Feature Photo: Space Ritual/ Photo Above: Kitt R

According to the Director of the DREAM Project (Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring Project), Catherine Delaura, the project provides “quality educational opportunities to Dominican youth,” which is something that is important for all children.  The main programs in the project are preschools using the Montessori method, programs for at-risk youth, after school programs, and summer camps, serving children from 3-18 years old.  Anyone living the Colonia Nueva community can participate, and they also work with two local public schools to invite at-risk youth to participate in the program.

I connected with Catherine to find out more about the project.

Why is there a need for the DREAM Project in the DR?

Catherine: Generally in rural areas of the DR, the public schools are so over-burdened with large quantities of students and a lack of materials and funds, that they cannot properly educate everyone.  We work with the local community and public schools to offer additional enrichment in literacy and extra-curricular activities so our young people can have satisfying lives and choices in their future.

Who runs it?  If you have volunteers, where are they from?

Catherine:  The Montessori Program is fully Dominican-run.  We are training our local teachers in an AMS training course in Santo Domingo, so they will be American Montessori Certified.  The youth programs are generally run by American long-term volunteers, as well as local part-time volunteers who are both foreign and Dominican.

How can people help from home?

Catherine: People can help by bringing school supplies when they visit, or hosting fundraisers that lead to monetary donations (we are a 501(c)3 in the states, so all donations are tax deductible). We have a PowerPoint if someone wants to introduce the project to their community and do a small fundraiser.  We also use student trips from the US as a way to get volunteers here to do service learning projects in our schools. So one way people can help is to introduce our project to their school or Spanish departments that may be interested in sending a group down here.

If you are headed to that area and would like to volunteer, visit the DREAM Project website or email info@dominicandream.org for more information!

Community Connection:

Looking for other opportunities to volunteer?  Check out Matador’s Volunteering Abroad focus page for some great resources!

Photo by Dirk Hartung/Feature Photo by run4unity

Delhi is teeming with ideas, opportunities, and people who work with exciting social change and social justice projects.

The capital city of India offers many pathways into doing great work within the city itself, and projects vary greatly in terms of the skills and time commitment they require. Even if you’re just passing through, it is likely that you can find some places where you can volunteer. Here are some exciting urban volunteering opportunities in Delhi:

Pravah

Pravah works with adolescents and young people, as well as organizations and institutions, and seeks to empower young people to become leaders. It has many ongoing projects among which its urban volunteering project, SMILE. SMILE involves people between the ages of 18 to 25 with several organizations working within the city of Delhi, matching interest areas with organization profiles. Apart from internships, Pravah also offers open workshops and discussions for young people in a bid to involve them in social change projects and concepts. They strongly believe in volunteering as a key part of learning through experience and require volunteers to commit at least 40-50 hours to their project.

Centre for Science and Environment

CSE has a very flexible volunteer program and offers opportunities that range from field work to work at home positions. Volunteers can be of any age group and do not need to have a particular skill set or any specific qualifications. There’s an online system by which people can apply to volunteer. At any given point, CSE has at least 20-25 volunteers working with them, and these are usually placed under a team leader or guide. Volunteers also receive a 50% discount on all CSE products. You can email them at cse@cseindia.org.

Photo by asebest

Jamghat

What started as a theatre project involving homeless children for a special production put up for Prince Charles is now an organization that has a home for boys, an outdoor daycare center, and an upcoming home for girls in Delhi. The home for boys houses 15 children and provides them with food, shelter, safety, education, and vocational training.

The daycare center tries to cater to the big population of homeless children around the Jama Masjid. Volunteers are needed to spend time with the kids and teach them, and long term volunteers are appreciated for a formal theatre group trained by Jamghat. Volunteers with special skills such as psychological counseling or medical care experience are especially welcome. More information is available at jamghat@gmail.com.

The Hope Project

This organization focuses on health, education, and livelihood and income generation around Dargah Hazrat Inayat Khan in the slums of Nizamuddin in Delhi. Volunteers are welcomed from different age groups and backgrounds, and there is plenty to get involved in, including teaching computer classes, typing, and English, to documentation, vocational training, and health care. The Project asks for a minimum time commitment of one month and can be reached at info@hopeprojectindia.org.

Manzil

Email, call, or just drop by to volunteer at Manzil, which works to provide education and a community for local youth from low income backgrounds. Based on how much time you can commit and your specific skills and interests, there is much you can do to help out at Manzil.

Kutumb

Photo by waywuwei

This organization was founded by students from Delhi University in 2002 to make education accessible to economically disadvantaged children living in the slums behind Khan Market in the city. They depend largely on volunteers and welcome people who can help with administrative work, teaching, research, documentation, mobilization of media, volunteers and institutions, help with design, and technical help with their website, as well as reporting and writing.

Friendicoes

If you want to help stray animals in Delhi, Friendicoes SECA (Society for the Eradication of Cruelty to Animals) is doing some good work. They have an extensive page on their website detailing how a volunteer can help out.

Community Connection

If you are interested in volunteering opportunities around the world, visit Matador’s Volunteering Abroad Focus Page.

Kids in Gaza Camp; Photos: Author

I recently met up with Jordanian blogger and social activistAli Dahmash and Mohammad Yousef, a Jordanian engineer living in Ryadh, to talk about social issues affecting their country.

“Let’s start with some figures,” Ali said. “Jordan has the highest number of Palestinian refugees: around two million. With the Iraq war, Jordan has been hosting more than 500,000 Iraqi refugees. Poverty levels reach 13% and 50% of the population is under 30.”

According to Ali, the country’s most poverty-stricken regions are in central and southern Jordan. “Palestinian refugees are among the most needy,” he explained. “They have no citizenship or national ID; therefore, they can’t work anywhere, [and they] can’t get health insurance nor social security or free education.”

Where the UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency] is involved, schools were built and healthcare centers have been opened. But while the UN is helping the refugees, the UN itself is ignoring all the UN resolutions against Israel. Same applies to the WHO and World Food Organization: they spend millions to support Palestinians and at the same time they work with pro-Zionist organizations.”

Sharing a border with Palestine makes Jordan’s heavy involvement in the Palestinian issue inevitable. “The whole idea of activism grew stronger during the war on Gaza,” explained Ali, “and the shipping company Aramex launched a campaign to collect every kind of donation from Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia: people from all ages, children, women, men helped and drove near the airport to sort the boxes going to Gaza. The spirit was truly overwhelming.”

A nursery sponsored by volunteers.

“Most activities are aimed at youth empowerment and social awareness,” said Mohammad. “Although charities are the leading organizations, grassroots activism is getting stronger.”

Ali and Mohammad have helped me make out a list of volunteering opportunities in Jordan.

Ruwwad

Ruwwad specializes in local community development, domestic issues, and education opportunities. They have built a local library, a gym, an Internet lab, a police station, and a post office. Many volunteers (Jordanians and non Jordanians) work with Ruwwad to provide language and handcraft classes, even lessons on how to create blogs. Also, many schools in Jordan take their students on volunteering trips to Ruwwad.

Gaza Camp in Jerash

“A group of seven people, including myself,” said Ali, “founded an NGO in the Gaza Camp in Jerash, one of Jordan’s most populated and poor refugee camps, to boost business opportunities. 23,000 people are living in one square kilometer and none of them have a national ID or passport. Our idea is to encourage established enterprises to launch their projects here, [thus] securing a regular income for the refugees. We will extend this initiative also to other poor areas in Jordan.”

Ibdaa

Ibdaa(‘Talent’ in Arabic) sponsors gifted children in different fields such as music, education or any talent they might have, with the goal to give them the chance to cultivate their abilities. “I, myself, have participated in one of their projects,” told me Ali, “and I’ve collected the money to buy a laptop for a girl who was starting university.”

Kitabi Kitabak

Kitabi Kitabak (‘My Book, Your Book’) works closely with the UNRWA and Ibdaa, and specializes in building libraries for children. “Some of the children I met didn’t even know what color pens are!” said Ali. Kitabi Kitabak has built libraries in refugee camps in Jordan, Palestine, and Syria.

Zikra

Zikra is an initiative that promotes an “tourism exchange” where people get to know each others’ cultures by mutual visits to their respective communities. “You can provide money or workshops to the local community in exchange for a trip where residents will teach you their traditional crafts and make you experience their lifestyle,” explained Ali.

Nakhweh

Nakhweh– “your means for giving back to communities in the Arab world,” Nakhweh– was started by a group of young Jordanians, who set up this website to encourage people to get involved in the life of local communities. They list all opportunities available and help volunteers find what best matches their interests, enhancing individual participation in the vulnerable areas where they feel most comfortabl.

Ali’s devotion to his projects is remarkable: “Social activism is growing in Jordan, maybe not as much as in other countries, but I hope we are on the right track. And thanks to social media like Twitter and Facebook, it’s much easier to get in touch.”

Community Connection:

If you’ve got some downtime from volunteering in Jordan, you might want to use Baxter Jackson’s article “In Jordan, Forget Lonely Planet; Bring the Bible” as your guide to religious sites. And if you love art, then check out Sarah Irving’s article, “Modern Art in Amman, Jordan.”

So I’ve been searching. Searching for the type of organization that isn’t just going in and teaching English, but is going in and teaching skills to help the people be sustainable on their own, after we go home. Like the big debate on aid to foreign countries – if they learn to depend on us, what good are we really doing?

When the opportunity arose to speak with Filippo Bozotti of Tribe Wanted, I glanced at the website and thought it looked interesting, so I took on the interview. It’s funny how things like that work, because after I looked into the website a bit more, I realized this was just the organization I was looking for.

What exactly is Tribe Wanted?

Filippo: Tribe Wanted is an innovative tourism initiative in which tourists (tribe members) and people from the local community develop eco-tourism from scratch. They experience it together and learn from one another. In a nutshell it’s an online/offline platform and an eco-tourism/social tourism project.

The projects that Tribe Wanted work on take two years to even get off the ground, because they are committed to each community being sustainable financially before they get started. Filippo is working with a community of people in Sierra Leone, a country that has been rebuilding since the war ended in early 2002.

To play the other side of the fence, do people want tourists to come in and create this eco-tourist industry?

Filippo: Sierra Leone once had a flourishing tourism industry. The war destroyed everything, but now the tourism industry is rebuilding and it’s coming whether Tribe Wanted is involved or not. The people would rather it be an environmentally-friendly, sustainable economy that they can really own rather than big name hotels coming in and taking over.

Tribe Wanted is currently in two countries – the island of Vorovoro in Fiji, and on John Obey Beach in Sierra Leone. Since Fiji is already a tourist destination and Tribe Wanted has been there for awhile, most of the responsibilities involve maintaining practices and structures already in place, and repairing damage done from a recent hurricane.

The Sierra Leone project is starting from the ground up, and there is a lot of work to do.

What is a typical day like?

Filippo: The tribe members who come to Sierra Leone can do as much or as little as they like, but most get in at least a few hours of work each day and really enjoy the cultural interactions. There is little to no electricity, so days are determined by the rising and setting of the sun.

Usually there is a job before breakfast (fetching water or wood), breakfast around 8 a.m., and then the main work takes place from around 9 a.m.-noon before it gets too hot. The work includes building, working in the garden, tending to the animals. After working it’s time for lunch.

After lunch there is a break when many people choose to go on various excursions or explore the area. From 4-7 p.m. a little more work is done, and then it’s time for dinner. The only requirement of the tribe members is that they clean up after themselves after meals and during the day.

The best thing about Tribe Wanted is that it “grows organically” as Filippo told me. The organization brings in experts who teach the community members and bring materials, then leave to allow the community members to run the newly created project. Tribe members bring things with them to leave with the community and there is a lot of cultural learning taking place for both groups. Most people plan to go for a week or two and end up staying a month or longer.

Someday I plan to get to Sierra Leone, and currently the fee from Tribe Wanted is just $450/ £295 per week (in addition to airfare). It actually costs more than that to support one person for a week, but they want to encourage people to go help out and see that Sierra Leone is moving forward from it’s bloody past. The money pays for your 7 night stay, all of your food, and the rest is a donation towards the materials, the community members’ salaries, the local chief, and a bit to marketing.

It is free to join the online community, who actually has a voice in decisions such as voting in the community chief, so sign up and check it out at Tribewanted.com.

Community Connection:

Find local opportunities to help create a sustainable community by WWOF-ing (World Wide Opportunities on Local Farms).  Read our First Timers Guide to WWOF-ing to see if it’s right for you!

But you don’t have to travel that far to have a volunteer vacation. It can be something as simple as going to your nearest national park and helping maintain trails.

I’d never heard of a volunteer vacation until I stumbled across a brochure for the American Hiking Society a few months ago at my local REI. There I was, feeding my addiction for outdoors equipment, when I just happened to pick up the brochure. I flipped through it, intrigued by workers mending trails against a gorgeous mountain backdrop. The cover had four simple words, “Get out. Give back.”

That’s all it took; I was hooked. The search had begun.

American Hiking Society

AHS trips last as short as four days and as long as 10. They offer different projects depending on the length of the trip and crew size. All trips include meals as well as accommodations (keep in mind accommodations may mean tent camping).

AHS needs volunteers to help build new trails, maintain old ones, and work in National Parks. Locations depend on your budget, but with the price of a plane ticket and joining AHS you can see volcanoes in Hawaii, camp on the beaches of the Virgin Islands (without getting arrested for public trespassing), or hang out at places like Mt. St. Helens.

For a list of site locations or to see a recorded log of a volunteer’s personal experience visit their website.

Photo: The Sierra Club

Sierra Club

Sierra Club chapters organize “service outings,” running close to 90 trips a year. Different chapters handle individual interests for their volunteers. Family groups, women’s groups— they have it all.

For people wanting to stay within the United States or those adventurous types who travel to a foreign county with the clothes on their backs, they give you a choice.

There’s no fee to join, though there might be fees depending on service locations. Visit their website for details.

Wilderness Volunteers

Anyone looking for a hard-core volunteer vacation might consider Wilderness Volunteers. WV emphasizes the importance of physical health in all their volunteers and even provides a guide for physical fitness. Anyone wanting to take it easy with light work might want to read the descriptions for each trip before they commit.

While there is a charge of $250 USD for trips, food is included. This is, however, an adults-only vacation. Their website says they work with sharp objects, so children under should be left at home unless they’re sixteen or older and accompanied by an adult.

International Volunteer Programs Association

Anyone willing to travel abroad for an extended period might be interested in the International Volunteer Programs Association. The shortest trips range between one and three weeks and the longer trips actually entail living with locals and cultural immersion.

IVPA consists of volunteer programs from around the world, so there are numerous choices. There is a fee, but how many people spend a vacation renovating a castle or building a clinic? There are all kinds of options to consider when working with this organization.

Rural/urban locations, language barriers, and time constraints are just a few things to consider before deciding where to go. Specific skills are not required as long as you have a willingness to learn and have an open mind.

For more information visit Volunteer International.

Volunteer vacations can be as enlightening as we want them to be. Life changing, affirming, or just a great way to switch it up. It’s a great way to spend time away from the everyday grind and make your life count. I’m definitely going to try one.

Community Connection:

We’ve featured lots of volunteer opportunities around the world, just waiting for your help. Check them out on our Volunteering Abroad Focus Page.

All photos by Atma

The team is in the middle of a strategy meeting when I reach Atma’s suburban Mumbai office. I spend the time looking at photos on the wall – kids smiling into the camera alongside volunteers from across the world. From the open window, I hear trains pulling in and out of Khar railway station.

Not long after, I’m met by Mary Ellen Matsui, Atma’s resource manager. A Canadian national she first joined Atma as a volunteer. Now as a part of the team, she helps other volunteers ease into their roles and handles the organization’s fund-raising division.

The Beginning

Atma (Sanskrit for ‘soul’) was set-up in Mumbai in 2007 by Lee Bolding and Adrienne Van Dok.

The two had first arrived in the country as volunteers themselves. During that year they realized that while there were a number of organizations doing inspirational work, many of them suffered from the same set of organizational hurdles. These, in turn, kept them from successfully (or smoothly) achieving its goals. Atma was formed to help organizations deal with such challenges.

While each NGO had a strong social vision in place, Atma helped strengthen it through workshops and programs addressing important functional issues like financial planning, charity accounting, effective fund raising strategies, and so on.

Partner NGOs and Volunteers

The pictures on the wall tell a part of the story, but I ask Mary Ellen to elaborate on the work Atma takes on with partner NGOs, and the role of volunteers with the organization.

Here’s how she puts it –

“Think of the NGO as the driver, driving to a particular destination (the goal). Atma is the navigator on that journey, and our volunteers are the road crew.”

ATMA partners with organizations involved in educational development projects that cater to disadvantaged children and young adults (these include programs for children with disabilities, night schools, mobile creches, and schools set up in slum areas).

These partnerships are time bound. Atma helps address the structural weaknesses and provides NGOs with the tools to handle them. These tools are provided through workshops and intensive training sessions, as well as consultancy and volunteer services. The ultimate goal is self-sufficiency.

“We have a standing joke that our actual vision is to put ourselves out of a job!” Mary Ellen tells me.

Volunteers interested in working with Atma and their partners go through an intensive selection process.

They are first required to send in their CVs and a motivation letter (see here). They are also required to make a three month commitment to the project.

Potential volunteers are also counseled on ground conditions. Mumbai isn’t the easiest city to live in, and they are made aware of this beforehand. When the volunteers arrive in the city, Atma helps them acclimatize to the local culture through an induction program. It also introduces volunteers to their specific projects and NGOs; each project is designed to utilize the individual volunteer’s core strength and talent in solving specific problems faced by the NGO.

You can read more about volunteer experiences here.

To Pitch In

If you’re interested in volunteering opportunities at Atma, check out their website for more details. You can also make a donation (here) or follow the organization on facebook.

Community Connection

For more information on volunteering opportunities in India, read Shreya Sanghani’s How to Find a Volunteer Opportunity in India.

1. University of Dreams Foundation volunteers pose for a group picture in front of the school they’re painting in Guatemala.

2. University of Dreams Foundation volunteers build a retaining wall to prevent erosion in front of an elementary school in Guatemala.

3. University of Dreams Foundation volunteers paint a school in Guatemala.

4. Volunteers lead an English lesson in India.

5. School beautification projects are also part of the work done by University of Dreams Foundation volunteers.

6. Light building projects help volunteers use old skills… or develop new ones!

7. One of the rewards of volunteering is developing relationships with the people of communities you serve.

8. University of Dreams Foundation leads trips to Guatemala and India.

9. A joyful child motivates volunteers to pour their energy into their work.

10. Interaction with volunteers elicits welcoming smiles from these school kids.

11. School boys in India ham it up for the camera.

University of Dreams Foundation is currently accepting applications for its August trips to Guatemala and India.
For more information about the Guatemala trip, click here.
For more information about the India trip, click here.

#10: Adopt a school or classroom. Photo: DavidDennisPhotos.com

That’s a quote by Matador Goods editor, Lola Akinmade, who volunteers as a photojournalist with NGOs around the world.

For passionate travelers who are equally passionate about volunteering, Matador has devised the ultimate bucket list. Here are 25 volunteer projects we want to get involved in:

1. Help save sea turtles.

The sea turtle life is tough from the get-go; everything, it seems, conspires against a hatchling’s survival. All seven species of marine turtles in the United States are listed as endangered, and the situation isn’t much better elsewhere in the world.

Saving sea turtles involves many human interventions, including protecting nesting habitats, assisting hatchlings from nest to sea, and monitoring turtle populations.

Matador contributor Teresa Ponikvar profiles one organization, Project Todos Tortugueros, in her article, “Saving Turtles in Baja California Sur, Mexico.”

2. Learn an endangered language in order to help save it.

Languages, like animals and cultures, are endangered.

According to UNESCO, more than half of the 6,700 languages spoken in the world are likely to be extinct by the end of this century.

