Save Money by Travelling as a Volunteer

Do you want to travel to faraway countries but are always put off by the expenses involved? Do you want to travel for extended periods of time? Do you want to gain a deeper experience of a foreign culture than is offered by the typical package deal? If you were nodding your head as you read these questions, then travelling as a volunteer might be for you.

My experience as a volunteer began when I was an undergraduate student. My undergraduate school, in West Virginia, was a member of the Bonner Scholar Program. As a student in this program, I received a scholarship in exchange for completing community service. Each summer, the requirement was 240 hours of community service. Extra funding gave me the chance to complete these hours overseas. I made the most of this unique opportunity by spending three consecutive summers trotting around the globe. I made bread at a Kibbutz in Israel; I helped complete vegetation surveys with The Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers in the rainforests of Australia; I worked with disadvantaged children in the UK; and I taught English, as a Global Service Corps Volunteer, to classes of excited and unruly school children in the north of Thailand.

These were fantastic opportunities that helped me to develop as an individual and to learn about the lives of people in other cultures. I was lucky enough to receive funding. Nevertheless, for those without funding, volunteering overseas for an extended period can still be a very cheap way to spend time abroad. Usually, the volunteer will pay for the airfare. Also, a small fee (anywhere from $500 upwards) is payable to the agency. In exchange for this, however, you will receive accomodation and, most likely, food. The expense for 3 or 4 months approximates to no more than the cost of spending three weeks backpacking in Europe, a common summer option for American students.

How about the work itself? Many people think that a "working holiday" is an oxymoron. However, most volunteer work is great fun. There are, of course, a few agencies that want cheap labor. However, if you do your research thoroughly, you can usually identify, and thus avoid, such agencies. Most assignments will involve you working alongside or interacting with the locals. The work provides, therefore, a unique opportunity to develop an understanding of another culture that most tourists are unlikely to have. The work may also teach you new skills, give you practice in teamwork and leadership, and give you work-experience. It will, therefore, bolster your resume.

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