JTaylor

I'd be interested to hear about your experiences, your motivation, the type of work, the organisation and so forth.

Cheers.

Camoscooby

iTrader: (5)

2000 - Nature Reserve in Belize through Gap Expeditions - 4 months

2001 - Summer Camp in Michigan, US - Camp America - 10 weeks

2003 - Studying Great White Sharks in Gansbaai, South Africa - I set this up myself direct with the research organisation - 4 months

I would recommend a volunteer experience to anyone. The first two trips were part of a larger 'tour' and the shark experience was something I have always been personally interested in.

What were you thinking of doing?

Paul Hutch

Why would you want to help other countries when our own is ****ed up as it is

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Er, travel, experiences, gaining skills on the selfish side and f*cked up as the UK may be its still way better than a lot of places that need help, nobody dies of starvation over here, nobody is short of a glass of water.

I worked on a summer camp in Rhode Island when I was 20 for a couple of months, quite radical for me at the time, basically mentioned it to my dad and he said he didnt think I would ever do it, dont think it was reverse motivation psychology so I just thought bollocks to you, I am going to do it ! great experience.

David Lock

Check out Mercy Ships UK.

dl

SRSport

My wife went with Latin Link a Christian organisation.

Compassion, expand worldly understanding, love for Jesus Christ.

Hard, long labour in very high temperatures.

Many including seeing street children on the corners disappear for a few days to reappear with no legs, arms, ears.

The Satisfaction of seeing a difference being made.

The local drugs Lord befriending them and warning the locals that they will be killed if any harm comes to them while they were out there.

12 of the volunteers being covered in an intensely strong acid used for building that would burn the skin right off with the locals who panicked like you wouldn't believe to hose them down and for not a single mark to be on any of them-praise God.

Camoscooby

iTrader: (5)

Quote:

Originally Posted by J4CKO

Er, travel, experiences, gaining skills on the selfish side and f*cked up as the UK may be its still way better than a lot of places that need help, nobody dies of starvation over here, nobody is short of a glass of water.

Could not have said it better myself mate

Will

Tell them about the time you went to Amsterdam to do some work experience as a hooker.

Aaron1978

iTrader: (12)

I think more people would do it if you got paid.

Camoscooby

iTrader: (5)

I could tell them some stories.............................

Turbohot

PMSL

I have not done any volunteering abroad, I have done paid work in some countries on behalf of a British NGO, and did my own project work out there too. Every experience of this kind aborad has been an eye-opener for me. A lot of people I know volunteered abroad via VSO and VVI etc. They think that they gained a worthwhile experience. Its not all bed of roses out there, for sure. But on the positive side, such opportunity develops one's understanding and repsect towards others' ways of life. One also starts to value what one has, back at home. A wise man once said: "Education begets humility, humility begets worthiness." (Reads much better in Sanskirt, mind ) Volunteering abroad is a form of education, which opens up the invisible windows of your mind (in Gandhi style ), to allow cross-ventilation for knowledge. Thus, even when you volunteer for no financial gain, what you gain is well worth it. I'd encourage anyone to go for it, if one can afford to do it.

PaulC72

doesn't it cost you lots of your own money to help these causes?

SRSport

It cost my wife £4000! Well not her technically as she got sponsorship for organising events and someone gave her a very healthy anonymous cheque.

Turbohot

Yes.

Most organisations now expect one to buy their own air fare. A lot of times, one' food and accommodation will be paid for, but many organisations require one to pay for it oneself, too.

I know a few graduates and PGs who saved up during their degree, and then invested in such volunteering for 3 weeks up to 6 months. Some got their parents to help, some saved up from what they earned.

I don't think any organisation requires anyone to take wads of money to distribute out there, on the name of a cause or a bunch of good causes.

Volunteering isn't just about do-goodery. What a lot of people don't realise is that volunteering is NOT a selfless activity, whether you do it abroad, or locally. One always has an intention to gain something back through volunteering. May it be an experience to improve life skills, global understanding or just something very different, to learn what one really wants from life.

Any activity in relation with "giving" has a power to enable one to actualise. I have understood it very well with my work in voluntary sector for years, and through my own experiences.

People go on holidays, and pay for it from their own pocket. They bring back the usual cheese e.g. photos and some touristic presents back. Volunteering abroad is like a working holiday, where there is a chance to gain some special experience instead of just the usual sunning it on the sand with a glass of shandy all day long.

It doesn't have to be everyone's cuppotee, though.

JTaylor

Thanks for the responses, guys, some interesting stuff. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do, which is why I'm soliciting opinions.

In short, I want to get out of retail (bonuses have dried-up and, given the soulless nature of the industry, they were my only motivation for being in it) and I have a business plan but, the climate's not right at the moment. As such I have maybe a year or so where I'd rather like to do something worthwhile. I've considered going walkabout (South America or the Far East), I've thought about a 'spiritual' retreat (not that fussed on the order or location, could be the Rosicrucians in North America or the Buddhists in Nepal) and I've thought about doing voluntary work in this country (an old schoolfriend is a captain in the Salvation Army and I'd work with his team for a year). However, as far I can see I can combine travel, catharsis and charity by volunteering abroad. I just need to do it, really.

Sounds like some of you have had some fantastic (and harrowing) experiences. I think my biggest reservation is my motivation - ultimately I would be doing it for me; I'm not sure it would altruistic. Having said that I'd like to feel, like SRSport and his wife, compassion would drive me once 'there', wherever 'there' may be.

Leslie

I think it is a noble act to do something like that. I reckon with the way you feel about wanting to do something worthwhile that you would get a great deal of satisfaction from doing it.

The retreat might be a good thing to do from a personal point of view, but I think you would get the most out of working with your Salvation Army Captain's team.

I think that you would find altruism easily enough since the job would be quite an effort to do at times. What would it matter if basically you are doing it for your own ambition, the job you would do would soon make it all worthwhile from your own ideals.

Les

Maz

iTrader: (34)

Wether altruistic or not I think it would be a deeply rewarding experience.

Camoscooby

iTrader: (5)

So do I

Best of luck JTaylor in whatever you decide to do mate