Ethical Travel for Females
With so much talk these days of responsible travel and ecotourism, a three-week sun-soaked adventure seems suddenly hedonistically self-indulgent. (Although it could just be me) If you’re looking for more out of your next travel adventure why not consider volunteering your time. From half a day to half a year, you can find your cultural immersion and a way to give back to the people you are visiting.
The best way to integrate a volunteering session into your travel plans is to find something the interests and engages you as much as any sightseeing excursion or day at the beach. There’s no point in doing something you’re not going to enjoy as you’re less likely to give your all. And if you’re not going to be there 100%, why go? There are plenty of options from teaching English to community development. If you have a passion for animals or the environment there’s plenty of conservation projects that you can get involved in.
Those who come with the best of intentions sometimes waver in their commitment after a few days or weeks.
One of the newer developments in the volunteer travel agenda is the pay-to-volunteer schema. Usually what this encompasses is the finances to house, feed, transport and train you. Some companies put you on a stipend where you pay per-day you plan to stay. Others sign you up for a few weeks or a few months at a time. The former option also usually attaches a ‘donation’ charge to your kitty.
If you decide to go with a placement organization and are wondering why you’re charged the additional donation on top of the basic necessities, the answer is twofold; First you are providing a donation to the community you have been living in hopes that your contribution will further to the sustainability and development of the people once you have returned to the relative comfort and safety of your own home. Secondly, you are paying for the time, money and patience invested by the placement organization who has worked to provide you with a safe and appropriate placement for their volunteers. Poor, grass-roots operations are less likely to have the time or the man power to train those they can not depend upon. That is why the nurtured, long-established relationship of there volunteer bureaus come in handy
Even with the less costly, pay-as-you-go option, paying the money makes sense as you’re cementing your commitment. Those who come with the best of intentions sometimes waver in their commitment after a few days or weeks. Therefore becoming something more of a hindrance than a help as those you’re assisting need to take the time necessary to train you and get you up to speed with their operation. This orientation often takes the first few days. It quickly becomes tiresome to retrain the same material to people who aren’t going to be around much past next week.
Volunteer travel is a new way to experience the political and social aspects of a country or region. Often placed in a homestay, you’ll get this not only at work but home as well. It is a full and complete immersion.
Stop and consider how rock-solid your intentions truly are.
But before you jump on the do-good bandwagon you’ll need to stop and consider how rock-solid your intentions truly are. This is going to be an experience of a lifetime, but it is going to be challenging and there is no such thing as a trouble-free visit to a third world country, a disaster relief area, or the aftermaths of a blood civil war. Is this really for you? Do your research, talk to other volunteers, discuss the options with those who know you best to find out if you have what it takes to make this kind of a pledge. Also, be upfront and honest about what your time frame and abilities are. If you’re only looking to stay two-weeks, make sure you let people know about this so that your time can be utilized to the fullest.
Once you have decided you would like to become an international volunteer, there is a whole world of options available to you.
A few places to being your search include:
www.i-to-i.com A charity, a TEFL course, a volunteer placement and a benchmark for meaningful travel
www.responsibletravel.com mixing tourism holidays with responsible and ethical consideration
www.vso.org.uk an international development charity that works through vounteers
www.foe.co.uk Friend’s of the Environment for the Conservationist in the crowd
