistant for Latin American Foundation For the Future (LAFF) in Cusco, Peru. I mostly work on capacity building projects for LAFF’S partner organisations. Future volunteering or work plans: My main plan for the […]
