Volunteer programs abroad are a great way to see the world, change the environment and benefit. They have one more indisputable plus - money does not need to participate in many of them.
What do volunteer programs give, and what are they?
There are a lot of similar programs in the world - from multifunctional ones like the Peace Corps, to small one-time projects somewhere in Nepal or Peru. Anyone can become a volunteer abroad - there is always a program suitable for any combination of age / knowledge / preferences. By directions / characteristics they can be divided into the following:
- Programs for which participation is not necessary to pay.
- Those for which you need to pay (this is not about the services of intermediary agencies, but directly about the programs themselves).
- Volunteer programs abroad, in which the participant covers the cost of flights, meals, accommodation (all of the above or just something) at his own expense.
- Those where most of the expenses are borne by the organization or the host.
All this can be combined in various variations, in addition, volunteer programs abroad work in various fields and directions. Among them are educational projects, nature conservation, work in reserves, medical care, business and construction, and so on. Among the most famous are Au Pair, Work & Study in USA, Peace Corps volunteer programs and EVS.
Work & Study USA and Au Pair
A fairly large number of organizations are aimed at working with youth - Work & Study USA and Au Pair among them. The latter allows you to spend from several months to one or two years in another country, learning its language, living in a local family and helping with housework and children.
The program assumes that the participant receives free room and board, a certain amount of pocket money, while he does not do any hard work and has a lot of free time, including weekends. Participation in the program is paid, or rather, the agency will have to pay, in addition, you must pay the visa and travel expenses to the country of destination and back.
Work & Study USA is a summer program for university students and secondary special educational institutions, which allows you to travel to the United States for work and travel during the summer holidays.
There are other programs of the same name that exploit the idea of work and training, such as Work & Study Canada or Work & Study Australia. Here, as in the case of the Au Pair, you must pay for the program and travel expenses with a visa.
Aiesec
AIESEC, an international youth organization that exists in many countries, offers volunteer programs and internships abroad. She aims to unleash the leadership and professional potential of young people.
AIESEC is fully administered and managed by students and graduates, and offers not only experience in the organization itself, but also international internships in several areas and volunteer social programs around the world.
Work in various positions at AIESEC itself is not paid for in money, however, the employee himself does not have to pay anything. But the members of the organization have access to high-quality trainings and training seminars for a purely nominal fee. Participation in AIESEC internships or volunteer projects also costs very little, especially compared to previous programs, but the participant will have to pay for the visa and travel expenses on their own.
Peace Corps and EVS
Peace Corps is an American organization that conducts volunteer programs abroad in many countries and corners of the planet. Peace Corps is looking for the right person for the right job, that is, almost any adult has a chance to participate. However, 90% of the positions in this organization require some kind of education or special knowledge.
Getting into the Peace Corps is not so easy, but for most of the work they promise financing at a level roughly corresponding to the standard of living of local people.
You can become a volunteer abroad with the help of the EVS (European Volunteer Service) - part of the European Commission's Youth in Action project. They offer a wide variety of jobs and positions for a period of two months to two years, finance accommodation, meals, medical insurance and a visitor’s visa. In addition, EVS covers 90% of travel expenses.
Lesser known and unofficial
Free volunteer programs abroad do not end there - there are also various projects that are not widely known (for example, from the Lanta Animal Welfare organization that cares for dogs and cats in Thailand) and are not even very official (like an assistant position in a small yoga center ) Many opportunities for volunteering for every taste can be found on specialized sites.