Seasoned travellers are known to seek out experiences with locals over tourist traps, no matter where they are. What better way to connect with people in the country you are visiting than to live with and work with your host? Volunteering abroad is an amazing opportunity to lend a helping hand and make a real difference in other people’s lives, make lifelong friends and connections, gain valuable work experience, and save money on travelling.
It’s an undeniable fact that overseas travel is expensive. Jenna Marinus recently wrote for Her Campus about working and saving for travel, as well as some potentially unexpected expenses to watch out for, in her article ‘Saving For A Trip Overseas’. In addition to these tips, volunteering can provide a way to travel on a much tighter budget.
Trusted sites like Workaway and WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) are platforms for volunteers to get in contact with hosts in just about any country you can dream of. WWOOFing is a specific type of volunteering that focuses on farm work, while Workawayprovides a platform for a huge variety of volunteer work, including house-sitting,administrative assistance, Au Pair and teaching, animal welfare, and more. While I have yet to attempt WWOOF volunteering, my own experience with Workaway was unforgettable. In 2017, I worked on a farm for two weeks in a southern French village, followed by a week of English teaching and Au Pairing in St Petersburg, Russia. I would never have had such an in-depth experience of living in these countries without my wonderful hosts, who I am still in contact with today. Staying at the homes of my host families also enabled me to stay much longer than I would have been able to if I had had to pay for meals and a room.
Image by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash
Each host on Workaway has a profile detailing their needs and what they would like help with, as well as what they can provide for a volunteer – usually free accommodation and meals with the family, along with guidance and tips for getting the most out of the area, and sometimes even transport to local attractions. Meanwhile, volunteers make a profile that shows which countries they are interested in visiting and what kind of work they are willing to do. Hosts and volunteers alike can get in contact with one another to make arrangements. There are plenty of other volunteering options to choose from as well: for example, if you’re lucky enough to have contacts in another country, why not reach out to ask if you can swap some work for them in exchange for a place to stay?
Of course, it’s up to each volunteer to take responsibility for their own safety and security when using these platforms and organising a trip. It is also of utmost importance for volunteers and hosts alike to stick to the responsibilities they agree to, so that everyone involved is satisfied.
Volunteering takes effort and hard work, both to plan and to carry out – but I believe it’s worth every moment.
Image by Oxana V on Unsplash