Find out which languages are at immediate risk of being lost, and then check out Matador Abroad and Glimpse Editor-in-Chief Sarah Menkedick’s article about ways you can help prevent language extinction.

3. Help build a house.

Maybe not with Habitat for Humanity, which contributor Bryan Fox has questioned for its opaque accounting practices, but building a house–or better yet, helping build a community–is one important way of providing people with the basic resources they need to be able to meet their other needs.

Baclayon Medical Clinic, Philippines; Photo: beshigyawn

4. Translate at a medical clinic.

If you’re fluent in another language, you can provide vital support as a translator at short-term or permanent medical clinics abroad. The Humanity Exchange, which works with the Afro-Colombian community in Choco, Colombia, seeks volunteer translators to translate documents from Spanish to English and vice versa. The documents are vital for securing funding to continue its medical work in the region.

5. Donate needed supplies.

Check the Stuff Your Rucksack bulletin board before leaving home to find out if an organization at your destination is in need of health, educational, or other supplies. Save a permanent space in your backpack for a donation of books; organizations like Big Brother Mouse, based in Laos, welcome donations to expand their libraries.

6. Build a website for a community co-op.

One of the challenges for people leading projects in developing countries is they often lack access to platforms where they can disseminate information about their work. If you have web development skills, inquire if a local co-op might be interested in a pro-bono website. Just make sure that there’s a way for them to update the site–or for you to do so through ongoing contact with a local liaison.

Bam, Iran, an endangered WHS; Photo: Charlie Phillips

7. Help preserve a World Heritage Site.

30 of the world’s UNESCO Heritage Sites are in critical danger due to climate change, overdevelopment, poorly managed tourism, political conflict, or natural disasters. If you’re headed to an area that has an endangered World Heritage Site and you possess specific skills, such as archaeological or artifact conservation, contact local cultural organizations to see if you can join their preservation efforts.

8. Organize a beach clean up.

Maybe you attended a full moon party in Thailand with a bunch of fun-loving travelers from your hostel. Visit the beach again after your hangover has worn off–it’s probably a pretty dirty patch of sand.

Trash on beaches causes animal deaths, human injuries, and other environmental problems. Be part of the solution- organize a beach clean up.

9. Shoot photos for an NGO.

Non-profits all over the world are doing incredible work, but many lack the financial resources to document their efforts. Photographs, in particular, are an important part of that documentation process, because they provide tangible evidence that the organization is achieving the objectives it has articulated, evidence that is required for continued funding.

If you have photography skills, consider volunteering with an NGO. Offer a set amount of time to document their work and then give the photos to them on a CD/DVD and jump drive– pro bono.

10. Adopt a school or classroom.

When I spent a month in Mompox, Colombia in 2008, I was blown away by how some modest efforts could make a big difference in the lives of kids. If I could adopt a class of ninth graders and make sure they all had gym shoes (at $5 USD each), then I’d be supporting school attendance–teachers would make students go home if they showed up without gym shoes, yet many parents couldn’t afford them.

A reef in the Maldives; Photo: nattu

11. Dive to document reef conditions.

Reefs around the world are dying due to global warming, but divers are playing a key role in documenting reef conditions and gathering data that may help slow or prevent further damage. The UK based organization ReefDoctor leads conservation and research dives in Madagascar.

12. Document world music.

If you’re handy with a video camera and/or video editing software, the renowned public radio program Afropop Worldwide is seeking a volunteer to document performances as part of a living archive. More details can be found here.

13. Help save strays.

Stray animals, especially dogs and cats, are a huge problem in many parts of the world, including Santiago, Chile. Learn more about how you can help strays while you’re traveling.

14. Fund raise for the arts in Africa.

Ghana’s Foundation for Contemporary Art “provides an information resource for artists, regularly holds workshops and exhibitions, and provides a space for artists, curators and academics to share ideas on the future for African art.” It’s currently seeking a volunteer to help fund raise, so if you’re good at hustling for dollars, this might be a good match for you. Bonus? The ideal volunteer is expected to “frequent galleries and cultural organisations in Accra and to attend occasional evening events.” More details can be found here.

15. Teach kids conflict resolution skills… and how to make movies.

Use this curriculum from the organization Where Peace Lives to help kids learn how to use a video camera and, in the process, “to learn to work through problems in a non-violent way.”

The planetarium in Ghana; Photo: satm test

16. Run a planetarium.

Got a thing for the stars? So does Dr. Jacob Ashong, founder and director of the Ghana Planetarium Project. Dr. Ashong wants to hear from volunteers who are interested in a long-term assignment as a planetarium assistant or project coordinator. Teach astronomy to kids… and then tell the world you helped run a planetarium.

17. Design a wiki for peace.

Join the Michigan Peace Team, an “international organization that trains people from all walks of life (and increasingly, all areas of the world) in nonviolence and conflict intervention skills,” as a tech-savvy volunteer. The MPT needs someone proficient in wiki development to help set up a wiki set for its International Peace Teams Advanced Nonviolence Training Program.

18. WWOOF on six continents.

Got a green thumb? Organic farms around the world could use your expertise. Check our beginners’ guide to WWOOFing for tips on finding a farm and getting started as a WWOOFer.

19. Provide counseling and mental health support to the blind in Bolivia.

Sustainable Bolivia has numerous volunteer opportunities, including the chance for trained mental health professionals to provide short-term counseling support to blind Bolivians through its partnership with the Manuel E. Gandarillas Rehabilitation Center for the Blind. Though the focus of his volunteer placement was different, Matador Trips co-editor Hal Amen has volunteered with Sustainable Bolivia. Read more about his experiences in his Volunteer Voice series.

20. Coach a soccer team in Tanzania.

Sports are an important aspect of community development, and the organization Hope Tanzania is actively seeking volunteers to coach soccer and other sports, including net ball and volleyball. The placement provides lots of other experience as well, including the opportunity to teach HIV/AIDS awareness.

21. Lead participatory art events in El Salvador.

Puppetry, mural-making, theatre performances, and storytelling are four ways you can get involved in community arts projects in El Salvador. The ArtCorps is seeking long-term volunteers for a one-year placement.

22. Teach orphaned children in Nepal.

Orphanages around the world are typically strapped for resources, including teachers to give lessons in basic literacy skills. Nepal is just one of the many countries where you can volunteer to teach orphans; learn more here.

23. Teach English to African refugees in Israel.

Language acquisition is one of the predictors of a refugee’s success in transitioning to a new culture and country. Tel Aviv’s African Refugee Development Center seeks volunteers to teach evening English classes to recently arrived refugees. Placements are for two months.

24. Support endangered species research.

The US-based Endangered Species Coalition has an ongoing need for volunteers to conduct research and help develop educational awareness materials regarding endangered species.

25. Make GIS maps of marine and land habitats.

Your specialized skills can be of benefit. If you know how to make GIS maps, the Greek organization Archipelagos could use your help. The organization is documenting biodiversity in the Aegean Sea and needs assistance analyzing data.

Community Connection:

What’s on your voluntourism bucket list? Tell us in the comments!

Photo: McKay Savage

Many of the people who come here, come with the intention of staying on, and eventually start their own organizations, while many expat Indians come back to start sustainable development projects.

Real, concrete, and visionary social change initiatives are going on in each state. Areas of focus include rural development, ecology and conservation, animal welfare, women and children’s rights work, health awareness, treatment and relief camps, pedagogy and teaching, community development, and poverty reduction.

If you’re interested in volunteering here, getting started can be overwhelming. For the volunteer living outside of India, wondering what to choose from among the many options online, it can be tempting to sign up for a readymade volunteer program that charges tons of money, promising you a convenient “volunteer experience” ranging from a week to a few months.

These programs are hardly the only option–or the best. It is one thing to have your volunteer project pre-arranged for you – from the plane ride, to the accommodation, to the place you’ll be volunteering. And it is quite another thing to arrange all of this independently, exercising your own confidence and judgment, talking to organizations directly, and not having to spend a single penny on super-expensive pre-arranged volunteer “experiences”. All you have to do is cover your own expenses.

Here are some free online databases to get you started with finding a volunteering opportunity in India:

Let Me Know — The Social Innovation page of this website lists many opportunities for both Indian people and those from abroad, along with the contact details of organizations accepting volunteers, and a countdown to the last day for applications.

Karma Yog – This is a very extensive database of organizations, separated into categories depending on the focus of the work they do. The site gives you the opportunity to create your profile as a volunteer, though checking out organization profiles and contacting them directly should be a faster route.

IndiCorps – This organization provides leads to several ways in which volunteers over the world can get involved, for example via the Indiserve listings, which list opportunities from all over India.

Photo: brian glanz

Teach for India – This is a long term opportunity and requires a two year commitment; it’s a great opportunity for cultural immersion and closely understanding India while being a leader and making a difference.

Idealist – This is an amazing database not just for India, but the world over.

Independent Volunteer — This is also a global network, with the goal of bringing together independent volunteer travelers with similar interests.

GiveIndia –This site lists volunteer opportunities by state, which may be useful for volunteers with location preferences.

Charities In India – This site has a blog style approach, with each post dedicated to a volunteering opportunity.

Photo: c0t0s0d0

To give you an idea of the kind of opportunities you can find with a simple Google search and some patience, here is a list of some very specific places (not a representative sample at all):

For the Free Tibet movement, in McLeod Ganj:
Contact Mag

For photographers:
FairMail

For organizers/management professionals:
Nanubhai Education Foundation

For health care, education, child rights, community development:
The East West Foundation of India

For aid to displaced communities in north India:
Tong-Len

For women’s empowerment:
Prime Trust

Community Connection:

Read more about India on our India Focus Page.

Photo: snapr

When I finally ventured outside my door I found more than dead trees and scorpions, which are actually kind of cute as long as you don’t pick them up. I discovered this diverse city is more than crowded roads and The Strip. It’s about living a full life, helping others, and loving the outdoors. And I found it by volunteering.

Women and Children

One of my favorite volunteer organizations is Safe Nest. Established in 1977, Safe Nest cares for abused women and children. Not only does it advocate for the abused, but emphasizes the eradication of abuse all together. Volunteering with the 24-hour hotline, assisting with counseling services, working in the shelter, or advocating in court are just a few ways volunteers can make a difference.

Kids in the shelter always need someone to hang out with and an extra car or pair of hands is always appreciated. I help out as an outreach coordinator at health fairs meant to raise awareness about Safe Nest’s mission.

If you don’t have time to volunteer you can always donate old clothes or furniture. It all goes to the women and children in the shelter. They even pick up the donations at your door.

For more information you can go to their website.

International Community

One organization that focuses on people from other countries is The African Community Center of Las Vegas, which helps relocated refugees find a home in Las Vegas. Volunteer opportunities include teaching teenagers how to play soccer in the local park or showing adults how to use a dishwasher for the first time.

Hanging out helps people feel less alone, and makes the transition easier by showing them first-hand about American culture. One of the great benefits of volunteering with refugees is that you learn something about yourself in the process. It’s a mutually rewarding experience that opens up a new culture and gives you a perspective most Americans don’t have unless they travel to a foreign country.

For more information you can call 702-836-3324 or go to their website.

Animals

Photo: RickC

For volunteers who want to help animals The National Wild Horses Association is a good option. Their goal is to ensure the safety of wild horses in Nevada. Run by volunteers, this organization advocates passionately for horses to stay wild in their environment without the trauma of chasing them down and relocating them.

The volunteers do this by raising donations as well as monitoring the land so there is enough water and food for the horses. Adoption is also available for those who can stable the horses. For more information, go to their website or call 702.452.5853.

Environment

Red Rock Conservation (where I volunteer as an assistant hike guide) is a protected area about an hour west of The Strip. It’s a favorite destination for climbers, scramblers, and bikers from all over to commune with the outdoors or inspect the awesome geology the mountains offer.

It’s run by the Bureau of Land Management; the goal is to teach both visitors and residents about Red Rock, conservation, and the geology of Las Vegas. A 13-mile loop allows everyone who enters to travel at their own speed (car, bike, foot) and admire the beauty of the mountain formations.

Photo: Trail Sherpa

Volunteers can help with kids’ programs, become an advocate for the environment by doing litter clean up and trail maintenance, lead hikes, or host lectures in the visitors’ center. For more information, visit their website.

Springs Preserve, another organization I’ve volunteered with, is an amazingly ‘green’ attraction that emphasizes clean living and conservation in the desert. It’s administered by the Las Vegas Water District and is considered the birthplace of Las Vegas, due to the springs that drew travelers here in the first place.

The 180-acre site has a restaurant, gallery, buildings, and wetlands (yes, there are wetlands in the middle of the desert). All are models of conservation and sustainable living. Springs Preserve even offers recycling classes.

Walking trails and a small animal sanctuary add something extra for outdoor lovers. You might even glimpse wild animals on the trail as you walk. The interactive gallery details the history of Las Vegas, and for volunteers who are sensitive to heat, this is an excellent option to stay cool.

Check out their website to learn about the different volunteer opportunities.

Community Connection:

If you’re not feeling all altruistic, or want to live it up after you’ve put in a few volunteer hours, check out the Top Dive Bars in Vegas.

And if your volunteering stint got you psyched to learn more about Las Vegas beyond the Strip, check out our Green Guide to Las Vegas.

I love farmers markets. The menagerie of colorful veggies and fruits makes me giddy, plus there is some great people-watching.

Catching a second of convo with the farmers makes it all the better; I swear it makes the food taste more delicious when you know where, how, and by whom it was grown. And the food definitely tastes better when it’s seasonal, grown locally, and doesn’t make the usual 1500 mile sprint from farm to mouth.

There’s been a tipping point recently in the interest in farmers markets and local food. Supporting local farmers markets is key in the slow food movement. If you’re passionate about fresh food, local agriculture, or want to just get involved with your community, here are 8 fun ways to get involved in your local farmers market.

1. Volunteer at the farmers market.

Visit LocalHarvest to find farmers markets in your area.  On-site volunteers keep most farmers markets running smoothly. Volunteers staff the farmers market’s table, greet shoppers, conduct surveys, sign up new volunteers, and help with EBT programs. Contact your local market manager for need and details.

Photo: empracht

2. Volunteer for community food system projects.

For example, my hood of Wilmington, NC, has something called Feast on the Southeast. This community food system project works to increase the sale of local farm products and access to affordable food. Many communities also have similarly effective initiatives that improve the partnership with small farms and improve access to local produce.

3. Buy from your local market.

Especially try to visit in the shoulder seasons when sales are at their lowest. Buying from the market is economical, mighty tasty, and great for the environment. If everyone in the US ate just one very local meal per week the national annual usage would be reduced by 57.2 million barrels, according to Steven L. Hopp, professor of environmental science at Emory and Henry (and husband of Barbara Kingsolver).

4. Experiment with different recipes.

I get more and more passionate about local fresh produce as I try new recipes, eat, and repeat. Read slow food gurus like Barbara Kingsolver and Alice Waters or visit food blogs for recipes and ideas. Impress friends with homemade bread and cheese made from local flour and milk.

5. Support restaurants that use local produce.

Notice the chefs hanging out at your local market and do some online searches (including within your local community food system website) to find restaurants that support local farms and plan menus around fresh seasonal produce.

Photo: gmnonic

6. Offer to be a social media specialist.

You can help create a Facebook and Twitter account, set up a Google or Yahoo group, even start and update a blog for farmers markets and outreaches. Get friends involved and make the weekly market a place to catch up and hang out.

7. Volunteer on farms.

Try WWOOF-ing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). You can search for organic farms in your community and abroad to work on in exchange for lodging and sometimes food. Check out Matador’s First-Timers Guide to WWOOF-ing and 4 Questions to Ask Before WWOOF-ing for more info. You can also connect with local farms and outreaches that sponsor co-op, work study, and short-term volunteer programs.

8. Use your own blog or Matador blog.

Write about your experiences with farmers markets around the world, WWOOF-ing, what makes your local market a unique travel place, and beautiful narratives about the ecstasy of fresh produce.

Community Connection:

Know of any other ways to help out farmers markets? Please share! Want to do more research? Check out this great resource for six locavore websites.

River Park, Louisville; Photo: flickrized

In the last few months, I’ve explored the city’s excellent parks system, discovered for myself its “livability” (in 2008, the Conference of Mayors gave it first place in the annual City Livability Award competition), and tasted at least eight different bourbons.

I learned the metro area spans two states, contains a million people, has an international population whose growth is faster than that of the nation’s, and has many, many places to volunteer.

Refugees and International Community

Kentucky Refugee Ministries (where I volunteer) helps refugees settle in Louisville by providing ESL, job skills classes, and cultural orientation to adults and tutoring to students. After completing an application and the hour-long volunteer orientation, volunteers can choose from multiple opportunities.

The New Beginnings program matches volunteers with a newly arrived student and requires an hour’s commitment a week for one year. Daily adult ESL classes also need tutors to work with two to three students during class. If teaching English isn’t your thing, consider helping a citizen-to-be study for the citizenship exam.

The donations center needs volunteers to sort through donated household items, clothes and school supplies, and if you have a car, you could escort clients to doctor’s appointments. Whatever program you choose, KRM asks that volunteers be flexible.

Contact the volunteer coordinator at volunteer[at]kyrm[dot] org or 502-479-9180 x53. There is also an office in Lexington that can be reached at 859-226-5661.

Photo: cvconnell

Americana Community Center is located in south Louisville near much of the city’s immigrant population. Americana is a non-profit organization that offers clients a variety of services, including after-school activities, art, reading and sports programs for youth, and ESL and literacy classes for adults.

Americana most needs volunteers for its youth programs, which currently serve 150 children. For more information, contact Elizabeth Perkins at 502-366-7813, or by email at elizabeth[at]americanacc[dot]org.

Similar opportunities are available at the Arcadia Community Center.

Women and Children

The Center for Women and Families started serving victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence in 1912 as part of the YWCA. Now an independent non-profit, the Center provides clients shelter, counseling, financial literacy classes, therapy and support groups, and assistance in hospitals, courts and finding long-term, safe housing.

The Center seeks volunteers to be hospital, children’s or legal advocates, to help in the kitchen, provide English tutoring, assist with community outreach and special events, or help with administrative tasks in their main Louisville office.

The Center serves 11 counties in Kentucky and Indiana and has volunteer opportunities in both states. Potential volunteers must complete an application, interview with volunteer manager Janet Tinsely (502-581-7268 or janet[dot]tinsley[at]cwfempower[dot]org) and attend orientation.

Brooklawn Child and Family Services consists of a residential treatment center and a school for abused and neglected children. Brooklawn works with boys ages 5-18 and girls of 6-11.

Volunteer opportunities include tutoring a student, mentoring (a six-month weekly commitment), planning field trips or service projects, or helping at special events. Direct questions to Missy Fountain at mfountain[at]brooklawn[dot]net or call 502-515-0474.

Similar opportunities are available at Home of the Innocents and Maryhurst.

Animals and the Environment

Photo: outlier dogs

The Kentucky Humane Society is more than just a shelter; KHS promotes humane treatment and better care for animals by offering adoption services, boarding, doggie daycare, and behavioral training.

Volunteers are needed to help around the office, assist with community outreach (including pet photography at special events), and participate in care of the animals. Bathe, exercise, and assist with training – or, if you want to temporarily house a cat or dog, become a foster care parent. The most intense program, Canine Coaches, needs volunteers to walk dogs three times a day.

Contact the Volunteer Manager, Jennifer Clark, at 502-515-3145 or jclark[at]kyhumane[dot]org.

Brightside is both a non-profit and a government agency, with Louisville Metro government covering administrative costs and private donations paying for programs. Brightside keeps Louisville “clean and green” and needs volunteers to participate in litter pick-up, special events, and administrative tasks.

This summer, they will need Green Thumb volunteers to help with landscaping. Brightside also seeks volunteers willing to be trained to represent the organization at fairs. For more information, call Mary Byrne at 502-574-2613 or email her at mary[dot]byrne[at]louisvilleky[dot]gov.

