Volunteering abroad is an exciting opportunity, but it can be nerve-wracking if it’s your first time. Managing your expectations is important in order to get the most out of the trip, and to do that you need to ask the right questions.
But beyond your own personal expectations, it’s also important that you have the right information to choose a project which makes a genuine difference to the community and society as a whole.
Any good volunteer organisation should be happy to answer anything you want to know, so don’t be shy about asking. And if the answers you’re getting back are evasive or not fully transparent, you may need to consider a new project.
Questions You Need to Ask Before Volunteering Abroad
Arrival
To start with, you need to make sure you’re clear on travel arrangements. Will you be arranging your own flights? Do they have someone to help you with that, or a recommended airline?
A volunteer organisation that’s been around a while should be able to advise you about travel agents, airlines, and even flight times that previous volunteers have found affordable and successful.
Will someone be picking you up from the airport when you get there? If not, ask if someone can explain the public transport route and costs, or other popular ways for their volunteers to travel to the accommodation.
Adjusting
It’s normal to be apprehensive about settling in. Will there be an English-speaker who can help show you around? Will someone show you where you can buy groceries? Do you need to speak any of the local language to get by?
Finding out the answers to these kinds of questions will help you be aware of what the first few days will be like. You can also ask what an average day is like there for a volunteer to get an idea of what your schedule will be.
If the example schedule doesn’t line up to your needs – for example, if you need to go to bed much earlier than they’d expect you to – don’t be afraid to ask if there’s a different project that would accommodate that need better.
Accommodation
Ideally, you won’t be spending a lot of time in your accommodation as you’ll be out either working or exploring. But sleep is important, as is your leisure time, so you should find out if it will be suited to what you need.
Will you be sharing a room? Will you be in a dorm or a homestay? Is there electricity, running water, wi-fi? What are the washing facilities like? Is there a kitchen for you to cook in or are your meals provided?
Think about what you could put up with, what you can’t stand, and what is absolutely essential to you.
Free Time
The most important part of your trip is, of course, volunteering. But you should have a few spare hours here and there to explore the host country, hang out with your fellow volunteers, go grocery shopping, and so on.
Ask the organisation how much free time you can expect to have, what activities are recommended, how much they cost, and whether anyone will be able to help you book trips and travel away from the project.
Experience
Some projects, locations and roles will be better served by someone with specific skills and experience, whereas others will benefit from having an eager pair of extra hands.
An adviser will be able to point you in the right direction for a project that suits your skills. But if you’re not sure you have any relevant experience, ask if the project you like the look of requires you to be experienced.
Will you be able to help without a specific skill? Will your skills be useful in a less obvious way? Will you have to opportunity to train or learn a new skill?
Impact
Possibly the most important aspect of managing your expectations is knowing what impact you will make. If you’re a short-term volunteer, this might not be anything you can see before you leave but contributes to the bigger picture.
Volunteer organisations should help you stay realistic about how much of an impact you’ll make. Ask them about the impact of the whole project too, not just socially but environmentally as well. See if they use sustainable materials, or if they’re open to suggestions for more sustainable practices.
Ask as Many Questions as You Can
These are just examples, so there may be many other things you want to know about and other areas to cover. Think about what you want to get out of your trip and try to find out as much as you can.
The more you ask, the more likely you’ll find your perfect match of a project.
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- When it comes to volunteering abroad, here are ideas for questions you should ask before committing.
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- When it comes to volunteering abroad, here are ideas for questions you should ask beforWhen it comes to volunteering abroad, here are ideas for questions you should ask before committing. e committing.
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Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; an online magazine dedicated to opening your eyes to the wonders of the wild & natural world.
Having visited 50+ countries across all seven continents, Megan’s travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible journeys. She has a strong passion for ecotourism, and aims to promote responsible travel experiences.
13 Comments
I was a volunteer high-school math teacher for two years in rural Africa. No electricity or running water, and it was before cell-phone coverage (let alone Internet). All transportation was public–I didn’t have a car or motorbike (or bicycle–it was frowned upon for women where I lived and I had to respect that). I didn’t go with any expectations of comfort, beyond taking a battery-operated tape deck.
Any volunteer makes a big impact, but not always in the way they think. For unskilled labor, no–usually the countries where these projects take place there’s a huge pool of unskilled labor. So you’re just being free unskilled labor, which actually kind of hurts the broader community, even if free labor helps the specific project.
The impact, though, isn’t how many bricks you mortar. It’s your contacts with the community and your example. Are you interested in the local culture and people? Are you friendly? Are you hard-working? Are you honest? Those are the things that make an impact locally. For people who don’t have the means to travel, tourists (including volunteers) are their introduction to the wider world.
When you return home is when you have an even bigger impact. You have first-hand experience and can educate other people about what life is like in another country. You can advocate to your elected officials in favor of aid.
I’d get super clear before volunteering anywhere Meg to ensure I am empowering people and not enabling them. If you want to genuinely aid humanity, volunteer to ensure that people do not need volunteers down the road. Focus on allowing people to be self-sustaining if you want to make the ultimate difference. Then maybe these folks will be volunteering in your home country down the road.
This is incredibly helpful, thankyou.
Anther question to always ask is where your money goes too. Unfortunately there are many volunteer organizations now who only care about profit, and the larger impact suffers as a result. Organizations who aren’t transparent with this information should be avoided.
Really is so important nowadays to make sure you’re actually making a difference. It’s true where you mention that individuals may not actually see the impact they make, but asking questions about the bigger picture even if you’re there on a shorter program goes a long way to understanding what you’re contributing too. In this sense too, there’s never anything wrong with staying in touch with the project leaders or other volunteers who might be staying longer than you for updates as to how everything’s going after you’ve returned home. I have a lot of continued interest in the projects I have contributed to over the years.
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Such a practical post, going to make a check-list out of it. Thanks!
Great examples, how long do you think is a good amount of time to volunteer for?
Also as important I think are the questions you need to ask yourself – what do you want to get out of the experience, how much time can you really commit, what are you really good at that you could contribute etc.
A lot of these questions like the arrival info, accommodation etc should be covered on a company’s website, so pretty easy to get answers to. The same questions can usually also be answered by people who’ve done the placement before. I did a placement last year and they had a facebook group for past volunteers which was really helpful.
I like to ask too how old an organization is and what their mission is. Since you’re committing a lot of time I think it’s really important to be completely on board with their values and goals.
Megan,
As someone who has considered volunteer abroad opportunities – I did an interview with the Peace Corp, etc., I found your blog useful and inspiring.
How do you get these kind of (Volunteering abroad) opportunities?