Paying to volunteer can seem a strange concept. Why should someone charge you to work for free? But this is a common misconception about international volunteer programs — the volunteer work is not what you are paying for. So what is the money going towards?
We are often asked why there are costs involved with volunteering. Initially it may seem surprising but we are here to explain.
So why do you have to pay?
Where Your Money Goes
Although you may not realize it initially, there are all kinds of costs involved in establishing and maintaining successful volunteer programs. We believe that a successful volunteer program should bring genuine benefits to both the communities we work with and our volunteers. This is more difficult than it may sound and requires us to carefully select, manage and review the partner organizations we work with.
There are also a number of costs involved with the services we offer our volunteers. NGO’s do not receive any government funding so are dependent on the fees paid by volunteers to pay for the services and resources they provide. These services begin before you volunteer when you’ll be assigned a volunteer coordinator to help you prepare for your trip, and continue when you return home when we’ll help you to stay connected to your projects through our newsletters and updates.
You’ll also usually receive a whole range of services while you’re volunteering, including airport pick-up, training, accommodation, meals, supervision, and access to our 24hr emergency line.
Most volunteer programs are based in developing countries within poverty-stricken communities in places like Asia, Africa and South America. Local grass-roots organizations are working hard to make a difference in their community/environment where the majority of people do not have the funds to adequately feed their families, afford health care, or send their children to school. The communities themselves are in need of infrastructure and support and do not have the ability to cover the costs for the much needed assistance a volunteer provides.
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that the cost of volunteering varies between different organizations and we encourage you to do your research carefully. Although some international sending agencies may not be the very cheapest option available you can be confident that by volunteering with them you will be joining a sustainable and ethical program. Some have placed over 100,000 volunteers!
What is Included in Packages
Most programs include a project donation, which supports foundations do in addressing nutrition, education and healthcare needs, as well as supporting longer-term development approaches, including income generation activities and microfinance.
International volunteer program packages generally include:
Pre-trip
• Personal support from your Program Specialist throughout the preparation process.
• Your Program Guide, with all the details on your placement.
• Fundraising strategies.
• Opportunities for Preferred Pricing and Personalized Service when booking Airfares: through travel partners who go the extra mile to support volunteers.
In-country
• Accommodation: Hostel or shared residence
• Airport pickup: On arrival date.
• Training: In-country orientation and training.
• Supervision: In-country staff supervision.
• Support: Pre-departure personal support from your volunteer coordinator, 24/7 in-country support from partner, and 24hr emergency line.
Post-trip
• An opportunity to debrief and provide feedback
• Free access to Changemakers program which alerts you to future internship/job opportunities.
• A Letter of Completion in Volunteer Service.
• The opportunity to stay connected with your project.
What’s Not Included
The program package does not generally include: Flights, insurance, visas and vaccinations.
Even though accommodation and meals are usually included we recommend you allow a weekly budget of US $100 for your other expenses such as bottled water, transportation, food, personal items etc. Note that this figure does not include alcohol, entertainment, sightseeing etc.
Case Study – Why I Chose to Pay to Volunteer Abroad
There are plenty of options in the world of ‘voluntourism’, as it is often called, that can have a profound impact on a young volunteers life. Pro Bono Australia journalist, Ryan Witcombe writes about his year of volunteering in developing countries.
I did something that had a profound impact on my life – something that more and more Australians are choosing to do. I took a year off from my university studies and volunteered in the developing world.
After two years at university I felt my motivation was waning and I felt I needed to get some direction in my life. I was studying international relations and was passionate about social justice and issues facing the developing world – but I felt that I really needed some hands-on experience. I decided to head overseas and volunteer in a couple of developing countries.
There are plenty of options in the world of ‘voluntourism’ as it is often called, but there is a big difference between organisations that follow best practice and are serious about making lasting change in the developing world, and other operators who are more interested in generating revenue.
After a great deal of research, I settled on an organisation established passionate about working with local partner organisations, and this idea of ‘local solutions to local problems’ was something I was drawn to. They are also an organisation which offers a high level of support to volunteers and plenty of resources, something that made me comfortable applying.
I spent three months volunteering in Nepal with a local partner organisation Volunteer Services Nepal. I lived in a small village outside of Kathmandu and worked at the Brighter Future’s Children’s Home, a home helping for orphaned and abandoned children. I was a long way outside my comfort zone – living with a family that spoke no English, in a village with just one water source (the local tap). I learnt valuable lessons about the lives of people in rural Nepal, and spending three months with the children and BFCH was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
I also spent three months volunteering in Ghana with Help a School Project. I volunteered as a teacher at a high school in the town of Akropong-Akuepem, teaching English, social studies and computers to the students and providing computer training to some of the teachers.
Some people question having to pay to be a volunteer, but when I was in Nepal and Ghana I could see that the money I had paid to be there was funding the projects I was participating in. And my contribution as a volunteer was valuable – I felt I was having an impact on the lives of the people I was working with.
But in reality the real value of my volunteering was in my own growth. I learnt about myself – about what I am capable of and what I am passionate about, and I grew as a person. I returned to Australia still with an interest and passion for social justice and the developing world, but also with confidence and drive, and a self-awareness I hadn’t experienced before.
Still Need Advice?
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask and we’ll be happy to explain in further detail. Or if you need some convincing this experience is right for you check out our top reasons to volunteer abroad.