Olmsted Parks Conservancy – The guy who designed New York City’s Central Park? He designed Louisville’s parks systems (his name, by the way, is Frederick Law Olmsted). The Olmsted Parks Conservancy, formed in 1989, works to preserve the parks and parkways that connect them.

Individuals can volunteer for Saturday morning Champion Park events or during the week to work with the Restoration Team. Those who like parks but aren’t fans of dirt can train as Park Stewards to help with volunteer and outreach events.

Contact Sarah Wolff at 502-456-8125 or sarah[dot]wolff[at]olmstedparks[dot]org.

Similar opportunities are available at Shamrock Foundation, Louisville Metro Animal Services, and Animal Care Society.

Community Connection:

Catch some local Louisville culture- Matador member catorce gives you the lowdown on the Kentucky Derby in this blog post.

All photos by Heather and Duarte Carreiro

In Pakistan, you will not find short-term volunteer opportunities that cater to the traveler or combine volunteering with tourism.

If you are looking for raw volunteering, without extras like pre-dawn yoga classes and sunset trips to the Taj, there are several organizations you can get involved with in Pakistan. Since there isn’t an infrastructure for casual volunteering, applicants are expected to commit at least six months for the majority of volunteer positions.

Alternatively, you could sign up for a short-term work camp or visit a local NGO during your travels to see if there are any opportunities available.

Volunteer Service International (VSO)

VSO is one of the international organizations that has stuck it out in Pakistan when other companies and NGOs have pulled out. In Pakistan, VSO places volunteers in three fields: education, HIV and AIDS, and participation and governance awareness. Each VSO volunteer works directly with a local NGO, school or institution.

A limited number of short-term assignments of three to six months are available, but most volunteers sign a two-year contract. Volunteer benefits include training, transportation, accommodation, life and health insurance, and necessary vaccinations.

VSO also applies for and secures volunteers a work or NGO visa, which can be an onerous and lengthy process if you try to do it yourself. Volunteers comfortably have enough for a modest living, although if you want to travel and splurge on mocha lattés, you’ll need to have some cash reserves.

Applicants must have professional training and at least two years work experience. When you apply, VSO matches your professional profile with open positions around the world. Teacher trainers and curriculum development specialists stand a good chance of being able to find a position in Pakistan.

United Nations Volunteers

If you’re over 25 with a degree and two years of work experience, you can apply to be a UN volunteer in Pakistan. Renewable contracts are offered for six to 12 months, although volunteers are expected to commit at least one year to a specific post.

Some of the projects that UN volunteers have been involved with in Pakistan include human rights advocacy, earthquake relief and recovery, and working with Afghan refugees. Volunteers are provided with a living allowance, settling-in grant, travel expenses, life insurance, and health insurance.

Whereas VSO workers often find themselves working with other foreigners, UN volunteers should be prepared to work independently and live in more remote regions.

World Wildlife Federation

Located in Lahore, WWF Pakistan is involved with a variety of countrywide conservation projects. If your background is in environmental protection, agriculture, climate change, or wildlife management, you can apply to volunteer with WWF. Current projects include an initiative for sustainable cotton farming, ensuring water security in the Indus River Basin, restoring the native vulture population, and protecting Pakistani wetlands and highlands.

Most employees at the WWF Lahore base are locals, but international volunteers are welcome to contact Maryam Aurangzeb to find out how you can get involved.

Service Civil International

More than 5,000 volunteers filter through SCI’s short-term work camps in over 60 countries each year. In previous years, Pakistan has hosted SCI volunteer teams for work camps two to three weeks in duration. Camp work often involves physical labor and collaborating with community organizations.

“Since there isn’t an infrastructure for casual volunteering, applicants are expected to commit at least six months for the majority of volunteer positions.”

To sign up for a work camp, you’ll need to pay a $35 annual membership fee plus $235 for participation in the camp. All travel related costs are the responsibility of the volunteer. No camps have been listed yet for Pakistan in 2010, but you can check SCI’s news page to find out when new camps are added.

Applicants must be at least 21 to apply, but no technical skills are necessary for general volunteers.

Remember, if you accept a volunteer position with benefits or a stipend, you will need to apply for a valid work or NGO visa. Be wary of any volunteer organization that cannot provide a visa, as it can be nearly impossible to get one on your own. The visa application process can take anywhere from two months to an entire year, so if you’d like to volunteer in Pakistan, it’s essential to plan ahead.

If you plan on visiting Pakistan as a tourist and offering a few hours or days of your time to a local NGO, you should be fine with a tourist visa. Just don’t mention the volunteer part when you are going through immigration so as not to raise any eyebrows or rob your wallet of a few thousand rupees in “fines.”

Community Connection:

Check out our Middle East Travel Focus Page for more articles about Pakistan.

]]> http://matadorchange.com/volunteering-in-pakistan/feed 16 http://matadorchange.com/50-walkbikerun-events http://matadorchange.com/50-walkbikerun-events#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:34:43 +0000 Nancy Harder http://matadorchange.com/?p=3178 Feature photo/Photo above: lululemon athletica

Want to get your ass moving? Raise money for charity? Nancy Harder rounds up 50 walk, bike, run events.

Whether you’re a hardcore biker or curious about walking a 5k, here are 50 charity events around the globe that’ll up your mojo and tone your quads.

WALK

Alzheimers

1. Alzheimer Association’s Memory Walk (US)

Memory Walk is the US’s largest nationwide walk to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimers.

Arthritis

2. Arthritis Foundation Walk (US)

Funds raised help find a cure for the most common source of disability in America. Volunteer or start a team.

Autism

3. Autism Research Walk Now for Autism Speaks (US + Canada)

Large grassroots autism fundraiser raising millions of dollars per year. Walks take place in the US and Canada.

Breast Cancer

4. Avon 2 Day Walk (US)

Walk 39 miles in two days to raise money for breast cancer screening, support and treatment. Nine cities around the US are holding the event.

Photo by: {just jennifer}

5. Susan Komen 3 Day Walk (US)

Kick the walk intensity up with the Susan Komen foundation’s 3 day, 60 mile walk. Join a local group or organize your own chapter and rally around breast cancer survivors and families.

6. Walk to Empower: Breast Cancer Support Today (US)

Walk to Empower commemorates and remembers breast cancer survivors and loved ones on Mother’s Day. The walk takes place in 16 cities around the US but also features a virtual walk for people in other areas.

Cancer

7. America Cancer Society Relay for Life (US)

Relay for Life raises money for cancer research, celebrates survivors, and remembers family and friends lost to cancer.

Cystic Fibrosis

8. Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walk (US)

The Great Strides Walk is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s largest event of the year. 2009’s nationwide walk raised $35 million dollars to support CF programs.

Diabetes

9. America’s Walk for Diabetes (US)

Events around the country build community and fight the disease that affects 1 out of every 16 Americans.

Disabilities

10. Easter Seals’ Walk with Me (US)

The Easter Seals partner walkers with an Easter Seals Ambassador, an adult or child with disabilities. Walkers meet their ambassador before the event and exchange photos and stories leading up to the event.

Down’s Syndrome

11. Buddy Walk (US)

Buddy Walk celebrates Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The walk promotes the acceptance and inclusion of people with Down’s Syndrome.

Drunk Driving

12. Walk like MADD (US)

Walks around the US benefit the cause of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Heart Disease

13. American Heart Walk (US)

This is the American Heart Association’s signature event. Join teams across the nation to raise awareness and funds for heart disease.

HIV/AIDS

14. Aids Walk (US)

The Aids Walk of Orange County project, the National Aids Walk Directory, lists over 70 Aids walks throughout the US.

Infant Health

15. Walk America (US)

Walk America, the March of Dimes fundraiser, raises money for research and community programs designed to prevent birth defects, low birth weight and infant death.

Cheering on. Photo by- FaceMePLS

Juvenile Diabetes

16. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk to Cure (US)

Walk in over 200 locations to raise funds for juvenile diabetes research. Last year the foundation raised more than 80 million dollars for diabetes research.

Kidney Disease

17. National Kidney Foundation Walk (US)

The NKF walk’s primary purpose is to encourage people to understand the importance of early detection in kidney disease. The walk also raises funds for research and aid for kidney disease sufferers.

Liver Disease

18. Liver Life Walk (US)

Tens of thousands of people participate every year in Liver Life Walk, the largest fundraising event for liver disease.

Lung Cancer

19. American Lung Association Lung Walk (US)

Join a Lung Walk in one of the eleven cities or start your own and raise funds for the American Lung Association.

Lupus

20. Walk with Us to Cure Lupus (US)

Walk with US to Cure Lupus coordinates dozens of walks around the US. 100% of raised funds go to medical research.

Multiple Sclerosis

21. Walk MS (US)

Join over 600 walks and hundreds of thousands of people across the US to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research.

22. MS Challenge (US)

MS Challenge is a walk-a-thon over two to three days and thirty to 50 miles. Walkers are provided with training assistance and fundraising advice. If you don’t feel like walking, MS Challenge also welcomes support volunteers.

Suicide Prevention

23. Out of the Darkness Community Walks (US)

Join thousands of people across the US to raise money to fund suicide prevention programs, support families and friends affected by suicide loss, and increase national awareness about depression and suicide.

BIKE

Affordable Housing

24. Bike and Build (US)

Bike and Build organizes several cross-country events to raise money to benefit affordable housing organizations planned and executed by young adults..

Arthritis

25. California Coast Classic (US)

525 mile, 8 day tour from San Francisco to Los Angeles in September benefitting the Arthritis Foundation

Ataxia

26. Ride Ataxia (US)

Ride Ataxia benefits the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, an organization researching a cure for the debilitating neuro-muscular disorder.

Breast Cancer

Photo by- tibchris

27. Bike 4 Breast Cancer (US)

Bike 4 Breast Cancer coordinates local and cross-country events to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research.

Cancer

28. Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong Challenge (US)

The Livestrong challenge hosts walking, running, and biking challenges. The challenge cities in 2010 will be Seattle, San Jose, Philadelphia, and Austin.

Children’s Camps

29. Team Hole in the Wall (US)

Team Hole in the Wall is a grassroots organization that raises funds for Hole the Wall camps, the world’s largest family of camps for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Climate Change

30. Ride for Change (Australia)

This is Perth, Australia’s largest mass, free bike ride to raise awareness for climate change.

Diabetes

31. Tour de Cure (US)

Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events across 43 US states. Over 40,000 cyclists in 2009 raised $17 million for the American Diabetes Association.

HIV/AIDS

32. Aids/Life Cycle: Ride to End Aids (US)

Seven day bike ride in June through sweet California coast scenery, from San Francisco to LA. Aids/Life cycle is co-supported by the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS foundation

Juvenile Diabetes

33. Ride to Cure Juvenile Diabetes (US)

Ride to Cure benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The program trains bikers for events across the US and supports their fundraising efforts.

Lung Disease

34. Big Ride Across America (US)

7 weeks cycle bike ride from Seattle to Washington, D.C. to benefit American Lung Association research and advocacy.

Multiple Sclerosis

Photo by: Finding Josephine

35. Bike the US for MS (US)

Check out Matador’s own Bike the US for MS photo essay for a pictorial explanation of the team’s ride across the US to raise funds for MS research.

36. Bike MS (US)

Visit the Bike MS: National MS Society site for more than 100 easy to challenging ride around the US.

37. Rona MS Bike Tour (Canada)

Over 10,000 Canucks participate in one and two day events from June through September across Canada to raise money for MS.

Parkinsons Disease

38. David Phinney Foundation events (US)

The David Phinney Foundation keeps a calendar on their website of bike/walk/run events across the US that beneft Parkinson’s Disease.

RUN

Arthritis

39. Joints in Motion (US)

Similar to Team to End Stroke, Joints in Motion is offers a virtual training program for beginning and experienced walkers and runners. Again, if you meet their fundraising minimum, your trip is on them.

Breast Cancer

40. Race for the Cure (US)

The Susan Komen foundation’s Race for the Cure coordinates 5ks around the US to benefit breast cancer research and awareness.

Cancer

41. Terry Fox Run (Canada + World)

In 1980, Terry Fox set out to run across Canada for cancer awareness. In 1977 he had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, leading to the amputation of his right leg. Beginning in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Terry Fox ran, with an artificial right leg, the equivalent of a marathon everyday for 143 days. Along the way, he became more and more celebrated and used his public platform to raise awareness for cancer.  He died nine months later from the disease.

Now, Canada and other organizers around the world host an annual Terry Fox Run. For more information on the annual September Canadian run, visit the Terry Fox website.

42. Team ACS (US)

The American Cancer Society website lists a slew of runs benefitting the ACS. Check out their page to find an event in your area.

Dan you rock. Photo by- thelastminute

Deaf Children

43. NDCS events (UK and World)

NDCS offers a collection of UK running events on their website. They also organize global treks and bike rides for the cause.

Diabetes

44. Canadian Diabetes Association Team Diabetes (Canada + World)

Team Diabetes trains walkers and runners for everything from marathons to short distances. In addition to events in Canada, there are international destinations such as Athens, Reykjavik, and Honolulu with additional hiking events in places like the Grand Canyon.

Hospice

45. National Hospice Foundation Run to Remember (US)

Run to Remember is a national training program that will help volunteers pick a race, decide on a pace, and train to support hospice care.

Leukemia and Lymphoma

46. Team in Training

The Team in Training program is a huge charity sports training program benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our own Abbie Mood has run two marathons with Team in Training.

47. Walt Disney World Marathon (US)

One of the biggest marathons in conjunction with the Team in Training program is the Walt Disney World Marathon. Yes, it’s corporate, but each year the marathon raises more than 7 million dollars for the foundation. Plus, you get to run your 26.2 miles through all four theme parks.

75 year old marathoner. Photo by- SpecialKRB

Liver Disease

48. Liver Life Challenge (US)

Liver Life Challenge is another training program. LLC coordinates with the American Liver Foundation to provide training and support for half-marathon and marathon runners. Race entry is guaranteed!

Stroke

49. Team to End Stroke (US)

The American Heart Association’s Team to End Stroke is a five month training program for marathon and half-marathon walkers and runners. They offer nutrition and training guidance, even paying for your trip to your chosen event if you meet the fundraising minimum.

Water

50. Run for Water (World)

Run for Water is a series of 6K runs and walks happening in 192 countries within a 24 hour period. (Date for 2010 is April 18.) The event, which includes concerts and other activities, hopes to raise awareness for the water crisis. For more information on the water crisis, visit Matt Scott’s piece detailing 40 Shocking Facts about Water. For a little perspective, read Julie Schwietert’s article on the Kilimanjaro cake walk for clean water.

—

More marathons…

Looking for more marathons? Check out marathonrookie.com’s extensive list, organized by month.

Community Connection

For cycling tips and articles visit Matador’s Cycling Focus Page. Into more unusual rides? Check out this list of quirky bike rides across the US.

Know of/participated in other walk/bike/run events? Share the link and any info below. Any advice for future walkers/bikers/runners?

]]> http://matadorchange.com/50-walkbikerun-events/feed 9 http://matadorchange.com/urban-volunteering-mumbai http://matadorchange.com/urban-volunteering-mumbai#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:30:28 +0000 Neha http://matadorchange.com/?p=3234

Photo by The Sapling Project/Feature Photo by danchitnis

Mumbai is home to millions of people, and just as many causes.

Voice

Voice works with street children who work menial jobs around the city and are forced out of school at an early age. Voice gives them the opportunity to continue learning through various formal and informal educational programs.

Classes are conducted at railway stations (where most street kids congregate, either to beg or work) and at four in-house centers. There, children are taught the 3 Rs – reading, writing, and arithmetic – as well as basic life skills and vocational training. Since most of the kids work, they are also taught basic banking.

Volunteers are needed for teaching, conducting workshops, and leading field trips. The foundation also welcomes donations and student sponsorship. For more information on how you can help, log on to the Voice website.

Reality Cares

Reality Cares works towards providing quality education and vocational training to disadvantaged children and young adults living in Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum.

The foundation works with a partner, Reality Tours & Travel, an ethical travel company, which conducts Dharavi tours, and currently runs a kindergarten for young kids and workshops for young adults at the local community center. Programs include life skills and vocational training, plus English lessons and basic computer skills.

Reality Cares asks for a minimum three month commitment from volunteers. Volunteers are needed for teaching assignments, creating curricula for various classes, designing and implementing computer modules, and marketing activities.

Photo by Raveesh Vyas

Knowledge of Hindi is advantageous, but not necessary. For more information on volunteer opportunities with Reality Cares, head here, and to make donations, here.

In Defense of Animals (IDA)

In Defense of Animals was founded in October 1996 to protect distressed animals in the city. The foundation takes in abandoned, injured, and abused animals and provides them with shelter, regular medical attention, and care.

IDA is also actively involved in promoting animal rights (through various school and college programs), as well as lobbying for improvement in India’s animal protection laws.

If you’re interested in helping, you can sign up for animal care duties at the center or administrative and marketing activities (this includes awareness drives, handling adoption procedures, and conducting post-adoption follow-ups).

You can also sponsor an animal currently living in the shelter; make a donation to IDA; or adopt an animal. In case of international adoptions, IDA helps with necessary paperwork and the required 3 month quarantine period.

The Sapling Project

The Sapling Project is the brain child of two Mumbai natives who wanted to address the city’s dwindling green cover. While most green drives in the city focus on parks and forested areas, this duo decided to take greenery to apartment blocks and office complexes.

The idea was to provide citizens with free saplings they could plant, monitor, and maintain around their localities. What began as a small initiative transformed into a local movement after some social media exposure; it mobilized citizens to address a critical local issue.

Today, the Project is active in various Indian metros. You can participate in planting projects or sponsor saplings to a project. Sign up on the project website for participation details and updates. Donations are also accepted.

Rang De

Rang De is a platform that helps small scale entrepreneurs achieve financial independence through microcredit facilities across the country. They hope to make a big impact with small loans.

Rang De’s Mumbai chapter supports micro-enterprises across Maharashtra, with typical businesses being tailoring, weaving, and embroidery units, manufacturing household products (including food), eateries, and animal husbandry.

Rang De social investors are provided with online accounts on the Rang De website through which they can track their investments, repayments, and growth of the supported enterprise. Investors also receive regular email notification regarding account activity. Rang De also organizes field trips every quarter for interested investors, allowing them to see micro-credit at work.

In addition to investors, Rang De also welcomes volunteers with backgrounds in film making, content editing and developing applications for various Rang De projects. Sign up here to invest in a micro-enterprise; for other information, contact Rang De at info@rangde.org.

Community Connection

If you are interested in volunteering opportunities around the world, visit Matador’s Volunteering Abroad Focus Page.

Photo: Sam Ruaat

In exchange for a few hours of unpaid help per day, WWOOFers are offered free accommodation and meals at organic projects around the world. It’s no lazy holiday however, and WWOOF volunteers can be found doing any number of chores from harvesting rice, to building mud brick ovens, to tromping through duck ponds.

“It’s an opportunity to exchange knowledge and learn from others,” says Lesley from Baan Wasunthara Organic Farm in Chiang Mai. “We enjoy getting to know the travelers who stay with us and the extra help on the farm is a great benefit for us too!”

Photo: Lachlan Hardy

Many hosts live a sustainable lifestyle that is a source of inspiration for travelers who learn first hand the art of crafts, food production, and farm maintenance.

Currently, there are 15 WWOOF opportunities in Thailand, ranging from small, family run gardens to full-fledged organic farming operations that ship their produce throughout Asia. Because the country does not have its own WWOOF organization, all volunteers are required to sign up with WWOOF Independents.

A one-year membership costs about $30 USD, and you’ll have access to a list of WWOOFing opportunities in over 20 countries. This list is updated regularly, but because many of the farms have been participating in the WWOOF program for a couple of years it doesn’t change frequently. 

