Along the way there reaches a time in the lives of many adults where the monotony of career and routine starts to seem less to do with a sense of consistency and more of a gilded cage. The question creeps up in the spaces after the meetings or while in a long-distance commute: Is this all there is? The question is not born in ingratitude, but in a strong, human desire to have meaning, to feel attached to something bigger than the self. It becomes a calling to leave the well beaten path and into a world of deeper experience, to employ the skills and wisdom that we have earned over the years of living in this world not merely so that we might advance ourselves in the world, but so that we might make a better world born out of a global community. This is the origin of the choice of an adult to volunteer in a foreign country. It is a voluntary, active turn against the familiar towards a wish to close the gap between comfortable and meaningful life. It is a validation that the wildest adventure of discovery need not necessarily be upwards on a career ladder but outwards towards the common humanity.
Whereas a gap-year gap trip is usually aimed at self-exploration and adventure, as an older adult, volunteering is an entirely different proposal. It has nothing to do with a self-discovery but rather with understanding those skills that you already have and finding the most effective use of them to share. It is a shift between consumption and contribution, between being a tourist, who looks at a culture, and being a temporally resettled member of a community, who lives in its every day life, its battles and its victories. A more fully realized intention is needed, a more skillful ability to move through mazes of emotion and ethics, a self-awareness that you are an apprentice and you are there to learn as much as or more than you will be able to give. You are not there to come, swoop in, and fix what is wrong, but to simply provide your time, energy, and expertise to reinforce sustainable local-owned programs. It is a collaboration, a mutually reciprocal relationship in which you might be bringing a skillset but you will, without any doubt whatsoever, gain going back about the concepts of resilience, community, and the real meaning of human connection.
But before entering the world of the hopeful potential, it is important to manoeuvre through the ethical mine field which is often associated with international volunteering. There have been occasions on which the industry has been rightfully accused of creating a cycle of voluntouring where the experience is tailored towards the satisfaction of the individual volunteering rather than the actual well-being of the host community. This may be in a form of ill-planned projects, lack of local engagement, and thinly veiled negative stereotypes. This is the most important thing which each potential adult volunteer can do, face this reality and take a course of action not to become an abusive teacher but a responsible and ethical one. This commences with a self-critical look at the self in order to disengage any entrails of a savior complex. You are not going over there to save the people of that place, you are going over there to help the people out on their own feet, and in their way. This implies getting involved with organizations that are very community based, that hire local people in higher positions and that have a clear and open view of how the program fees are utilized to fund their programs.
One of the red flags when it comes to ethics is the problem of orphanage volunteerism. Extensive studies have demonstrated that temporary residence in residential care institutions can be very detrimental to children, building attachment disorders and in worst cases, even contributing to a sickening industry where children are destinedally left to live in abject conditions, in order to guarantee more donor money. The topic of responsible volunteering revolves around family and community preservation, where campaigns are guided towards ensuring that families get to stay together as opposed to institutionalization of children. On a similar note, moral involvement is attached to how you conduct yourself on the ground. It implies seeking the consent of taking photographs of individuals, especially children. It implies to dress and conduct in such a way that will be respectful towards local practices. And above all of that it is listening much more than talking, it is offering yourself as a willing learner, not as a teacher at every possible meeting. It is not to make oneself a beacon of positive, sustainable change and thus have nothing to do but the instantaneous hero of a story.
The greater depth of experience of this commitment will also involve facing the major practical obstacles that apply only to adult living. Quitting a job, a home and a network of personal responsibilities is much more a complicated affair than filling a backpack after university. It can take the form of negotiating a break or sabbatical in the job with the employer, a process that involves discussing the extent to which the skills acquired in the new country, such as cross-cultural communication, ability to solve challenges, resilience, will bring benefits back in the motherland: This involves a clear presentation of how the studied skills will be useful back home. It entails a good financial planning where one draws a strong budget which not only estimates the amount to meet the program costs and traveling costs, but also takes into consideration the aspect of responsibilities back home, like mortgage, school rent or even a student loan. In a case where a student has a family, it may imply painful dialogues and tricky compositions. These are not minor logistical problems but they are also a part of the act. Getting over them is the first step in displaying the willingness and creativity it will take on the ground to make the abstract dream of volunteering a reality, to make a reality a well-planned one.
