There are many opportunities to do help others while on a volunteer vacation. You not only get to visit faraway places, learn about other cultures and meet people from all walks of life, you are also helping other people, animals and the environment with volunteer work
Going on a volunteer vacation is educational, fun and
rewarding while you help others.
The first thing that you should do is consider what skills
you can offer and what kind of volunteer work you could do to help others. It
could be skills like teaching, carpentry, rebuilding historic ruins or helping
scientists with endangered species.
You normally have to pay your own way there and back but
many times your housing and meals are provided for you. There are support
groups going along with you and if there is an emergency, help us usually close
by.
There are some groups that will pay for your travel expenses
while in country and for your medical insurance. These volunteer
work trips or volunteer vacations could also be tax deductible. The
following web sites have links for you to talk with former volunteers as well
and get ideas on what you might like to do and how to plan for a trip.
If you’re concerned about traveling to any of these
countries, the US State
Department web site has travel warnings and tips for traveling abroad and
all the information you might need to plan a trip overseas.
Habitat for Humanity
Before looking around the world to volunteer your help,
there are many programs for you to travel here in the United
States. A group called Habitat for Humanity
helps building homes for people all over the US.
This group has recently helped those people displaced by Hurricane Katrina and
Hurricane Rita, and more help is always needed after natural disasters.
Habitat for Humanity also has programs that travel outside
of the United States
and do volunteer work. They have recently had programs in Cambodia,
China, Guatemala,
Honduras, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Paraguay,
Thailand and Vietnam,
and they are adding more volunteer work programs. You can find more information
on the Habitat for Humanity website.
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| Habitat for Humanity in Malysia |
Earthwatch Institute
Recently, Earthwatch sponsored 130 different research
projects in 40 countries and 20 states. They have expeditions to all of the
continents and do work in the following areas. Archeology and Paleontology,
climate change, cultures, human and wildlife conflicts, managing resources,
ocean life, threatened animals and threatened habitats.
Some of their recent volunteer work included a bird study in
France, swim
and snorkel in the Bahamas
to study corals, ecology studies in Madagascar,
Brazil and Namibia
and climate change studies from Ecuador
to the Arctic. For more information, please go to the
Earthwatch website.
Global Volunteer Network
Another group that needs volunteers worldwide is the Global
Volunteer Network, based in Wellington, New
Zealand. They have work in the following
countries: Ethiopia,
Ghana, South
Africa, Kenya,
Uganda, Cambodia,
Nepal, Thailand,
Vietnam, China,
India, Philippines,
Romania, Costa
Rica, Honduras,
Mexico, Peru
and also South Dakota to the
Sioux Indian reservation to help the Lakota Indians.
Global Volunteer Network has had some recent trips including
a trip to Kenya
and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
This trip helped orphaned children in Kenya.
Some of their popular current projects include:
- Teaching English in Costa Rica
- Mentor children in Rwanda
- Childcare in Peru
- Cultural exchange in Nepal
- Helping children in Vietnam
- Helping orphans in Uganda
You can find more information on the Global Volunteer Network website.
United Planet
Another group with needs for volunteer work in 150
different countries, they have what they call short term volunteer quests that
last for 1 to 12 weeks and long term that last for 6 to 12 months. You can find
more information on the United Planet website.
I to I
This group offers volunteer work trips to many
countries as well, they have a program called TEFL which is teaching English
abroad among, other volunteer work including, community development, wildlife
and conservation work.
They have test and language courses to prepare you to teach
English abroad as well as tests to find out what you might like to do on a
volunteer vacation. You can find more information on the I to I website.
Conclusion
As you can see there is a wide range of skills that are
needed and areas that you can volunteer your time and efforts all over the United
States and the world.
Copyright © 2008-2014 Sam Montana
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