Once you join WWOOF, you’ll have access to the contact information for each of the farms and their specific requirements. And yes, there are lots of WWOOF lists being circulated on the web, but there is a formal process for applying to a farm that requires membership, so buck up and pay the fee, and help to keep this great organization going.

Destinations

Community Connection to Thailand

The majority of WWOOF hosts are located in northern Thailand and offer stunning scenery, lots of opportunities for trekking and exploring, and colorful local culture. When choosing a farm, make sure to do some research, ask lots of questions so you know exactly what you’re getting into, and try to build a bit of a relationship with your host before your arrival.

Here’s a sampling of a few of the great farms that Thailand has to offer.

Big House Organic Farm

Big House Organic Farm offers travelers a quiet setting in rural north eastern Thailand where the focus is on sustainable living, meditation, and yoga. There is no electricity, TV, fridge, or radio, so if it’s chilled-out, back-to-the basics you’re looking for, Big House is just the place.

Work projects include mud brick building, rice planting and harvesting, building a bicycle grain grinder, and solar cooking and baking. The owners have extensive knowledge about sustainable living and anyone looking to incorporate eco-friendly practices into their lifestyle could stand to learn a few things from them. 

Lungkahms Jungle Homestay and Farm

A small organic farm located just outside of Chiang Mai, they also run Siam River Tours from the property. This place has a young, backpacker vibe and the restrictions on smoking and alcohol are fairly lax here, but they do still expect a hard day’s work in exchange for room and board.

The location is one of the highlights of this farm since it’s smack dab in the center of national parks, vibrant hill tribe cultures, and tons of outdoor adventure sports. Rafting, kayaking, and jungle canopy tours are offered daily and are something to look forward to during down time. The hosts do request three weeks’ notice, so plan ahead. 

Santipap Gardens

Santipap Gardens is a family-run organic farm and learning center located in northeastern Thailand on the shores of Ubanratan Dam Lake.

Aside from the standard vegetable garden and tropical fruit trees, hosts Richard and Pongpen have developed an impressive number of courses for interested guests. Shampoo and dish soap making, Thai cooking lessons, earthen house building, and Thai massage are just a few skills travelers can learn during their stay.

Accommodations are basic and the hosts expect hard work, but if you’re looking for an experience in a rural Thai village, this is a good one to consider. They also allow children and being located in a traditional Thai village makes this farm a family-friendly option. 

The Panya Project

Photo: travlinman43

The Panya Project is an hour north of Chiang Mai, lost in a complex network of dirt roads, paddy fields, and canals. This 10 acre site is home to one of southeast Asia’s most comprehensive sustainable living communities.

With the help of grant money, the people behind Panya Project have worked since 2006 to turn a mango plantation into a self-sufficient permaculture center, complete with composting toilet systems, water harvesting, seed saving, and an education center.

During the dry months (November-May), work focuses on building earthen structures, teaching courses at the education center, and harvesting from the vegetable garden. June-October bring lots of rain, which is ideal for planting and mulching. Visitors are asked to stay a minimum of two weeks. 

Phrao Organic Farm

Located in the village of Ampur Phrao about 100 kilometers north of Chiang Mai, this small, certified organic orchard sells its high-quality fruit throughout Thailand. The farm is surrounded by mountains and is only three kilometers from town.

The owners are enthusiastic about ecotourism and are involved with social improvement projects with local local hill tribes and conservation at Chiang Dao National Park, so there is ample opportunity for cultural exchange, trekking, and exploring.

With more than 1,000 fruit trees, workers can expect to do quite a bit of harvesting, but with endless supply of guava, jack fruit, papaya, dragon fruit, and bananas to munch on throughout the day, a little hard work is a small price to pay. The only restriction is no alcohol or smoking.

Community Connection:

Learn more about Thailand by visiting Matador’s Travel Southeast Asia Focus Page.

Photo: Public Relations

In our series about urban volunteering opportunities, our writers highlight organizations in big cities that need your help.

Rosie’s Place

Rosie’s Place is a resource center and shelter for impoverished and homeless women. A dining room, pantry, computer room, craft co-op, legal help, ESOL education, clothing and showers are among the resources they have and services they offer. Rosie’s Place is in the South End and accessible by the Silver Line and the Green Line (E, Symphony).

Volunteers need to submit an individual interest form, provided at their website. A member of the volunteer services staff will contact you. Group volunteers should contact Volunteer Services at 617-442-9322. The minimum time commitment is two times a month on the same shift for three months.

Both females and males are encouraged to volunteer. The minimum age is 12 in the dining room and 18 for all other programs. Volunteers between the ages 12 and 15 need to be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please visit Rosie’s website.

Asian Community Development Corporation

Photo: Pho-Toe

The Asian Community Development Corporation is dedicated to improving all aspects of the Asian community’s life in the Greater Boston area, concentrating primarily on the revitalization of Chinatown.


The headquarters, located on Oak Street in Chinatown, is accessible on the T’s Orange Line (Chinatown) or Green Line (Boylston). ACDC is involved in many projects- from real estate acquisition to the A-VOYCE youth development program.


For more information on the volunteer opportunities or for each program’s specific details, visit ACDC’s website.

MAB Community Services

MAB Community Services is dedicated to helping people with disabilities lead dignified lives. Their Volunteers for Vision program matches volunteers with blind adults to help with errands, paying bills, and reading printed material.

The minimum age to volunteer is 18 and the organization requires a six-month commitment. MAB offices are located in Watertown and Worcester, but a volunteer’s placement depends on where the blind individual lives. MAB tries to match you with someone close to where you live.

Interested individuals should visit MAB Community Services’ volunteer website for more information and to apply.

Spare Change News

Spare Change News is part of the Homeless Empowerment Project that produces street papers the homeless can buy and then re-sell for a profit. Main volunteer jobs at Spare Change are writing related— like on-call reporters and editorial assistants. Volunteer on-call reporters need some kind of writing background. Editorial assistants work in the office and need editorial experience.

Spare Change offices are in Harvard Square, located on the T’s Red Line (Harvard Square), which is not in Boston, but the on-call reporters work throughout Boston, covering subjects they feel need to be reported on. Most of the articles address social activism and advocacy.

For more information visit Spare Change News’ website.

New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium educates the general public and encourages people to take action with them on a number of issues important to marine life and the ocean through entertainment like IMAX and interactive exhibits. The aquarium is located on the waterfront within walking distance of the North End and is on the T’s Blue Line (Aquarium stop).


Photo: julz91

Volunteer openings include animal husbandry, helping with administration, assisting on conservation research projects and conducting marine wildlife rescue. The minimum age is 16 to work with education department and 18 to work with animals; most jobs require one full day (8 AM to 6 PM) of service for a duration for six months.

Other opportunities are also available; interested individuals should email vols@neaq.org to be added to a volunteer project mailing list. For more information or to apply, visit New England Aquarium’s Volunteer page.

826 Boston



826 Boston is a place where youth ages six through 18 are tutored and can learn to express themselves creatively through writing. 826 Boston is the seventh chapter spawned from Dave Eggers’ non-profit writing and tutoring center 826 Valencia in San Francisco, and opened its doors in 2007.

Besides offering tutoring opportunities, 826 Boston also has opportunities to lead writing workshops. 
There is no minimum time commitment but minimum age to volunteer is 18. 826 Boston is located in Roxbury off the T’s Orange Line (Stony Brook and Jackson Square).

All volunteers must attend a mandatory orientation meeting and those wanting to tutor students need to stay for a training that follows the orientation. To apply visit 826 Boston’s website for information on the next orientation and to download the application.

Community Connection:

If you’re interested in being the change you wish to see in the world but can’t currently travel the world to do it, be sure to check out How to Dress Green, Why We Should Bring The Teach English Phenomenon Home.

It’s also home to 460,000 acres of national park land, and a multitude of beaches that get much less attention than South Beach and are badly in need of cleanups. If you are in town, consider taking a break from the sun and surf to contribute some time and explore aspects of the city that rarely get notice.

Refugees and Migrant Workers

International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee first established its presence in Miami to help Cubans relocating to the city in the 1960s, but today serves the thousands of refugees primarily from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean who reach Miami’s shores each year.

Volunteers assist them in finding homes, employment, and rehabilitation for those escaping extreme violence and oppression. Long term volunteers have the opportunity to become mentors. Email VolunteerMiami@theIRC.org

WeCount! Community Workers Center

Located in Homestead, an agricultural area of Miami where many Central American, Mayan, and Haitian migrant workers live and work, this center seeks to provide a safe space for day laborers to find employment as a dignified alternative to standing in the street.

Volunteers are needed to teach English and computer skills classes. You can call the center at 305-278-7740 or email Albert Rodriguez at ralbert@we-count.org

Haiti Disaster Relief

Konbit for Haiti

Home to the largest Haitian American community in the United States, and serving as the nearest port, opportunities abound to assist in earthquake relief efforts for Haiti from South Florida.

Volunteers are urgently needed to package and ship donations, coordinate healthcare professional deployments, provide grief counseling, assist with Temporary Protected Status applications, and provide administrative support to organizations working from Miami.

Stop by Konbit for Haiti, a storefront turned community center in the heart of the Little Haiti, which is serving as an information hub for volunteers. They are located at 521 NE 81st Street.

Environmental Issues

Miami Group of the Sierra Club

Rapid expansion and development are constant threats to Miami’s ecosystem of beaches, swamps, and forests, and to its many endangered species like manatees and sea turtles.

Sierra Club volunteers can participate in everything from beach cleanups to writing news items to leading groups of inner city kids on nature outings. A list of email contacts for different areas of volunteering is available on their website.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Though it’s about an hour drive from the mainland to the various islands that compose the Florida Keys, it’s a worthy endeavor for anyone interested in unique conservation contributions.

There are short and long term volunteer opportunities like assisting in the therapy of injured dolphins or performing dives to conduct fish counts in natural coral reefs. There is housing available for some of the long term programs. Inquire with Lilli Ferguson, the volunteer coordinator, at (305) 292-0311 x245 or Lilli.Ferguson@noaa.gov.

Hunger and Homelessness

Camillus House

Photo: Billa

Camillus House has had a presence in Miami for over 50 years as one of its largest homeless shelters, even as the community surrounding it has increasingly gentrified and pushed for its relocation, which will finally happen in 2011.

Started as a small endeavor by some Irish priests, the towering building on the outskirts of Miami’s Overtown district offers housing, food, and health services for the homeless. Short term volunteers can assist in food distribution at the daily soup kitchens, while long term volunteers can get more involved with its various programs.

Instructions for volunteering can be found here.

For those with limited time, a great resource for volunteer opportunities on a day to day basis is Hands On Miami. There are also community volunteer events throughout the year such as MLK Day of Service in January, Biscayne Bay Cleanup in April, Coastal Cleanup in September, and Hands on Miami Day in November.

Community Connection:

If you’re headed to Miami for a visit, be sure to read Jared Romey’s Budget Guide to South Beach.

Photo: the tahoe guy

To a visitor in Downtown San Francisco who wanders into the Tenderloin and catches a glimpse of the squalor there, some of these issues can be quite apparent. But many of the problems are tucked away far from tourist centers and out of sight of many of San Francisco’s own residents.

Fortunately, thinking of innovative ways to make the future better is embedded in the culture of the city. San Francisco is home to a wide variety of non-profits that work creatively to improve lives locally and around the world.

San Francisco Food Bank

The San Francisco Food Bank relies heavily on volunteers in its efforts to reduce hunger. The Food Bank’s highly organized system allows volunteers accomplish quite a bit of work in a relatively short period of time.

San Francisco Food Bank, Photo: SterlingPR

As a volunteer, you can sort, repackage, and prepare boxes of food that will be given away to senior citizens in need.

The Food Bank has two three-hour shifts seven days a week and two-hour shifts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. At the end of the shifts, you have the option to tour the warehouse and learn more about the people they serve.

Visit the Food Bank’s volunteer page for more information and send an email to Anna Fleishman at volunteer@sffb.org to sign up for a shift.

Literacy for Environmental Justice

Bayview-Hunters Point, a neighborhood on the southeastern edge of San Francisco, contains a disproportionately large amount of the city’s toxic sites. Most of its residents are low-income people of color who suffer from a higher rate of environmental and food-related diseases than residents of many other parts of the city.

Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ) works to rectify this situation by educating young people about the environment and empowering them to get involved, providing organically and sustainably grown produce for locals, and restoring wetlands by removing non-native plants and planting native plants.

Photo: Karl Horton

LEJ offers monthly opportunities for volunteers to get their hands dirty while working in their plant nursery or doing restoration work at Heron’s Head Park.

Creativity Explored

At Creativity Explored, adults with developmental disabilities are given the chance to acquire new artistic skills, make art, and create income by selling their artwork.

Volunteers can share their skills with Creativity Explored in a variety of ways. There are opportunities to help in the art studio, in the office, with exhibition set up, and at special events. To sign up to volunteer, check out their website for more information and fill out a volunteer application.

At the Crossroads

Since 1997, At the Crossroads has been reaching out to homeless youth and young adults in the Mission and Downtown/Tenderloin neighborhoods.This organization strives to provide homeless youth with resources and support to achieve their individual goals: whether it’s employment assistance, drug rehabilitation, a housing program, or simply someone to talk to.

Examples of volunteer assignments include office work, food bank shopping, assembling packages of toiletries, organizing clothing donations, and getting creative by making greeting cards handed out to homeless youth for birthdays and moments of success.

The work that volunteers do for At the Crossroads leaves the small staff with the vital time they need to do street outreach and one-on-one counseling. Weekly and monthly volunteer assignments are available. If you would like to volunteer with At the Crossroads, send an email to Rachel at volunteer@atthecrossroads.com.

Randall Museum

The Randall Museum is an interactive science and art children’s museum with exhibitions that concentrate on the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to exhibitions, the museum offers a variety of classes for all ages, lectures, summer camps, and seasonal events for children and families.

Photo: TheNickster

Casual volunteers can sign up to help out at special events and doing restoration work. Animal and children loving volunteers who can commit more time can sign up to be an Animal Docent.

Streetside Stories

Despite an abundance of social media, it can often be difficult for youth to feel like they can reveal their histories and let people know what they’re all about. Streetside Stories is an organization that does not overlook the need to be heard.

Their programs allow youth to share their personal stories while building literacy, technological, and artistic skills. There are several options for volunteers to put their writing abilities to use for long term or flexible assignments. People with film editing skills can also volunteer for Tech Tales, a program where middle school students learn how to make short movies based on their life stories.

To get details on all of the ways you can get involved in Streetside Stories and learn how to apply, visit their volunteer page.

Project Ahimsa

“Ahimsa” means “non-violence” in Sanskrit, and Project Ahimsa works to promote this message through music.

Project Ahimsa provides grants for youth-empowering music organizations around the world. Since Project Ahimsa began in 2001, it has helped to supply funds for music education and instruments in India, Colombia, Ghana, Uganda, Mexico and the United States.

Project Ahimsa allows volunteers to get involved in projects such as assisting with special event planning, educational ventures, raising awareness about music education, and conducting site visits. If you want to learn more about how you can give your time Project Ahimsa, send an email to info@projectahimsa.org.

Community Connection:

Visiting San Francisco for the first time? Be sure to read Lauren Quinn’s “What NOT to Do in San Francisco.”

Photo: Nir Nussbaum

If you are looking to fight for women’s rights and gender equality, or help ensure that street children get adequate education, Calcutta needs volunteers like you.

CINI ASHA

CINI is an acronym for Child In Need Institute while asha literally translates as hope. Founded in 1974 by Dr. Samir Chaudhuri, a pediatrician, CINI started off trying to address problems of malnutrition in children. One man’s zeal turned into a comprehensive and holistic project when the government of India decided to back it and it received support from Save the Children.

CINI ASHA is the urban unit of CINI. Founded in 1989, CINI ASHA works towards the betterment of street children in Calcutta. They believe the first step is to establish familiarity between the CINI staff and street children; therefore, they have created 30 drop in centers in different parts of the city, including close to the Sealdah station and Park Street, where many children congregate.

CINI ASHA also works with schools in Calcutta to sensitize them about the special needs of street children and helps these children find jobs after they have finished school.

Volunteers with a background in medicine, education, psychology, law, and activism are especially welcome. CINI also needs English/ PR graduates to help them with their marketing/public relations and email and grant writing. Students are also allowed to volunteer. Volunteers can participate in fund raising events and can also engage in fieldwork.

To volunteer with CINI ASHA, email them at: ciniasha@cinindia.org

Disha Foundation

Disha Foundation began in 1992 to allow the slum children of Manoharpukur Road to explore and use their talent, skills, and potential through education.

Photo: seeveeaar

At first, funds were hard to come by and classes took place in verandahs, garages, and stairways. In 2000 however, Disha acquired its own premises. In 2002, Disha was registered as a trust.

Teachers and people with a strong background in creative writing are needed, though students are invited to volunteer as well. Volunteers can teach and can also develop creative writing, acting, music, or painting classes after discussing their project idea with volunteer coordinator Ms. Neena Singh.

To volunteer with Disha, contact them via the form available at their website and get in touch with Mrs. Neena Singh. A working knowledge of Hindi or Bengali is helpful, although not mandatory.

Sanlaap

Sanlaap is an organization working towards the eradication of gender injustice towards women and violence against women and children. Its core concerns are sexual trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation through forced prostitution, and sexual abuse.

Human rights lawyers, women’s rights activists, students of sociology, and academics working in related fields are ideal volunteers. School and college students are also allowed to intern. Applications are evaluated on a case by case basis.

To volunteer, contact sanlaap@vsnl.net or hq@sanlaapindia.org.

Calcutta Rescue

Calcutta Rescue is a registered NGO formed in 1979 for the socially and economically disadvantaged of Kolkata (Calcutta) and rural West Bengal. Projects include an active outreach program which coordinates efforts like free medicine programs, a vocational training program including weaving mills, and a fair trade handicrafts workshop.

Doctors are vital for this organization because of its focus on health systems and improving the health of the economically disadvantaged. Overseas volunteers are asked to commit to volunteering for Calcutta Rescue for six to 12 months. In special circumstances, a minimum of three months is permissible.

Medical personnel, educators, administrators, and management consultants and sponsored; the financial support is enough to cover living costs. Non-sponsored volunteers are not supported financially.

To volunteer, send your CV and a cover letter to admin@calcuttarescue.org.

Community Connection:

All of our international volunteering resources can be found on the Volunteering Abroad focus page.

Photo: Gary Edenfield

Serving in the Peace Corps is a two-year commitment on the part of both the volunteer and the U.S. government. It requires time, finances, and a sincere interest to embark on a long-term volunteer career, and in order for a volunteer to be most effective, it is important the application process be taken seriously.

According to the Peace Corps website, the application process generally takes six months to a year, but it can take much longer in some instances. Regardless of how long the process takes, realize that going through the paperwork, interviews, and appointments while applying for the Peace Corps is good practice in patience and flexibility—both of which you will need to perfect before beginning your service.

Here is what you can expect if you apply:

The Research

Before you begin the application process for the Peace Corps, do your research. Read the Peace Corps website thoroughly, follow blogs of current Peace Corps volunteers, attend informational meetings, and ask questions of returned volunteers and recruiters.

Peace Corps Connect is an online community of future, current, and returned volunteers who are interested in sharing information and providing support.

The Application

You’ll have to fill out an application, which details education, employment, and volunteer history and will likely take several sessions to complete. Two essays and three references are required. You also need to submit a copy of your college transcripts, information about relevant financial history such as student loans and mortgage obligations, and basic information about your medical history (both physical and psychological).

The Interview

After the Peace Corps has received and reviewed your completed application, you’ll be contacted for an interview if recruiters feel you could be qualified to volunteer. You will interview with a recruiter who is most likely a returned Peace Corps volunteer, so feel free to ask tough questions about the experience.