As soon as the above considerations have been made as the basis, it is possible to start the helpful and exciting process of investigating the impressive expanse of opportunity at your disposal. The adult volunteering world is one of the most diverse worlds there is and there are placements to suit all possible skills sets and passions. Others who are inclined in the natural environment have the opportunity of getting in the frontline of the defense of the rich diversity of life on earth in the conservation and environmental projects. This may involve researching at a wildlife rehabilitation center in the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest, where one would look after wounded sloths, monkeys, as well as birds with future releases to their wild environment being the target. An example would be to work on a marine conservation team in Belize or Thailand in which one would learn how to scuba dive and help out on coral reef monitoring and restoration activities. Terrestrial conservation There is also an opportunity in terms of conservation work on the ground, e.g. in support of anti-poaching patrols and habitat research in a South African game reserve, or assistance with a reforestation and sustainable agriculture project in the Amazon. Such work can usually be physically challenging; however, the potential payback is enormous, as one is actually working to maintain fragile ecosystems and endangered species.
Community development programs help people to pursue human empowerment especially to those whose interests and attractions are not plants or animals but rather with people. Such initiatives are very diversified and aim at promoting social and economic welfare of a union. You may end up working at a women empowerment cooperative in Guatemala or India and helping with skills training, financial literacy or marketing of local artisans. It is a strong method of promotising gender equality and assisting women to attain economic freedom. There are other projects that deal with infrastructure but these have to be selected. The ethical-most programs are those by which a building of schools or community centers or clean-water systems with local builders is accomplished, that is, a sharing of skills by both local and foreign builders but not a process of turf-burning by unskilled foreigners as applicants to local workers. Such projects are all about capacity building and making them self-sufficient so that the positive effect remains long after the volunteers have gone home.
Another important aspect in which mature adults can play a great and permanent role is in education and skills transferal. Although English teacher is a traditional volunteering position, the contemporary ethical practice is based on empowerment of local teachers rather than a replacement of them. This could include serving as a classroom assistant, assisting with conversational drills and assisting in the preparation of learning materials with a local teacher. Other than the language, there are many other skills that the adult professionals can bring on the table. An IT worker might offer to install a computer facility at some neighborhood facility and instruct people about digital literacy. A person who is skilled in the business or finance sectors might advise potential business people within a micro-finance program on how it is possible to build up business plans and lead their financial frontiers. It is a two-way street in volunteering where your particular skill that you have developed over a lifetime can be offered at a high level in a way that it does what is most needed.
Individuals with a medical or public health background can use their healthcare placements to add value to the lives of underserved communities. This is an area which requires qualifications and ethical practices the most. Certified doctors, nurses, and other medical workers may be placed at the rural clinics and local hospitals, giving much needed assistance to the local workers. What matters is that this has to be done within the limits of your professional qualifications and the laws of the host country and that what you are taking there is to assist and not to be in charge. Even to the people who are not the doctors per se, good opportunities still exist in the public health field. This may include helping out in health education campaigns, improving the hygiene and sanitation activities in the schools or working on the nutrition knowledge campaigns. These efforts concentrate on prevention and educational activities, which is very vital in a healthy community.
Last but not least, to the community of the animal lovers, they have a direct means of looking after their lost causes- through animal welfare projects. Unlike wildlife protection, the programs usually deal with domesticated animals or animals under captivity. You might be able to take up a job at a dog and cat rescue facility in a Greek island or in Romania and assist in feeding, socializing and taking care of strays. It is an emotionally gratifying employment and is of great asset to the underfunded local organizations. There are also other alternatives in the form of sanctuaries where animals which have been rescued can stay like the elephant sanctuaries in Thailand or the bear sanctuaries in Southeast Asia. These are some of the factors that should be put into consideration when selecting such a project, they should be well researched so that they are actual sanctuaries that value the welfare of the animals and do not involve exploitive tourist-related activities such as riding and performing. This project gives you the opportunity to treat your compassionate feelings by active and practical care of vulnerable animals.
