Volunteering vs Voluntourism

Presumably you want to volunteer to do some good somewhere and not just 'cos you're too skint / scared to go travelling completely independently. Wanting to give your time for the greater good is commendable indeed, nevertheless it's a romantic notion that doesn't reflect the majority of volunteering opportunities offered to travellers by businesses in the developed world. 'Voluntourism' has grown exponentially in the past decade and is a booming business. Ten years back, companies offering volunteering opportunities abroad were few and far between. Today there are over 70 such companies in the UK alone, with the industry's estimated worth being over GBP800 million. From teaching to working with pigmy elephants there's a company that can sell you the opportunity to volunteer to do anything abroad. The good news is that with a little savvy you can indeed be of some use.

Corporate Do-Gooders

For the most part the industry is focused around gap yearers between 18-24, new to travel, wanting to go abroad, but unsure how to do so and a little apprehensive at the uncertainly and perceived danger of independent travel, and of course who want to help out and 'give something to the world'. One such company to pick up on these unsuspecting would be volunteers and a major player is 'i-to-i'.

Just to illustrate how much of a business this industry has become it's worth knowing that 'i-to-i' is owned by 'First Choice Holidays', one of the major package holiday operates in Europe (the parent group is TUI which owns other brands such as Thomson). Take a look at theirs and other glossy sites with promise of 'learning a skill', 'life changing travel', 'meaningful train tours' and prices topping several thousand Euros/Dollars.

'I want to help out, I want to make a contribution, I want to travel in a way that is worthwhile'. is all well and good but think carefully; What are your motivations? Why are you paying large sums to volunteer? Where is the money going? How come the company is spending a lot on advertising? Should I not take this same money and donate to a specific project or at least fund raise at home? The slicker the website, brochure, whatever, the more glossy the opportunity (collecting turtle eggs anyone?), the more you need to be aware. Volunteering was never meant to be comfy and it's certainly not a holiday.

On a Positive Note...

There are loads of worthwhile opportunities available and tonnes for free or with non-profit making organisations which you can contact directly - of which there are some links to on this site in the links section and can easily be found with some savvy web searching and questions. Organisations like VSO and Peace Corp fpr example function in a totally different manner and your time, if you're qualified enough, will be well spent with them.