During the interview, the recruiter will ask you about your educational and volunteer background. The recruiter will want to know about your language and technical skills and interests. You’ll touch on your ability to handle changing circumstances and stressful situations.

It is unbelievably important for you to be completely honest during this interview. Though it is true that flexibility and the ability to adapt easily are good characteristics to have as a volunteer, if you aren’t completely honest and upfront about your interests, abilities, fears, and motivations for applying, you may be setting yourself up for unsuccessful service before you’ve even left the country.

Many people think they can go anywhere and do anything and be completely happy, but this just isn’t the case. Be honest about how you might respond to different situations such as loneliness, unclean conditions, and unusual public transportation.

The Nomination

You need a US passport. Photo: Tom Purves

After your interview, your recruiter will determine if you’re fit to be a volunteer. You’ll receive a vague assignment with a general geographical region and area of work, as well as a tentative departure date. This is by no means final—my location and job were changed three times before I received a definite assignment.

The Medical, Legal, Suitability, and Competitive Reviews

At this point you’ll receive paperwork for medical and legal clearance. The medical review requires a full physical examination, a dental exam with x-rays, and an eye exam. You may also be asked to complete a psychological evaluation. Try to complete the medical review within 45 days, and, if for any reason your medical status changes (for example, I had an emergency surgery after being medically cleared), contact Peace Corps immediately to update your clearance forms.

The legal review requires you to disclose any financial obligations, previous arrests and convictions, and obligations you have to dependents.

Once these are complete, a placement officer will contact you regarding placement matches that coincide with any medical needs you have and your ability to leave for service on specific dates.

The Invitation

The day will come when you finally receive the coveted invitation in the mail with a solidified country of service, job title, and date of departure. If you accept, you’ve just made it through the first laborious step of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer.

That said, you don’t have to accept the invitation.

There is an unwritten rule about declining invitations.

Photo: LizMarie

You can decline an invitation once with a sound reason about why you don’t want to serve in that location or in that job capacity. Once you receive a second invitation, you should consider long and hard about declining. Though you need to commit 100% to the Peace Corps, you should have had enough conversations and provided enough background information that an invitation should fit you well on the first or second try.

If you decline too many invitations, there is a possibility that you’ll be tossed back into the application pool.

The Pre-Departure

You’ll have approximately two or three months between invitation to departure. In that time, you’ll receive a packet of information about your country of service and a tentative packing list. You’ll also receive your e-ticket to your stateside staging site, where you’ll spend three days getting information and immunizations necessary for departure.

From there, you will finally depart for your service as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Community Connection:

JoAnna provides more advice in 5 Things You Should Know Before Joining the Peace Corps. And don’t think you’re ineligible if you’re a senior citizen. Read about 84 year old Peace Corps volunteer Muriel Johnston in Seniors in the Peace Corps.

Photos: itzafineday

Parks Canada

Parks Canada controls Canada’s many national parks (including a number of UNESCO sites); they also own and operate many other historic sites all over the country. This means that not only will you be able to find volunteer opportunities all over the country, but you will be able to find positions from environmental preservation to tour guiding to clerical work.

As a bonus, non-Canadian residents can apply for volunteer positions via an online questionnaire so that they can secure volunteer positions before they land in the country. Most volunteers need to be at least 18 years of age. Different positions require different skills and commitments. Accommodations are provided in some cases.

Parks Canada recommends that Canadian residents apply directly to the parks/historic sites where they wish to volunteer, but they are welcome to fill out the same questionnaire if they are looking for opportunities far from home. More information and the questionnaire can be found on the Parks Canada website.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is “the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in Canada.” It operates numerous facilities across the country, including emergency relief shelters, addiction services, nursing homes, and summer camps. Volunteer positions are easy to come by in most Canadian cities.

The duration of your commitment depends on what project you will be working on. The Salvation Army is the perfect place to volunteer if you want to test the waters of fields like addiction treatment or palliative care, and positions generally require little to no experience.

Volunteers are also welcome to apply at any age.

To fill out the online form and to see what’s available near you, visit The Salvation Army’s website.

Immigrant Settlement Services

Immigration is a large part of Canadian culture, and the YMCA offers immigrant settlement services in major cities across the country. These programs include orientations, befriending programs, work support, and translation services.

Volunteers are matched to new immigrants for 4-6 months, with minimum weekly contact for conversations and general social interaction.

New volunteers are needed all the time, but volunteers for the befriending programs must commit to four months minimum. Volunteers for the other programs have a significant advantage if they speak other languages, but there is no language requirement for most positions.

Unfortunately, there is no online application available for volunteers; apply in person at your local YMCA. Check out YMCA Canada’s website for more details.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada

The WWF-Canada works mainly towards fighting climate change and preserving Canada’s oceans and freshwater resources. With multiple locations and opportunities all over Canada, it’s easy to get involved. Much of the WWF’s administrative staff is made up of volunteers, who keep the organization running smoothly.

Other hands-on opportunities vary regionally and depend on which projects are currently prioritized. Check out your nearest WWF office, which will usually have more opportunities than advertised on the website.

If you want to get involved or find out more information, check out the WWF-Canada’s website.

The Portland Hotel Society

The Portland Hotel Society operates out of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, otherwise known as “Canada’s poorest postal code.” This area is known for its high rates of homelessness, drug addiction and general poverty, as well as mental illness.

The PHS owns and operates numerous services in this neighborhood, including supportive housing, cafes, kitchens and even its own credit union. The PHS is most famous for its tandem operation of Insite, North America’s only (and highly controversial) safe injection site.

To get involved, physically visit one or all of the operations and talk to managers directly. For more information on the Portland Hotel Society, check out the website.

And if you’re interested in getting involved with homelessness and addiction but aren’t in Vancouver, just check around town to see what’s available. Many cities operate similar systems, such as Renascent in Toronto, which is always actively seeking volunteers.

And finally… do your research!

The options listed above are national programs to help you find out what is available and get your feet wet. If you really want a close local community connection, get online or check out the bulletin boards in local city centers. Remember, Canada is a large and diverse country, so opportunities will vary significantly based on your location. Good luck!

Community Connection:

Whether you’re interested in volunteering at home or abroad, our Volunteering Focus Page has numerous resources to get you started.

Working on the compost toilet. All photos courtesy of author.

Together we studied the Humanure Compost Toilet Manual. It read, “There are two types of people in this world. Those that sh*t in their drinking water and those that don’t.”

We were about to experience how the other half lived.

The toilet was a yellow bucket with sawdust, placed under a wooden toilet seat frame. For 10 days we followed a routine of eat-excrete-sawdust-repeat. We bonded each time we had to collect another wheelbarrow load of sawdust or shovel the contents of the toilet bucket onto the humanure compost heap.

As a city girl travelling with my farm girl friend, the compost toilet was the source of many discussions as we sat around in our mobile home after a day’s work. And while no television, mobile coverage or WiFi will do that to a girl, the compost toilet was the first of many opportunities WWOOFing in Ireland provided to learn about healthy, sustainable living.

There were other lessons we learned about life in rural Ireland. Our involvement in local life included set-dancing lessons, trad music sessions, and a community harvest supper, all of which allowed us to share and exchange ideas with those interested in the organic movement and alternative lifestyles.

After three months of research and trip planning, I spent seven weeks in 2009 WWOOFing around Ireland with a friend. Following are my favorite places and suggested WWOOFing stays.

To view the full contact details for WWOOF hosts you will need to become a subscribing member of WWOOF Ireland.

1. Kinramer, Rathlin Island, County Antrim

Located on an offshore island, the owners of Kinramer keep a beef suckler herd and a sheep flock. WWOOFing with this family you will experience island activities involving wildlife conservation, community events, and fishing; the seafood is plentiful.

WWOOFers may stay in a caravan, dorm, tent, or house. The hosts describe “adaptability and patience” as key requirements, as work is dependent on tides and weather. Rathlin Island is a small community of approximately 100; therefore, services are limited and WWOOFers need to come prepared.

2. Green Hill Farm, County Donegal

Back on the mainland, Green Hill Farm is a small organic holding situated in the north of Ireland. Owners John and Mary grow their own vegetables, which are sold locally at markets, and they are keen to educate others on organic farming.

WWOOFers are welcomed from June to August. Accommodation is provided in a caravan/mobile home, and stays of two weeks are preferred. Bikes are available for volunteers to explore the area. WWOOFer feedback sings their praises as “There’s no end to the charm on Green Hill Farm.”

3. Beechlawn Organic Farm, County Galway

For those looking for a longer term WWOOFing position, Beechlawn Organic Farm provides placements for a minimum of four weeks. This young family welcomes help all year round, especially from those with experience in horticulture or market stalls.

WWOOFing here includes everything from sowing to harvesting – expect to work 8 hours per day. In your time off, hosts can provide you with bikes and travel information on Ireland.

4. Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat, County Leitrim

Accommodation at Ard Nahoo is in a self-contained mobile home and there is no television or Internet access. Work for WWOOFers varies; on our stay, we prepared for a weekend retreat by cleaning and restocking guest cabins. Other tasks include picking fruit, harvesting potatoes, weeding, and composting.

Spend your free time exploring the surrounding Sligo Way and Creevelea Abbey; bikes and walking maps are available to borrow. WWOOFers should embrace the idea of a compost toilet because holding on for the 40 minute walk to the pub each night is tough!

Basic breakfast and lunch supplies are provided, and communal family dinners are served each evening. The kids are eager to help you brush up on your Gaelic.

5. Snee Farm, County Sligo

At the foot of the Ox Mountains lies Snee Farm. There are a range of animals on this small holding, but they specialize in pigs and bees.

The fruit of our efforts.

This host takes a hands-on approach, explaining “We grow our own vegetables, cut our own turf… kill our own animals.” Snee doesn’t cater to vegetarians, but that’s not surprising for a pig farm. They make their own wine and during the winter, make cheese and butter.

A normal work day is described as “hectic” and these busy farm folk request that once you’ve registered as a WWOOFer, you contact them by email or phone directly.

6. Moyleabbey Organic Farm, County Kildare

Work on the 13.5 acres began in 2003 and Moyleabbey reached certified organic status in 2006.

This family-run organic fruit farm is managed by Liam and Yuki, who will educate WWOOFers about macrobiotic lifestyles and bio-dynamic farming. They sell most of their produce direct but also sell at farmers’ markets, restaurants, and with other organic growers locally.

The diverse nature of the work here allows the hosts to open their doors to WWOOFers all year round. Accommodation is provided in a self-contained mobile home. Minimum stay is one month.

7. Carraig Dúlra, County Wicklow

Carraig Dúlra is a farm situated on the east coast of Ireland run by experienced WWOOFers Mike and Suzie. Volunteers assist with courses and events, organic growing, beekeeping, farm projects, and water systems.

Accommodation is in a campsite, with vegetarian meals provided. There is no electricity or hot water. WWOOFers will need to boil water for their washing, dishes, and laundry, as the hosts emphasize establishing a “connection with the natural world.”

8. Mill Little Farm, County Cork

If you want to immerse yourself in Irish culture, head to Mill Little in West Cork. During our stay, we participated in excursions that saw us set-dancing with locals, listening to trad music sessions, and meditating at a Buddhist center on the rugged Beara Peninsula.

Christine & Sheeba.

Host Christine will have you helping with veggie and flower beds, goats and poultry while she runs her English classes over the summer. WWOOFing accommodation is provided in clean, bright rooms in a house, and meals are cooked communally using the fresh produce from Mill Little.

9. Milbeg Arts, County Cork

This 250 year old farm house is situated on five acres, comprising woodland and a veggie garden. Milbeg’s host, Annie, is also an administrator of WWOOF Ireland.

Farming methods used here include crop rotation, bio-dynamic permaculture, and raised beds. WWOOFers stay in caravans. One WWOOFer noted that WWOOFers not only eat well here, but “most nights there’s a group of people gathered around to chat, take a hike up Priest’s Leap, or maybe hitch down to a pub.”

10. Peter and Amanda’s Place, County Cork

Peter and Amanda’s Place is a two acre site with polytunnels, raised beds, ponds, and gardens. They prefer stays of two weeks and volunteers all comment on being welcomed as a member of their family.

Working in the polytunnel.

Work here over summer to meet other WWOOFers and experience the beautiful Sheep’s Head Peninsula. Places are limited, so check their online calendar for availability.

Before You Go

Getting registered: Check visa and entry requirements; then, apply online at WWOOF Ireland.

Getting insurance: A special insurance policy for WWOOFers is available through OV Europa.

Getting around: Traveling around Ireland by bus and train will not only benefit the environment, but your travel budget, too. See Bus Eireann and Irish Rail (Iarnrod Eireann) for the Republic of Ireland, and Translink and NI Railways for Northern Ireland.

Community Connection:

If it’s your first time WWOOFing, be sure to check out “A First-Timer’s Guide to WWOOFing,” one of the many articles in our Volunteering Abroad Focus Page.

The author

I have committed myself to going to Haiti for Spring Break. Now others rely on me.

The Spark

January 12. I was in the kitchen with my mother and older brother. My mother sat facing the TV. I stood just to the side. My brother was rinsing his cup out in the sink. The news was on. My mother’s shocked face and her abrupt silence, caused me to turn my attention.

A few minutes had passed and realization of what had happened was sinking in. Sadly, it was only beginning. Commercials interrupted our silence. My brother said something along the lines of, “Well, looks like I’ll be in Haiti for Spring Break.” Perhaps it was only wishful thinking, but his sentence sparked the tinder in my heart and mind.

“Why?” I asked.

“Why not?” he answered.

The Compass

After searching various websites, including Matador, for ways I could volunteer, I concluded no opportunity existed for me to help.

I refused to accept that. I started asking how I could help. The consensus was to donate money. Let the experts do the work that needs to be done; there isn’t room for you.

“I can only sit around and give money I don’t have?”

I started scouring the comments of the articles here at Matador, looking for anything. Eventually I found Vladimir. He was in Haiti, he had a Facebook group, he had pictures and information up. I messaged him. I told him I wanted to help.

In the meantime, I was spreading the word around campus and the Internet. I received plenty of positive feedback, especially from Lindsay, a young woman in Texas. She now has her own trip going to Haiti for students at Texas State University. With her ideas, encouragement, and cheer, my own project started to build.

I received a message from Christy, a kind young woman who works with Vladimir and is a part of the Haiti Volunteer Project. They would be delighted to have me and whoever else can join us to volunteer in Haiti.

She was probably unaware of it, but she had just given me my bearing.

The Company

It’s the night of January 28th. I’m sitting behind a wooden table in one of the corners of the softly lit coffee house I frequent. I’m waiting for 8:30 and for all of the people who were interested in going to Haiti to show up. Expecting only five or six people to show up, I’m surprised to find nearly 15 people, each one interested and full of ideas.

Over the next week, I sent out emails with information, updates, and plans. We had our next meeting. I answered questions, not all of which were within my grasp, but I was honest with people and they accepted that.

I gave out orders, suggestions, and requests. I was leading us somewhere, I wasn’t sure exactly where yet.

The Agenda

Over the course of the next two nights, five of us from the group, which we had dubbed “Students Helping Haiti,” spent our nights out in the Iowa winter to raise money.

Salvation Army USA West

The University of Iowa has an active nightlife so we split into two groups and held up posters we had made the night before, after the meeting. I had used stick glue to adhere to poster board not even an hour before. We stood downtown amongst the drunks and soon-to-be drunks. We used five-gallon buckets procured from a local restaurant. They were tainted by the smell of pickles. We asked for money. It was a success, but we still had a long way to go.

We’re now pursuing as many avenues of fundraising as possible to be able to travel to Haiti. We will continue to go out on the weekends and ask businesses for help. However, we realized that we were ignoring the largest collective of potential sponsors. You. Individuals. Now, we are reaching out to everyone for help.

The Campaign

With the help of our local community, and the community that exists here, we will fly to Port-Au-Prince and drive south to Les Cayes. There, we will hire Haitians to cook our meals, putting money into the economy. We’ll help at the orphanage, the hospital, or the field hospital.

We will be there to simply lend our energy, our support, and our smiles. No task will be too small or too big for us to help with.

We want to represent you, the world, and the human race. We want to experience Haiti. We want to help.

The Helping Hand

I come to this network because it’s a community of people with common interests and a common mindset. We are all students of the world, or desire to be so. We all have open minds, hearts that care, and an awareness about the power of the individual.

We look to you for help. By supporting Students Helping Haiti, you have a direct impact on Haiti. After the trip, you will be able to see pictures, videos, and read stories and accounts of our trip. In us, you have faces to put to the cause.

We currently have 17 volunteers. With costs estimated to be approximately $1,000 per volunteer, we have to raise a lot of money. This is where you can lend the help we need to help Haiti.

The Support

If you would like to donate money to Students Helping Haiti, the easiest method is by PayPal. Donate by logging into PayPal. Click “Send Money”; enter the email address studentshelpinghaiti@gmail.com; select “Personal, Gift”; enter your amount; click “Continue.”

Any questions, comments, or concerns otherwise you can also email to studentshelpinghaiti@gmail.com.

Regardless of your contribution, we would like to thank you for the opportunity, for simply caring enough to read and for being an individual.

Community Connection:

To read about other ways you can help young people experience the world and, in doing so, positively impacting others, please read about Matador’s Brave New Travelers scholarship fund.

Photo: Jesse Gardner

Maryam Razai walks 30 minutes to and from school each day. Her cheeks droop, and the excess skin appears smooth like silk. As a child, I used to touch my Nana’s face, tracing the lines of her 70 some odd years. In exchange, she always offered up a story: how she met my Papa, or the flames that once consumed their attic.

As I take visual snapshots of Maryam—an elderly Afghani refugee living in Utica, New York—we struggle to make conversation. She doesn’t tell me about her war-torn country or the family she has lost or left behind. I don’t ask about the scars on the hand of the woman sitting beside her, or the traditional sari she is wearing.

Instead, I help her fill out a work sheet with phrases like, “The vase is on the table” or “The bottle is on the floor.” Just as I am beginning to feel helpless, she raises her pencil from the page, looks at me, and smiles–a gesture that fills me with hope and optimism.

*
The Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report notes that in 2008, 60,108 refugees were admitted to the United States. Despite the U.S. Resettlement Program’s reputation as a lengthy and challenging process, this represents a 25% increase from the 2007 admission statistic. Whether or not we recognize it, the U.S. is growing as a major haven for refugees.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants explains that, “Refugees flee their homes, business[es], farms and communities in order to escape war and persecution.” These men and women enter the U.S.—or any country where they seek asylum—not knowing what to expect. Though many find and connect with others from their native country, life is not easy.

Photo: The Advocacy Project

The Resettlement Program provides minimal financial aid and some psychological support, but for those who have experienced intense loss and suffering, it’s likely not enough. For example, refugees receive about $400 per month from the government, and unemployment rates are still slightly higher among refugees than among Americans.

Many English speakers—from activists to explorers to teachers—have seized the opportunity to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) abroad. This is a beneficial and worthy endeavor, but there are 2.6 million refugees in the U.S., many of whom are unable to move forward with their lives until they learn a new language—perhaps the most intimidating barrier to getting by in the States.

If you’re putting down roots, but still want to make a difference, you may consider teaching or volunteering with refugees in your own country.

*
I met Maryam while volunteering at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees in Utica. There, surrounded by migrants from Afghanistan, Burma, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, and Ecuador, I realized that teaching English to refugees is about much more than how to spell “refrigerator.”

Language as Psychotherapy

At Mohawk Valley, the classrooms are not dull and dreary places where students lament their losses. Instead, students channel culture shock into concrete motivation to learn. One teacher introduces me to the “bottle-plate” dance, in which refugees clap, stomp, and sing about everyday objects. At some points, the classroom looks as though it will burst into a full on party, complete with break dancing and a turntable.