The inspiring part is to find the project that you identify yourself with, whether the one related to conservation or to healthcare. The other extremely important, realistic aspect is to go through the procedure of actually reaching it. This would start with identifying the correct organization and doing proper vetting of the organization. The volunteer world has been large, with big international placements agencies, small, specialized non-profits and grassroots organizations which you can contact directly. Big organisations such as IVHQ, GoEco or GVI have a streamlined organisation, enormous support and a meaningful range of programmes, which may be comforting to an initial volunteer. This is usually made at the cost of a greater program fee and a more standardized experience. Larger and general, non-profits can be a less all-embracing and individual-oriented placement, with a need to be more self-organized. The most real and financially beneficial alternative, again, may be a first-line voluntary participation in an NGO on the ground, however, this is accompanied by extremely thorough preliminary research, direct contact, and a high level of self-reliance.
The vetting process is important no matter the type of organization. There is nothing bad in asking very difficult questions. How is it that my program fees go where? seek a breakdown. How do you relate well with the host community in the long term, and do you hire any local individuals in the leading positions? Are there previous volunteers I can talk to so I can inquire about their experience? Look at the online reviews in various sources of information. An ethical organization will be open, will anticipate and encourage your questions, and will have a discernible, provable record of delivering a beneficial (and preferably lasting) change. As soon as you have decided which organization to embark on training and have been accepted into the program this can even be through the application forms, interviews and background checks, the preparation process comes into play. This is phase of intense work time involving raising funds to meet your expenses, visiting a travel doctor to understand what immunizations and other health measures you need, obtaining the proper visa, and filling up your time researching the culture of the country that you will be visiting. The best way to show respect and which will go a long way in showing how you appreciate the local language is by learning to greet people and use some phrases in the local language.
Financial is part of the preparation of this to a considerable extent. It is necessary to make an elaborate budget. This should also be the program fee (excluding international flights, comprehensive travel and medical insurance, the application of visas, and other essential gear). It is also important to make budget calculations on local expenses; perhaps this means the daily transport costs; not covered meals in the program; some farther traveling you would like to use your weekends or after being placed. To a large number of adults it means setting aside a specific time to save, but the monetary cost is in investment in a lifetime experience with returns on personal development, which are lifelong. The way of packing is also different. It is not vacation. It is best that you take something that is practical, long lasting, and most importantly (culturally appropriate). it ought to be work facing and modest of local habitat. Rather than bringing things to donate, like candy to children, or old clothes, perhaps you can ask your host organization what their community lacks, like school materials, or first-aid supplies. This helps to make your charity really helpful.
The spreadsheets, visa forms and packing lists are only the prelude though. It is actually the experience itself, and the deep diary of coming back home, that real transformational experience takes place. It is critical to work with your expectations. The living conditions might be extremely primitive compared to the one you are used to. Some problems will come your way that you would not have expected. It will include episodes of frustration, awkwardness, and being extremely emotional. The job can be physically and also emotionally fatiguing. This is no resort vacation, this is the real live, the complexities. A way to manage this is by being flexible, strong and having a sense of humor. You should be ready to abandon your own strict standards and learn to live in the foreign rhythm and rhythm of life. You will learn to embrace the idea of discomfort, and this is a skill that cannot be undervalued in life, in general.
The second part of the journey is the one that is the most unpredictably tough of all. A reverse culture shock is a real thing. Coming back to the fast-consumeristic culture of your home place, after several weeks or months of leading a life of utility and austerity is just as shocking. Your priorities will be changed. You do not want to hear the worries of your friends and family when you know problems faced in person. Women find it hard to explain to those who have not experienced it the extent of the experience and this makes them feel lonely. Personally, you might also be impatient, be judgmental of your own culture or get desperately homesick.
It is also important not to be harsh with oneself at this transition phase. There should be a way of applying the lessons gained in your home life. This can simply involve living a more minimalist life or something more dramatic such as switching career to a profession that is more in touch with your new ideals. Keep in touch with this organization that you have worked with and become a voice of their cause. Tell your story to others, not in a superiority position, but as a part of a humble reflection, not what you did in the community with which you served made it better, but what you received out of it. This will enable you to pay tribute to your experience and affect it positively. As an adult, volunteering in a foreign country is not just a period in time when you take a mental break in your life, it is a life changing and paradigm shifting experience. It is a thing of going out of your own story, and being a small element of some really big story, a path that shatters open your heart and then floods it with a greater knowledge of the world and what the meaning of it all is, to you. It is a testimony of existence that it is never too late to change, to contribute, and to respond to the call of leading a more meaningful existence