The language exercises also stray from asking questions about the past, an issue brought to my attention by the center’s director. Rather than inquiring about a refugee’s native country or family, students are asked about their life in the here and now: “Who do you live with?”; “Do you work?”; “How many days per week do you attend school?”.

Photo: polandeze

Learning English becomes a therapeutic practice for the individuals at the center. With every new word or phrase, students find a new form of self-expression, and in doing so, find themselves. Language also provides an important outlet for individuals if they desire connection–allowing them to share their stories and narratives in English with new friends, teachers, judges, and caseworkers.

In this sense, learning English becomes more than a task or lesson; English becomes a language of refuge.

A Bridge to Self-reflection and Personal Fulfillment

Teaching your native language to refugees is a personally rewarding experience. I met people from countries that used to exist to me only as ink blots on a map. I was introduced to Esar My, a Burmese refugee with exceptional conversation skills. Later, I met Esar’s daughter, a 20-something girl much like me, yet already married. This work fulfilled my desire to travel by engaging me in what I love most about the journey abroad: meeting new people and learning from them.

What was happening in these classrooms was also real and important. Without English skills, these men and women would be forced to subsist on very little. Language is a necessary component of physically starting over: finding a new home, new job, and fresh start.

Likewise, language can be a significant step to psychological reconciliation and repair, inviting individuals to let loose through classroom exercises, connect with their peers, and process and share their histories.

Get Involved

The Office of Refugee Resettlement has compiled a list of “Mutual Assistance Associations” for refugees. Check out the list to find a center near you. If you’re already trained in ESL, mention this when you call; the center may need full or part time teachers. If you’re not trained in ESL, you may also be able to help out as a tutor, interpreter, office assistant, or general volunteer.

Community Connection:

If you’re interested in learning a language yourself, be sure to check out our Language Learning Focus Page.

In Los Angeles, the biggest social problems are homelessness, youth, and the environment. Here are a few organizations that need your help.

Homelessness

Stand Up for Kids

Stand Up for Kids is a national organization working to help America’s homeless youth. Their signature purple shirted volunteers have been helping kids all over the United States since 1990.

There are centers in Venice Beach and Hollywood, where volunteers provide counseling, hot meals, a place to sleep as well as catering to hygienic needs of about 100 to 150 kids a couple nights a week.

Counselors go through a “rigorous training course” to prepare for what they’ll see on the streets and are asked to give two to three hours per week for six months upon completion.

Since the organization is 99.5% volunteers, there are many positions to be filled. here.

Volunteer with a group and help serve meals to those staying at the center. Individuals can volunteer at the PATHfinder job center, PATHmall, one of the transitional housing centers, or at the Rhonda Fleming Family Center.

Email Sally Evans (sallye@epath.org) for more info.

Youth

Stoked! Mentoring

Stoked! mentor , you have to be at least 25, pass a background check, and go through an interview. Orientation, training, and a matching process follow. You’ll spend at least four hours a month with your mentee and participate in four sports days per season.

If you can’t commit your time, lend your knowledge by teaching kids to skate, surf, or snowboard. This unique organization also needs volunteers for committees, events, and fundraising efforts. Fill out the volunteer application on the Stoked! site.

Free Arts for Abused Children

ways to participate.

826LA
826LA aims to get students excited about creative writing. After school one-on-one tutoring sessions are available Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 5:30, to help kids between the ages of 6 and 18 with their homework, test prep, or even writing the next big novel.

826 also strives to publish the work of their high school writers. Previous publications have featured famous forwards from people such as Mayor Villaraigosa and Phil Jackson. The Los Angeles chapter has two centers; the east center is in Echo Park and the west center is in Venice.

Email 826LA at iwanttohelp@826la.org to become a tutor.

LA’S Best

Founded in 1988, LA’s Best realizes that unsupervised hours after school are the most vulnerable for kids at risk. LA’s Best provides a safe place for children in areas where gang activity, drugs, and crime are most pronounced and where test scores are consistently lowest.

Services are provided to more than 28,000 kids at 180 elementary schools in Los Angeles. Download the volunteer application here.

Environment

Food Forward

Food Forward volunteers pick excess fruits to be donated to local food pantries. This is a beautifully simple and innovative way to fight hunger and enjoy the outdoors. Volunteers just pick fruit and/or donate their harvest. Check out their here.

Heal the Bay

In 1985, a few concerned citizens recognized that the Santa Monica Bay was in grave danger due to an irresponsible sewage treatment plant. Since then, this non-profit has fought to improve the condition of the bay through manpower and local legislation.

Get involved and be a captain of beach clean up with orientation and training, or speak on behalf of Heal the Bay at events. Check out Falling Whistles, Causecast, and volunteering abroad focus page!

Photo by Wiki.will/ Feature Photo by Mads Boedker

As appealing as saving the orangutans in Borneo sounds, not everyone can afford to participate in overseas volunteer programs. Why not look closer to home?

There are a number of causes in Melbourne that are in need of your time and enthusiasm. You can take your pick from organisations caring for the environment, animals and people, and become an urban volunteer.

Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP)

GAP was created by Greyhound Racing Victoria with the aim of re-homing retired racing dogs. Dogs that enter the program are micro-chipped, wormed, de-sexed, vaccinated and have their temperament tested before being fostered out and taught family pet etiquette -racing dogs may not have encountered a vacuum cleaner or a staircase before! Once they’re acclimatised to domestic life, they are ready for adoption.

You can help by becoming a foster parent, for around three weeks at a time, as little or as often as you want. Training equipment, food and support are provided, and you’re not expected to be home all day. This is a great option for people who can’t commit long-term to a pet, but love animals.

For more information, contact Melanie Luscombe at GAP on (03) 5799 0166 or email mluscombe@grv.org.au

Fitzroy Learning Network

Melbourne is the most multicultural city in Australia, and the Fitzroy Learning Network provides workshops and support groups for new arrivals. They teach language, computer, job interview and life skills, and provide advocacy for people in Immigration Detention Centres. They also offer classes for the elderly, students at risk of dropping out, low-income earners and people with restricted access to new technology.

Mentors are needed for classes, and volunteers can help in other areas such as administrative duties, marketing, fundraising, gardening and cooking. To learn more, visit their website, and get a copy of the application form here.

Charity Shops

Australians sure do love their opportunity shops, or ‘op shops’, and there are a countless number of these stores throughout the city centre and suburbs. Run by charities in order to raise funds, they mainly sell second-hand goods, donated by members of the community. Not only are they cheap, but you can do your bit for the environment by re-using clothing and household goods rather than buying them brand new.

Op shops are always in need of volunteers to sort donations and work at the counter, so contact any of the major charities such as Animal Protection Society, St. Vincent de Paul, the Red Cross and Vision Australia.

Country Fire Authority (CFA)

The Victorian CFA is one of the largest volunteer-based emergency organisations in the world, with almost 60, 000 volunteers. The brigades respond to various types of incidents and have an important role in fire investigation and community education. The CFA played a vital part in fighting the horrific Black Saturday fires that displaced around 8000 people last year.

Volunteers can help in a variety of ways, from fighting fires or helping in emergencies, to administration, fundraising, media and education roles. Read more on their website or call 1800 232 636.

Collingwood Children’s Farm

The farm covers over 7 hectares of land on the Yarra River, yet it is only 5km from the centre of Melbourne. This country experience for city folk was opened in the seventies, and allows kids to explore sustainable horticulture, wildlife habitats and farm animals in a fun, safe environment. The farm has its own cafe, community garden plots and runs monthly farmers’ markets.

Volunteers can help with maintenance, gardening, horticulture, and animal care and husbandry. To find out more, or to register for an induction session, email enquiry@farm.org.au.

Community Connection

To learn more about Australia, stop by our Australia Focus Page.

Many national non-profits make their homes in Washington, D.C. and are looking for volunteers. For those of us who have a spare moment to volunteer while visiting the nation’s capital ( it’s a great place to experience, but you’ll have some free time once all those monuments start to look the same), volunteering with local organizations can make all the difference in the lives of your fellow American.

SHORT TERM

WPFW 89.3 FM

D.C.’s only jazz and blues station is looking for volunteers to help with fundraisers, answer phones, and record incoming pledges to help this listener-supported radio stay on the air. During call-in fundraisers, pledge-drive shifts are 4 hours long and are available throughout the day. For other info about on-going opportunities, contact WPFW’s Volunteer Coordinator at volunteers@wpfw.org or at (202)588-0999 ex. 360. Groups of 4 or more will be recognized on the air!

SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry providing skills for tomorrow’s work force. This organization allows participants to learn about industries that interest them. Short term events such as judging skills preparedness at national conventions or conducting leadership and communication programs are available.

If you are interested in passing on technical knowledge you have learned, and connecting with tomorrow’s work force, contact SkillsUSA.

Community for Creative Non-Violence

Located just a few blocks from the Capitol Building, CCNV houses 1,350 homeless men and women. This organization offers drug and alcohol rehabilitation, medical, mental health and dental care, and cultural activities. Volunteers are needed at all times to assist in providing services to the residents of the nation’s largest transitional homeless shelter. Call (202) 393-1909 for more information.

LONG TERM

Howard University

For people putting down roots in D.C., the Community Services program at Howard University’s medical center offers healthy individuals 19 and up the opportunity to work in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, community relations and child care, among others. This program gives people interested in the health care field the chance to get hands-on experience working with patients before going into rigorous studies or switching tracks. After an orientation session (see the website for dates and details) and a health and background check, participants are asked to contribute a minimum of 100 hours a year with this program. Email CLivingston@huhosp.org or call (202) 865-4238 with any questions.

The Nature Conservancy in Maryland/District of Columbia

The people working here to save the planet, to share wild spaces with city dwellers, and to educate others know that volunteers aren’t just “free labor.” Whether you want to get your hands dirty or work inside with maps and database systems, the Nature Conservancy is a great place to put your love for nature to work. To learn more, contact Paula Becker at (410) 260-8568 or PBECKER@dnr.state.md.us.

Jubilee Youth Services (JYS)

JYS of Jubilee Housing, Inc, a non-profit organization founded in 1973 to provide affordable housing and supportive services to economically disadvantaged residents of the neighborhood.

JYS is an after-school enrichment program located in the Adams Morgan area that needs people interested in mentoring or tutoring the youth it serves. As a volunteer, you have the option of working with the age group of your choice (K-2nd, 3rd-6th or 7th-12th) in an interest area that falls in line with your personal strengths and talents. All volunteers must attend an orientation as well as agree to a background check. Spanish language skills are helpful, but not required. More info can be found on the Jubilee Housing website.

BOTH

Healthy Babies Project Inc.

For almost 20 years, this drop-in facility has worked with other agencies to provide education and training to at-risk moms in the D.C. metro area. In an effort to reduce infant illness and mortality, the Healthy Babies Project offers substance abuse counseling and intervention as well as immunization programs to the public. Volunteers work with children, media outreach, or prepare food. For more information, contact Kristol Parker at (202) 396-2809 or fill out the online application.

Bread for the City

This non-profit organization provides at-risk residents of Washington, D.C. with food, clothing, medical care, legal and social services. Volunteers who wish to work in the kitchen must commit to one shift a week, and are asked to work for at least four months to establish continuity in the lives of the people they work with. Short term opportunities are available, so visit the organization’s website for more information.

Covenant House Washington

Covenant House has been combating the widespread problems of homelessness and poverty among teenagers and young adults since 1995. You can help street kids become successful adults by working as an educational tutor or Life Skills Assistant. Visit the website to see the list of upcoming and annual events put on by the largest privately funded homelessness agency in the Americas.  

Complete the Volunteer Interest Form, or call (202) 610-9600 to speak to the volunteer coordinator and get started.

Community Connection:

Check out the other cities in our urban volunteering series – Buenos Aires, Chicago, and London.

Photo: United Nations Development Programme

Earlier this week, a Matador member wrote to say:

“I’ve been finding myself wanting to fly out & lend a hand for the tsunami, Katrina & now this, but I just don’t have the experience & feel I would only be in the way. I was wondering what you might suggest for getting the training I might need to be able to do the work I want to do to help.”

If you’ve been wondering how to get disaster training, here are a few resources that will prepare you to help:

1. American Red Cross Disaster Training

If you want to get started with your disaster training right away, the American Red Cross has a comprehensive introductory course online– and it’s free.

The course consists of three modules, which familiarize you with the Red Cross and its role in disaster response; the specific skills and actions required of disaster response volunteers; and the opportunities for volunteering with your local Red Cross chapter.

While in-person disaster training courses provide better opportunities for question and answer, as well as interaction with other learners and seasoned disaster response experts, the ARC online course seems like a solid way to begin learning some basic disaster relief principles.

If you do prefer in-person training, many Red Cross chapters offer classes at their local offices.

2. FEMA Emergency Management Training

Though many Americans are likely to argue that FEMA–the Federal Emergency Management Agency– could benefit from some training itself in light of its poor response to Hurricane Katrina, the agency offers independent study courses that cover a range of disasters, including earthquakes.

Specialized topics include how to respond to emergencies involving animals, hazardous materials, and pandemics.

The courses are self-paced, delivered online, and are free. You can even earn college credit for your coursework.

3. Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Training Program

“Trained volunteers are effective volunteers,” says the Salvation Army, which has been providing disaster response and relief services for more than 100 years.

Like FEMA, the Salvation Army offers courses focusing on specific aspects of disaster, such as “Psychological First Aid” and “Emotional and Spiritual Care in Disaster Operations.” They also offer an “Intro to Disaster Services” class for new volunteers.

These classes take place at Salvation Army locations around the United States. Check the schedule of trainings to see if there’s a location near you.

4. The National Center for Disaster Preparedness

Students pay thousands of dollars a year to attend Columbia University, but you can access the university’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness courses–offered through its highly respected Mailman School of Public Health– for free.

Online webinars offered by the NCDP go far beyond your basic disaster preparedness and response curricula offered by the other organizations… these topics are high-tech: “Geospatial Intelligence, Social Data, and the Future of Public Health Preparedness and Response.” Having organized Matador’s social media response to the Haiti earthquake, I’m all about this course: “Learning Networks of People & Places from Mobile Data.”

Seriously, dig into this website. Columbia’s offering some highly specialized knowledge delivered by world-renowned scholars.

5. Centers for Disease Control

Need to deepen your knowledge and skills about bioterrorism attacks, bombings, or other chemically-related emergencies? The CDC is your one-stop shop in these areas. Download courses for free–in English AND in Spanish– on their website.

Most of these resources are focused on learners based in the United States. If you’re from another country, what resources are available to you locally? Share them in the comments!

Community Connection:

Learn more about disasters and disaster relief in these articles from our archives:

Disaster Aid: Killing with Kindness?

How to Survive Travel Disasters: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina

Voluntario Global

Voluntario Global works in conjunction with community leaders and grassroots organizations to aid community centers and local businesses. At the community centers, street children and teenagers are provided a safe place to learn and play. Long-term volunteer opportunities range from 2 weeks to 12 weeks and require basic to intermediate Spanish language skills.

If you don’t have time to volunteer, but want to learn about the work of volunteers, Voluntario Global offers half-day tours to shantytowns and impoverished areas of Buenos Aires. The tour provides a close-up view of the community centers’ ongoing work and an understanding of the residents fighting for socio-political and economic equality.

If interested in volunteering, complete the Voluntario Global contact form or e-mail them at: info@voluntarioglobal.com.ar.

Centro Conviven

Centro Conviven is a small after-school community center for the street children of the impoverished Ciudad Oculta (the Hidden City). Volunteers can teach English, music, dance, and art or work with fundraising and web development. Volunteers are also encouraged to share their interests and develop new classes for the center.

Basic Spanish is strongly recommended, but not required. The center is always grateful for for any amount of volunteer time and doesn’t charge a fee to volunteer, a rarity in Argentina.

Visit Centro Conviven’s blog and website for more information. E-mail Bella Koerfer at volunteersconviven@gmail.com, if interested in volunteering.

Buenos Aires Volunteer

Buenos Aires Volunteer places volunteers in 14 areas of social work projects. As a fee-based voluntourism program, they also offer 20 hours of continuing Spanish language instruction in addition to volunteer support such as accommodation recommendations, airport pick-up, and organized social activities.

A minimum commitment of three months and a basic knowledge of Spanish are required. The social-based volunteer work includes aiding education, child services, health, and sustainability organizations. Volunteers can also contribute to local economic development by working with micro-enterprises.

For more information visit Buenos Aires Volunteer’s website or contact them at info@bavolunteer.org.ar.

Road2Argentina

Road2Argentina, a Spanish immersion program, allows volunteers to create their own service programs. Depending on degree of Spanish proficiency, volunteers have the opportunity to teach English to children and adults, participate in community and social service projects, and work with local NGOs.

As a fee-based immersion program, Road2Argentina offers participant support and activities. Stays from two weeks to six month are available. Visit Road2Argentina’s website, blog, twitter, and facebook page for more information.

Community Connection:

Learn more about Buenos Aires on Matador’s Buenos Aires Focus Page, with articles like 5 Unforgettable Days in Buenos Aires by Eve Hyman and  How to Take the Bus in Buenos Aires Like You Know What’s Going On by Kate Sedgwick.

Photo: The Dream Sky

Centro Romero

Chicago’s Centro Romero serves a large migrant Latino population on the northeast side of the city, offering citizenship workshops and GED and ESL classes throughout the week. Legal aid and women’s empowerment classes are also offered by Centro Romero; all services are free.

As a volunteer, you can help others learn English or study to become a US citizen. Other volunteer opportunities include monitoring phone lines and entering data to the center’s computer system. To learn more about Centro Romero, visit them on the web or call Cesar Aguilar at (773) 508-5300 ext. 15.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Center

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, located near Lake Michigan along Chicago’s eastern side, is home to restored prairie landscapes, an in-depth museum and lots of hands-on interaction opportunities.

The Center encourages an appreciation for nature and the environment, and is a valuable resource for city-dwellers. More than 200 volunteers pitch in at this patch of urban wilderness. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, and a minimum commitment of eight months is required.

Volunteers receive free admission to the Museum and the opportunity to participate in field trips. Fill out the online application or email volunteer@naturemuseum.org for more information.

Adler Planetarium

Explore the last frontier with the Adler Planetarium and teach others about astronomy, or simply help out with special events. The Adler Planetarium was opened in 1930 and has been sharing science with the world since then.

Learn about the range of volunteer opportunities or apply online.

PAWS Chicago

PAWS Chicago is one of the nation’s largest no-kill animal shelters—no small accomplishment in such a large city. Through community support and volunteer efforts, this shelter finds homes for more than 3.000 homeless pets each year.

Photo: heypatrick

PAWS volunteers work in the shelter during adoption events, help with new animals in the recovery room, or participate in community outreach. Although PAWS asks for a month-long commitment, the organization does have some flexibility.

To sign up for an orientation session (Step 1 in the volunteer process), visit PAWS or call (773) 935-PAWS for more. To reach PAWS via email, send a message to Kirsten at Volunteers@pawschicago.org.

The Suzuki-Orff School of Music

For nearly 30 years, the Suzuki-Orff School of Music has been providing music education to students and families as well as working with Chicago’s public schools. Volunteers are placed in positions that match their talents and interests to the school’s needs.

From office work to photography, there are numerous volunteer opportunities. For those who can only help with special events, as-needed commitments are fine, but long-term availability is also appreciated. Contact Gabriel Morales at gmorales@suzukiorff.org to learn about these and other volunteer opportunities.

New Moms Chicago

Founded in 1983 as a service to teenage moms living on Chicago’s Northwest side, New Moms Chicago works to empower at-risk moms and kids and combat the effects of poverty on family life.

This small organization has grown from being run as an out-of-home support group to an organization that offers play spaces and a supportive housing program.

Volunteers can participate in one-time fund-raising events, or work long-term with community outreach and other areas as needed. Contact Brian Genzink at bgenzink@newmomsinc.org to learn more, or fill out the online application.

Harbor Light Hospice

Harbor Light Hospice pairs volunteers with terminally ill individuals in extended living or home-care facilities. Training is provided for all volunteers (who must be 18 and older). Volunteers meet with patients and spend time connecting with them.

Volunteers with pets and volunteers who have an arts backgrounds are especially welcome. Time commitments are up to the volunteer, and office work or individual visit opportunities provide a variety of ways to help out at Harbor Light. Contact Linda at 630-942-0100 or email ldaniels@harborlighthospice.com

The Inspiration Corporation

The Inspiration Corporation offers life skills training and job placement opportunities to Chicago’s homeless and low-income populations, and as a volunteer, you can help by conducting mock interviews, working in one of their cafes, or providing support in other areas.

Click to download the application, or contact the Inspiration Corporation by phone at 773-878-0981.

Community Connection:

Learn more about Chicago from MatadorSports’ editor, Adam Roy, who introduces Chicago for the Architecture Buff, and Katie Hammel, who offers tips for Chicago on a Budget.

London Wildlife Trust

Dedicated to protecting London’s wild spaces and engaging diverse communities through campaigning, education, and volunteer programs, the London Wildlife Trust gives you an opportunity to get into nature and out of the urban rush.

The work of the organization reaches far beyond simple conservation, helping adults with mental health problems, running education sessions for primary school children and offering guided tours.

Required commitment time varies depending on which project you choose and in most cases no experience is needed to volunteer. To find out more and to apply visit London Wildlife Trust or email volunteering@wildlondon.org.uk.

Toynbee Hall

Based in Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived boroughs in the country, Toynbee Hall provides practical, innovative programs to meet the needs of the community.

One of the volunteer programs is their annual residential volunteer program, offering 15 volunteers accommodation and expenses in return for 20-30 hours of work per week. This year, there is also a “subsidized” volunteer option where 11 candidates will be asked to commit six to 12 hours per week and contribute £200 per month towards accommodation and bills.

Residential volunteers are given training and support from Toynbee Hall to enable the volunteer to work in one of many different programs. There are also “specialist” volunteer positions available in the areas of finance, migrations, English as a foreign language, and volunteer management.

The program starts every September and runs for 12 months. The charity will be recruiting for its next intake in May 2010. Volunteers must be fluent in English, although anyone who also speaks Bengali, Urdu or Somali will have an advantage.

For further information on roles and to apply visit Toynbee Hall.

FareShare

This charity takes food discarded by supermarkets and redistributes it to homeless shelters, day centers, breakfast clubs and women’s centers. The food they receive is perfectly edible, but was rejected by retailers for reasons such as faulty packaging, mislabelling and display dates.

Volunteer positions include food sorters, drivers, navigators and office workers. No experience is required as volunteers are given full training in food hygiene, although drivers will need a clean driving record and will need to take a Mini Bus Drivers Awareness Scheme Assessment.

The commitment requires at least one shift every two weeks. There are also opportunities available in the areas of marketing and fundraising. Visit FareShare or email enquiries@fareshare.org.uk for more information.

Sense

Sense is the UK’s leading national charity supporting and campaigning for adults and children who are deafblind, offering advice and practical help. The charity has a number of volunteering opportunities in and around the London area.

In 2010, the organization needs volunteers for three week-long “holiday” placements, which involves assisting people with deafblindness on a leisure trip in return for accommodation and food. There are also occasional weekend events in need of volunteers.

For anyone wanted to volunteer with Sense, planning ahead is essential as all volunteers must pass a Criminal Records Bureau Check which can take between four to six weeks for UK citizens – or up to three months for volunteers from other countries. The charity starts to offer placements towards the end of March.

To request an application form visit Sense.

The Simon Community

This charity provides help and support to the homeless in London by providing shelters where homeless people and volunteers live and work together.

The Community offers both full time and part time volunteering opportunities. Full-time volunteers, who must be 19 years or older and receive accommodations, food and £38 a week for expenses, are expected to stay for a minimum of six months. They will live and work alongside the homeless, helping to “break down the barrier between the helpers and the helped”.

Part-time volunteers don’t live at the house, but help out with a variety of tasks including tea-runs, driving, campaigning, office work and helping out at houses – travel expenses are paid and there is no minimum commitment.

For more information and contact details visit The Simon Community or email info@simoncommunity.org.uk.

National Trust

The National Trust owns and cares for numerous heritage sites in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, focusing on environmental conservation.

Volunteer opportunities involve practical work on these properties in and around the London area for days, weekends or week-long projects. Weekends are the most regular and easily available option, costing £8. Work could involve fencing, building stone walls, tree planting, clearing vegetation and cutting steps into hillsides. Occasionally, it will also involve helping out at events.

For detailed information on opportunities available for 2010 and booking information visit The National Trust.

Community Connection:

Need help choosing a volunteer project? Check out The Complete Guide to Volunteer Tourism!

Photo: imgur

In his New York Times Op-Ed column championing sweatshops in third world countries, Kristof admits he is “just about the only person in America who favors sweatshops.”

Despite suffering the common criticisms of unhealthy conditions, abuses, low wages, etc., sweatshops, Kristof maintains, “are only a symptom of poverty, not a cause, and banning them closes off one route out of poverty.”

For many citizens in poverty stricken nations, a factory job is a “cherished dream, an escalator out of poverty,” says Kristof. To take that away is more harmful than helpful. To be a garment worker is far from the worst thing out there.

In order for poor countries to pull themselves out of poverty, they must develop their manufacturing businesses. And if this means constructing sweatshops in third world countries, well, as “bad as sweatshops are, the alternatives are worse.”

Kristof makes strong points about looking at sweatshops through the lens of impoverished third world residents and being realistic about what factory jobs, no matter how low the wages in comparison to US standards, can provide.

Though, as Matador member Kelsey Timmerman points out in his comment on the post, “[Kristof's] argument ’sweatshops are good’ is too simple, just as is the one ’sweatshops are bad.’ ”

While Timmerman agrees that such factory jobs are incredibly important to the workers, he worries that Kristof’s column “encourages apathy” among consumers through it’s bottom line.

Rather than taking a black or white, good or bad side on the sweatshop debate, Timmerman feels that what people should be doing is becoming engaged consumers, asking brands where they manufacture their products and whether or not they have codes of social conduct for their factories.

“In my eyes, if an engaged consumer discovers something they don’t like about a brand they are wearing, they shouldn’t just write off the brand, they should pick up the phone and give them a call or drop them an e-mail. They should express what their concern is and see what, if any, action or response the brand is taking to correct it.”

It’s hard to say whether or not such phone calls or emails would have significant impacts on the way companies do business, but what is for sure, what both Kristof and Timmerman can agree upon, is that a general boycott of companies whose products are made in sweatshops is not the answer as it damages the lives of very workers its trying to help by putting them out of work.

What’s your take on sweatshops? Share your comments with us below.

Photo: Michael Scalet

Western and Bengali tourists disembark by the hundreds to pose, party, chill out, meditate, talk karma or catch a glimpse of His Holiness. Kashmiri shop keepers will no doubt resort to emotional blackmail to sell you overpriced shawls and trinkets. Local Indian taxi drivers may just run you over as they honk themselves to oblivion on the overcrowded streets of the hill town. Equanimity has never been so useful.

Underneath and through the samsaric dust cloud of modern agitation there are quite a few volunteer experiences. The exiled Tibetan community is struggling to maintain itself culturally, materialistically, and spiritually. McLeod Ganj being the main hub for the Tibetan movement outside of the homeland, there are many ways to make a difference through volunteering here.

Both short and long term opportunities are available. In many instances prior experience is not necessary. It also does not matter if your English isn’t perfect in most cases. Look up the current issue of the free ‘Contact’ publication (usually published once a month) when you get there to check current opportunities. Listings are also posted here.

Here’s an overview of the main opportunities:

1. Lha Charitable Trust

With birds living and flying inside the building (it’s slightly risky but has its charm) you can offer your time and skills for English conversation classes, French classes, health care needs, computer classes, environmental causes, grant writing, fund raising, and providing yoga classes or massage.

2. Tibet Hope Center

English conversation classes are the highlight of this dynamic enterprise. Like most conversation classes in McLeod Ganj, they take place every weekday in late afternoon. Groups are set up outside and during the cold season they gather around a fire with hot tea. You don’t have to come often– even just one time will make a difference. They are also looking for various kinds of teachers.

3. Volunteer Tibet

Specializing in long-term opportunities, Volunteer Tibet dispatches volunteers to different non-profit organizations and governmental agencies in the area.

Musicians, art teachers, after-school program coordinators, webmasters and designers, computer technicians, business consultants, fundraisers, translators, gardeners, environmental teachers, human rights activists, writers, counselors, dentists, physiotherapists, event coordinators, and pharmacists are all needed.

4. Gu-Chu-Sum

Contribute by participating in English conversation classes and offering tutoring to ex-political prisoners and their families. Small-scale and intimate.

5. Rogpa

Rogpa–meaning friends and helpers–is seeking volunteers in its baby care center. It helps single mothers and families as they work and become self-sufficient, knowing their children are being cared for. This placement is a favorite of many volunteers. You can also give your time to work in their shop.

Photo: Liz Highleyman

If you will be staying in McLeod Ganj for a long time you can inquire with these organizations directly about long-term opportunities: Tibetan Settlement Office; Tibetan Library; Tibetan Women’s Association; Tibet Institute of Performing Arts; Tibet Museum; Institute of Buddhist Dialectics; and the offices of the Government in Exile. Monasteries and convents may also be interested in getting help for various tasks.

Community Connection:

Matador member Danielle Adomaitis is looking for a travel buddy to trek with her on a survey trip through India, Tibet, and Nepal in 2010. Learn more about Danielle and see her request here.

Matador member and MatadorU student Tabatha Smith recently published a photo essay on Matador Trips about trekking Langtang in Nepal. Check it out here.

Photo: Silent vigil in Ioannina, Photo courtesy of author

We have wrapped up the volunteer portion of our trip. It was kicked off by being picked up by local animal activists in Athens and taken to the ONLY licensed animal shelter in a city made up of millions of people.

The amazing people at the KAZ shelter run the facility on a shoestring, doing as much as they can to help forgotten and discarded animals who have nothing but love to give. We brought the shelter hundreds of dollars in medical supplies, and I was excited to give a personal donation I knew would definitely be put to good use.

After departing the Athens shelter, we headed up to the mountain town of Ioannina. There is no animal shelter in Ioannina, a town of 150,000 people, but there is a handful of concerned citizens who dedicate their lives, their homes, and their finances to help homeless animals.

We spent most of our time at the homes of these dedicated activists, helping prepare for a protest about the poisoning of stray dogs in the city. Having been an activist in America, it was exciting to experience this feeling in a foreign country, and even more exciting to see how well it was received. Young and old alike welcomed the information and took the time to read it. Our group took great pleasure in seeing our work first hand and found it very motivating to continue on.

I personally took great pleasure in leafleting outside the mayor’s office, the man everyone knows is responsible for executing the rash of cruel poisonings on the animals. I handed a leaflet to everyone I could who was entering the building in the hope it would cross his desk.

A silent vigil was held on the evening of our fourth day in Ioannina. We were thrilled with the turnout. Many more people came in support than I had imagined and numerous media outlets appeared.

We also built feeding stations and placed these in strategic locations around the city where strays congregate. The most surprising was the scene at the local university, which looked like inner city projects in the US. We were surrounded by concrete buildings riddled with graffiti, trash, and teens with no real concern for the pack of starving animals with whom they shared this space.

We were shocked to see a small puppy stroll out from behind a bench and head right toward us, not yet afraid of humans as many of the older pups were (not than any of them live long – the average age is 18 months before they are poisoned or hit on the road).

I began chatting with one of the students and he explained that many people dump puppies at the university, thinking they will be taken care of. He said there are new litters every week. He pointed me in the direction of the dumping site, and I spent a good hour searching around what would be considered a trash dump in the US. No puppies were found but I did make friends with various cats that were starved for attention.

I am sad to say this portion of the trip is coming to a close. I have greatly enjoyed the interaction with the local activists. I have formed lifelong bonds with even the ones who I was unable to have a conversation with because we share a passion that we hold deep in our hearts.

Community Connection:

To learn more about the organization with which the author volunteered, visit Inside/Out. To create your own volunteer experience, browse through Matador’s member organizations, which offer volunteer opportunities around the world.

Photo: A few of Greece’s many stray dogs. Feature photo: jturn; Photo above: simobran

We are a group brought together by inside/out, a unique adventure travel company that provides humanitourism™ trips for people who want to volunteer on meaningful international projects while pursuing active adventure.

We will be spending the majority of our time in Ioannina, in Northern Greece. Animal welfare in Ioannina has been a hot topic lately due to continuous poisoning of stray animals in the town.

Poisoning is just one of many atrocities allowed in Greece. Hanging is a common practice for disposing of animals no longer needed, especially hunting dogs. Just last month, five dogs were hanged from an olive tree, four bundled together and one by itself. The dogs were hung in such a way that their paws barely touched the ground. The vets who visited the crime scene estimated that the animals experienced eight hours of torture before dying.

Photo: alex kuruz

To fight cruelty and help strays, small grassroots groups are cropping up all over Greece. Many buy food and pay for veterinary services out of their own pockets, help to re-home dogs both locally and abroad, and some are even opening small shelters on their own properties.

Fortunately, young people are taking an interest in the animal rights movement. Organized protests are starting to be utilized and a local TV channel now airs an animal welfare program.

To do our part while we are there, we will spend much of our time working on feeding stations for the massive stray population and providing hands-on care to animals in shelters to prepare them for adoption. We’ll also do community outreach, distributing educational materials on sterilization, anti-cruelty practices, and responsible pet ownership, as well as producing a demonstration with local activists.

As we travel to different to Ioannina, Konitsa, Papingo, and Kavasila, all in the Zagoria region, we will connect with locals. I am excited to meet all these wonderful people who dedicate their time to improve the lives of the animals. Between each of these volunteer experiences, we will be white water rafting, kayaking, and trekking between the villages some days.

Photo: OxOx

What makes this trip more unusual is that the five of us have never met. But we share a common bond– a love for animals– and we refuse to turn a blind eye to the injustice occurring in Greece. We refuse to go on with our daily lives like nothing is happening.

We want to get out there, get our hands dirty, and make a difference far beyond this 10 day trip. I am certain lifelong bonds will be formed and with the collective knowledge of this group of power-hitters, new ideas will be created.

Community Connection:

Interested in other ways you can volunteer to improve the lives of animals? Read about Mexico’s Todos Tortugueros turtle rescue project and Thailand’s opportunities to volunteer for the protection of elephants.

Photos courtesy of Journeys Within Our Communities

See a problem – solve a problem. It’s a good mantra to live by, and if you can travel with that mindset, even better.

Andrea and Brandon Ross certainly have taken that issue to heart, doing a world of good in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. The couple runs Journeys Within Tour Company and Journeys Within B&B. Wanting to give back to the Cambodian community in which they were working, they initially started small, collecting donations from guests. The projects grew and, luckily, so did the support. They were able to incorporate Journeys Within Our Community and received their 501(c)3 tax-exempt status in 2005.

“JWOC seeks to create and support projects that reduce poverty levels and increase educational and economic opportunities throughout Southeast Asia,” explains Andrea Ross, JWOC Founder and Executive Director. “Our projects provide training and assistance in the areas of health, education and economic development. As we see new problems develop, we focus resources and attention to solve those problems.”

JWOC’s programs range from a scholarship program in which 70 students from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are currently attending university, plus donating volunteer hours back to their communities. They run three free schools in Cambodia and Laos that are open six days a week and there are more than 300 wells providing clean water to villagers in the Siem Reap area. Microloans have also been given out to more than 200 local people living below the poverty line.

“By working at the local level and focusing on basic needs such as clean water, education, health, emergency relief and other community based issues, JWOC helps to develop projects that start small, but with outside support, gain momentum and change lives,” says Andrea.

Hurricane Nargis hit Myanmar hard in 2007. JWOC quickly went to work, and the organization was able to get into the country to aid stranded villages, often when bigger aid organizations were still struggling for permission. Past guests and donors were a huge part of this effort, and the organization eventually raised more than $30,000 in emergency relief.

“Our managing director was soon on his way to a small village that had been devastated with much needed supplies of rice and oil. We were able to continue supporting this community until major relief supplies started arriving,” says Andrea. “At the same time he visited Mingalar Parahita Orphanage on the outskirts of Yangon. It had been severely damaged and had experienced an influx of children orphaned by the storm. …[W]e were able to provide food and oil until their traditional supplies were re-established many months later.”

If any blessing came out of this tragedy, it was that JWOC continued working with this orphanage, and they are currently sponsoring 16 students at university.

It’s easy to get involved with JWOC, and the organization offers a unique way of seeing your donation at work.

“We believe strongly in active philanthropy. This is the idea of giving to a project before a trip so you can then see the results of your donation during your travels,” explains Andrea. “We have guests donate water wells and then visit the community benefiting from clean water; we have guests donate to our language schools and they then get to participate in a class and meet the students. I think this idea of being a part of the community and integrating giving back in any tour is a really fantastic way to make a tour… much more meaningful.”

If you’d like to do some hands on work, JWOC accepts volunteers on a case by case basis. Volunteers must pay their own way, and need to be self-starters and able to work independently on projects assigned by their directors. Duties may include teaching an English class, working on hygiene projects, or helping with the microloan program.

Judy and Gerry Laird from Fair Oaks, California read about Journeys Within Tour Company in their local paper and knew immediately this was an area of the world where they wanted to visit and volunteer. Among other activities, they helped out in JWOC’s school for younger children, as well as spent a day in four different classes at their school in Laos. The couple was thrilled with their experience.

“We were fortunate to participate in a JWOC finance class for young people where they collected loan payments from small local vendors,” Judy says. “ We rode in a tuk-tuk behind four teens on motor scooters! This was an inside look at the hard working local vendors and the well-trained young people.”

Judy has lots of encouragement for potential volunteers.

“Do it! Brandon and Andrea will find a project for travelers of all ages, experiences, and abilities. They are involved in many activities for the community and will find a match for everyone,” she says. “Volunteering for JWOC gave us a small opportunity to be of service to the world. We are better people and travelers because of this thrilling experience!”

Final thoughts from Andrea?

“Ultimately we want to empower the community to help itself and to educate a new generation with the idea of community action. We like to see how travel can have a positive impact on communities and that development, if done right, can be a good thing.”

Photo: Courtesy of author

Many volunteers have harbored secret dreams of what the headlines will say when they return from their heroic adventures:

“Volunteer saves rural village from mudslide.”

“Philanthropist banishes malaria from Africa.”

“Educated Westerner teaches hundreds of poor children to read.”

And below the front-page title, a black and white photograph that perfectly captures a tired smile, tousled hair, and a few beads of sweat earned valiantly in the battle against all that is wrong in the world.

There are many excellent reasons to volunteer, but in order to truly make the most of your experience, you must carefully and honestly assess your expectations. Holding onto an unrealistic fantasy, no matter how big or small, can only lead to disenchantment.

Here are a few common expectations best avoided:

Expectation 1: Immediate, world-changing results

While blogs and photo-sharing websites are a modern blessing for the avid traveler, they may have the unfortunate side effect of putting undue pressure on many volunteers to show the immediate results of their labor.

Not every moment of a volunteer experience is blog, picture, or Nobel Prize worthy. If you find yourself huddled over a computer in a humid, overcrowded office writing reports for your host organization, that doesn’t mean you aren’t accomplishing anything.

While the world likes to glorify those with the sentimental pictures and heroic stories, some of the most successful volunteers are the ones who contribute to a long-term project, the effects of which may not be seen until long after the volunteer has left.

Volunteering isn’t about fixing the world’s problems in less than a year or receiving recognition from everyone who reads your web page. It’s about contributing to sustainable projects and making positive adjustments in your own life so that your work will continue to change the world–and you– long after your temporary volunteer post has finished.

Photo: Courtesy of author

Expectation 2: Organized work

The number of times I played solitaire the first few weeks I spent volunteering registers easily in the three-digit zone.

This was before I learned an all-important lesson: sometimes, volunteers have to invent their own work.

Photo: Courtesy of author

For any number of reasons, your temporary employers might not know what to do with you. Without some serious initiative on your part, you may end up twiddling your thumbs and drinking 200 cups of herbal tea a day. Be clear with your organization about what you are and aren’t capable of doing. It might take some work on your part to ensure that their plan includes reasonable goals and concrete tasks.

Expectation 3: Everybody will like you

A few months is a short period of time to form deep, lasting relationships. Many volunteers, discouraged by overwhelming cultural barriers, never connect with more than a few people. Even the volunteers who seem to become beloved local heroes often struggle with feelings of being misunderstood and lonely.

Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t made 10 new best friends by week two, and please don’t give up cross-cultural relationships altogether and hide away in the nearest expat club. Bonding only with fellow travelers deprives you of much of the vulnerability that makes the volunteer experience so powerful.

Expectation 4: Rapid language fluency

After spending eight years studying Spanish, I expected to arrive in Peru and sound like a native within a matter of weeks. Instead, I was the laughingstock of Lima for months because of my verbal blunders.

Some people who volunteer can pick up languages in a few days flat, and I will spend all of eternity shaking a jealous fist at them, but they are the exception, not the rule. Don’t become discouraged when language acquisition takes time.

Expectation 5: You will find yourself

Culture shock, loneliness, language frustration, and stomach bugs… this is not the time to figure out who you are. You need to already have at least a basic self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses, your techniques for coping with challenges, and your tolerance for difficulties before you arrive.

Who you are at home is still who you are in any other country.

The only baggage you should be bringing on the trip is that which can be stored below the plane. Those who try to sneak too many negative emotions and insecurities through customs only end up leaving bitter and disappointed.

Community Connection:

Volunteer experiences can be immensely rewarding, but are occasionally disappointing. How have you had to adjust your expectations about yourself, your work, and other people while volunteering abroad? Share your tips below.

Photo: joehastings

“But we are in Thailand; of course we are planning to ride an elephant. It’s what you do here,” she said. It was a few weeks later and I was talking to a girl in the hostel’s common room in Chiang Mai. I had just been telling her about my experience working at a wildlife centre south of Bangkok. I told her about Pai Lin, the elephant I had fallen in love with, and my hope to deter people from supporting elephant tourism.

Pai Lin’s story is similar to that of many domesticated elephants in Thailand, used for trekking and begging on the streets. This 60 year old elephant used to carry up to six people on her back. Seats made of a heavy wood are placed directly on their spine, thanks to which Pai Lin had a deformed back. She arrived at the centre a few years ago, malnourished, ill, and having spent many years on the streets. She’s a gentle elephant who enjoys splashing around in the water and eating pineapples or banana trees, but more than anything, enjoys the peaceful, quiet life.

If you see an elephant in Thailand and it looks okay, don’t be fooled. Domesticated elephants go through abusive training called phajan when they are young; the training makes them docile enough to be close to people and it’s called “breaking their spirit.” The elephants are often malnourished and don’t get enough water or shade. Elephants begging on the streets are often drugged to keep them going for long hours.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about responsible travel, but without education or knowledge, someone might just not know any better. A lot of people I met in Thailand often felt uncomfortable after riding the elephants or while watching them do tricks to entertain tourists.

Photo: caspermoller

The appeal remains, however; visitors coming to Thailand want to see an elephant. It doesn’t have to be on their backs, though. There are other options. Watching elephants being elephants is an amazing thing on its own. So if you want to go to Thailand and see an elephant, here are some options for you to do so:

Recommended Volunteer Programs and Places to Visit:

Elephant Nature Park: Volunteer for a day and see elephants being elephants. You get to feed and bathe the amazing creatures and witness them in a natural environment. Located just outside Chiang Mai. A great alternative to trekking.

Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary: The sanctuary was started by a woman from London after becoming involved in the story of a baby elephant called Boon Lott. Her dedication to the baby and to the other elephants led her to open the sanctuary that now seven elephants.

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand: Although they only have six elephants at the moment, there are a lot of other animals at the WFFT. Go for a visit and ask to be shown around. The volunteers can take you to see the elephants and tell you personal stories of the animals at the wildlife centre. Or spend a week volunteering with the elephants and get to know the amazing personalities of these animals.

Community Connection:

Thailand isn’t the only place where elephants are a tourist attraction. Read one Matador member’s tale about riding an elephant and reflecting on the experience in this blog. And if you’re looking for other volunteer opportunities that will put you in contact with elephants, check out this post in our community forum.

Photo above: Hamed Saber, Feature photo: papalars

Volunteering “isn’t a simple summer vacation alternative or an excuse to travel to an exotic locale. It’s work. You signed up for it, and you should put as much effort into it as if you were getting paid.”

These are my words from “Volunteer Voice: 10 Tips for Surviving the Transition.”

While it’s true volunteering shouldn’t be undertaken purely out of a desire to travel, or to fulfill any other personal whim, there are benefits in scheduling some “exploration days” during a volunteer placement.

A personal trip can actually enhance your volunteer experience, on both an individual and a professional level. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Take a break

Admit it: maybe you need a little break. No shame there.

Photo: vidrio

Some volunteer assignments are more taxing than others. If you’re working in a shelter for abused women, a daycare for disabled children, or somewhere equally draining, periodic time off could well be essential to your sanity.

Even those who aren’t placed in high-tension environments can benefit from some R&R. Your org doesn’t want you to burn out any more than you do.

Taking a step back can remind you of why you decided to volunteer in the first place and how your actions are making a difference. Whether you use this time to travel or not doesn’t matter.

2. Further your cultural education

Learning about the history and culture of your temporary home is as vital for volunteers abroad as it is for travelers—probably more so.

In Bolivia, my travels around the country have shown me the differences in quality of life between city dwellers of Cochabamba and livestock ranchers up on the high, cold Altiplano.

Studying the War of the Pacific, and then seeing firsthand the land Bolivia lost during that conflict, has shed light on the country’s contemporary relations with Chile and Peru.

Visiting the vast, amenity-less rural expanse that is the birthplace of President Evo Morales has informed my understanding of his socialist platform and activist-style political maneuvering.

And of course, learning the language can’t be stressed enough. It’s what allows you to interact with, influence, and assist the locals, which is the whole point of volunteering. Travel gives you the chance to practice your verb tenses in real-world settings, beyond your comfort zone.

3. Support the economy

You spend more when you travel, and your money is spread more widely.

Photo: Unhindered by Talent

Tourism is a central industry in many regions popular with volunteers, and your support can have a positive impact.

Just make sure any tour operators you use demonstrate a commitment to giving back to their communities and adhering to socially and environmentally responsible standards.

Knowing your money is going where it’s needed can feel almost as good as volunteering itself.

4. Link to your project

Personal travel doesn’t have to mean a vacation from your volunteer work. Depending on what you’re doing, there may be a way to merge the two.

Photo: Author

One of my current projects with the Cochabamba-based green energy developer Energética is the creation of a publication featuring interviews and photographs on the theme of energy in rural Bolivia.

I recently had the chance to take a 5-day tour of the country’s “Southwest Circuit.” Though heavily touristed, much of the population in this region is highly dispersed and quite poor.

During the tour, I talked to people—from village students to proprietors of tourist accommodations—about how energy, or the lack of it, affects their lives, and I’ll be including this material in my publication.

5. Research future opportunities

Volunteer opportunities are practically innumerable; all you have to do is find them. You may think you’ve landed the most rewarding gig in the world, but a trip to the other side of the country could uncover something you’re even better suited for.

Once you finish your original assignment, you can take that experience to a new post. You can bet they’ll be happy to have you.

Community Connection:

Past posts in Hal’s Volunteer Voice series include “Tracking Down a Chance to Give Back,” “Ten Tips for Surviving the Transition,” and “Learning More about Sustainable Bolivia.”

Photo: Cambodian Children’s Fund

Participating in a humanitarian trip to places like Cambodia and Vietnam is inevitably life-changing, as noted by Annapolis resident Suzanne Cary in a recent Capital Hometown Annapolis article.

Cary, mother of three and a yoga “devotee,” raised funds to travel with the Cambodian Children’s Fund, which provides food, shelter, medical care, education, and vocational training to 400 children living in squalor.

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to personally travel to Cambodia and see first-hand where this money is going,” Suzanne wrote in a letter to supporters. “We were fortunate to meet with a few of the genocide survivors who shared their stories with us, asking us to never forget. In that moment, it was hard for me to breathe.”

But what did this trip cost her? A cool $20,000, funds she raised mostly from her community.

Without a doubt, if even half of this money of this money reaches Cambodian children, it will make a huge difference.

Yet what does this price tag imply about who can and cannot participate in these types of missions? Although considerably cheaper, opportunities through Global Exchange and Global Service Corps still run around $3,000 before airfare.

Can the average person pay or raise enough funds in order to volunteer their help?

What do you think about the increasing costs involved with humanitarian trips? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Feature photo: Flashpacking Life

“The [Peace Corps] application process has been a challenge, but it has given me an opportunity to examine my life and future goals.” – Muriel Johnston

Muriel Johnston. Courtesy of Ms. Johnston

At 84 years old, Muriel Johnston is not your average Peace Corps applicant.

She’s beginning her Peace Corps service this spring in Morocco with a lifetime of achievements and experience to share with her host country and fellow Peace Corps colleagues.

Yet she’s just as focused on what this adventure will teach her and how it will enrich her life.

I had some difficulty tracking down Muriel for this e-mail interview; she was traveling around South Africa for a few weeks. Upon returning home, she kindly took time out of her final week before departure to answer a few questions.

What first attracted you to the Peace Corps? And made you decide to serve for two-plus years as a Peace Corps volunteer at this time in your life?

When I learned the Peace Corps had a special office for 50+ volunteers and that age was not a deterrent, I called the 50+ Office in Washington, D.C. for particulars. I was intrigued by the opportunity to add more meaning to my life.

Why do you feel that the Peace Corps is reaching out to attract more mature volunteers? What do you think more mature volunteers offer Peace Corps and the host country?

I feel that the Peace Corps is working on presenting a more balanced picture of American culture by including a greater variety of its citizens. Mature volunteers can offer the “getting along” skills they’ve developed as well as experience with negotiation and compromise to members of the host country and to traditional volunteers.

Passing Peace Corps’ medical exams is no small feat for people of every age – congratulations! Does Peace Corps make special arrangements for mature volunteers once they are in-country?

The Peace Corps is very careful of its volunteers, regardless of age, in every aspect of life in-country. Safety and health concerns are paramount. Attention to special requirements demanded by local customs is emphasized. For instance, the drinking of alcohol is a taboo, and modest dress and behavior is required.

What will your work as a Peace Corps volunteer entail?

My assignment as a Peace Corps volunteer has not been defined precisely. The title given to me is “Health Educator,” and my understanding of the job description is basically mothering, i.e. stressing good personal hygiene, encouraging better sanitary practices, and observing preventive measures for good health. A “glorified” mother, indeed!

Moroccan children. Photo by jfgornet

Peace Corps’ goals are as much about learning about the host country and yourself as they are about sharing your knowledge and experience. What do you hope to learn and bring home from this experience?

Learning more about other countries dissolves some of the mysteries surrounding foreign cultures. I believe helping to eliminate this mystery will encourage peaceful solutions. Sharing my experiences with my circle of family and friends will enable them to better understand that the challenges others face are similar to our own.

How does your family feel about your decision to join Peace Corps?

My family has been supportive of my decision to join the Peace Corps. Of course there have been some reservations about my being so far away, but there is always e-mail. Some family members are already planning visits to Morocco.

Anything else you’d like to share or add?

The amazing response of family, friends and acquaintances to my decision to join the Peace Corps has been overwhelming and encouraging. I’m sure all the good wishes I’ve received will help sustain me for the 27-month commitment.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

President Obama has called for greater engagement and commitment to community service from America’s youth. What do you think? Are we ready to step up and serve under Obama? Read our article on the subject, and join in the discussion!

I met Thien on the second day of my volunteer assignment at the Thuan An boarding school for the hearing impaired in Vietnam. The school yard was filled with the noise and energy of 300 excited children hard at work making art and flower baskets in anticipation of Teacher Appreciation Day.

Hands fluttered as the students communicated to each other in sign language. I was taking in the swarm of activity around me when I suddenly felt a tap on my elbow. “Chau Co,” the greeting came with a smile from the clean-cut teenager with glasses standing next to me.

“My name is Thien,” he wrote in perfectly scripted English on a pad of paper. When I responded with my own name, he flashed me a smile and excitedly began to write some questions.

Word about our ability to communicate shot around as it only can on school playgrounds. I instantly became an A-list celebrity on campus.

Over the next few weeks, I spent a lot of time with the kids in the three English classes I taught and in stolen moments between class, after dinner, and during weekend activities.

Students ranged from 5-20 years old, and came from diverse backgrounds and life situations, but the boarding school environment and the uniqueness of their disability bonded them into one large family.

They were as interested to learn about me as I was about them. We shared stories in a linguistic cross between written English, simple Vietnamese, and international sign language.

The questions posed to me ran the gamut: from “What do you eat for breakfast?” to “Did you vote for Obama?” to “What animal do you want to be in your next life?” to my favorites: “Does snow taste like sugar?” and “How long does a boy have to wait to kiss a girl in America?”

I admired the passion and tenacity of the teachers to help these students in spite of meager resources, limited training, and outdated technology. The town where Thuan An is located is gritty and desolate, but hope and love are very much alive in this special place.

A lot of that has to do with Thuy, the executive director. She has devoted her life to the school since she arrived almost 20 years ago. Thuy has a quiet peace about her and the kindest eyes of anyone I have ever met.

Thuy and I had many deep conversations about the challenges facing deaf education in Vietnam and where help is needed.

Bright, highly capable kids like Thien are fated to become field laborers or factory workers because the system does not provide the handicapped with an education beyond the seventh grade.

Thuy and others are working to increase awareness about the issue and to change the perception that these kids are limited in their ability to learn and become productive members of society.

Thuy and I bonded on a personal level as well. She would call me into her office, close the door, and break out a bowl of peanuts or a large piece of fruit. For the next few hours, we would share stories about our lives while the rain fell outside.

When I first learned about this volunteer assignment, I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back. This experience was better than any plan to simply visit Vietnam and its tourist attractions. I helped to make a difference at Thuan An, and left a changed person in the process.

Community Connection

Frequent Matador contributor Hal Amen has just begun a year-long volunteering journey. Follow along with his regular column, Volunteer Voice.

Photo: The Pocket

The toddler cradled in his mother’s arms on a cold Shanghai street corner, pink hand outstretched. The family overflowing from its Chalco slum home on the fringes of Mexico City. Emaciated children, kindergarten-aged, hawking cheap souvenirs in front of Angkor Wat.

Common tableau to the seasoned traveler.

Photo: asalexander

We’ve seen so much. We’ve felt the steady accumulation of shock, sympathy, outrage, and intimacy such scenes engender. We’ve looked into others’ lives and tried to fathom the kind of help they need.

And then we reach the point where we’re ready to act, to engage. We’re ready to give back.

I’ve been at that point for a year now. But in grappling with how to respond to the volunteer impulse, I’ve come to realize that feeling compassion and doing something about it are two very different things.

It takes a flexible work schedule and some measure of financial stability, not to mention a fair bit of courage and determination.

And even when these factors align, there’s still the matter of selecting a compatible organization, one that works where and how you want to work. For me, that task was the most difficult.

Location

I’ve lived and traveled in Asia and witnessed stark poverty on that continent. Perennial stories of African impoverishment have nearly defined what it means to volunteer.

But need is non-geographical.

Therefore, you’re able to throw some personal preference into the mix. In my case, the desires to learn Spanish and visit South America directed my attention to that part of the world. Idle online browsing further narrowed the destination spectrum to three contenders: Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

Photo: NeilsPhotography

From the beginning, I knew Bolivia would likely win, being by far the poorest. But researching opportunities elsewhere allowed me to learn by comparison, develop a plan B, and ultimately decide that I’d like to participate in two projects over the course of a year instead of one.

Vocation

I’m not good with kids, nor am I a capable teacher. This automatically cut my options in half.

Photo: kiki-bolivien

Instead, I was most interested in community organizing, economic development, and sustainable practices. I have no formal background in these areas, so finding an organization open to providing some training was essential.

Such restrictive parameters, strangely enough, made my hunt easier. Searching by process of elimination proved more efficient than trying to track down exactly what I wanted.

Over time, I accumulated a shortlist of webpage bookmarks for programs that met the majority of my criteria. Now all I had to ask was, “Can I afford this?”

Cost

Frustratingly, the answer was often “no.” No, I can’t cough up $1,000 dollars a week to conduct glacier research in Patagonia or staff a homeless shelter in Chile, no matter how many perks are included.

The more of these opulent price tags I found, the more I wondered, “How could it cost so much to give back?”

If you find yourself asking this question, chances are you’re paying a middleman—a most decidedly for-profit company—to place you with the actual non-profit with which you’ll be volunteering.

They do all the legwork for you: assess your skills, identify a suitable organization, arrange local accommodation, and provide orientation resources and language lessons. This assistance isn’t cheap, even if your placement company is honest and knows what it’s doing.

Obviously, then, if you can arrange something directly with the group you want to work with, costs plummet substantially. But this is much harder to accomplish armed only with Google; likewise, small-scale charities may not have the time or manpower to help you acquire everything you need on the ground.

So what does this mean? In my experience, the equation goes like this: more research = happier (and cheaper) results. If you invest sincere effort in the search process, the right opportunity will present itself.

Resources

Sites like Idealist, Volunteer Abroad*, and other volunteerism search engines are good places to start.

(*tip: Search by country and examine the end of the list first. The smaller, cheaper operations get pushed to the back of the returns.)

But nothing compares with testimonials from people like you who’ve been there, done that. Post a query here on Matador and to the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum, and check out Transitions Abroad to see what people are saying about the organizations on your shortlist.

Led by the resources above, I came in contact with Sustainable Bolivia, a Cochabamba-based nonprofit that both runs its own programs and places volunteers with local partner groups.

I’ll pay only for my housing and volunteer my time with an institute called Energetica in the area of renewable energy development. I start in two weeks.

While in many ways I have no idea what to expect, I feel confident that I’ve done my homework and uncovered the right position for me.

Now all that’s left is to go and see.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Did you know that more than 350 organizations from 35 countries are Matador members? Check out their profiles–and their volunteer needs–here.

Feature photo by Andris Bjornson. Photo above by got80s.

Photo by Andris Bjornson.

Whether it’s the trekking guide who shares a closet-sized apartment with his sister, the homestay host who can’t scrape together the cash to repair her leaky roof, or the bright-eyed children who study in a thatched-roof schoolhouse, people in developing regions bring you face-to-face with the massive gaps in standards of living.

Confronting this economic divide can generate powerful emotions ranging from shock to shame to outright anger at the state of the world.

Point these emotions in a constructive direction, though, and you may find yourself planning your next big trip around finding a way to help.

The only question is how to make it happen.

Local voluntourism organizations can arrange every detail of your volunteer experience from placement to lodging. This can be ideal if you’re on a tight schedule.

Fees vary from reasonable to downright extravagant, and may leave you wondering why you’re paying for the privilege of volunteering. Often, organizations won’t put much thought into how best to leverage your professional skills, which can be frustrating if you’ve been in the workforce for a while and feel you have a lot to offer.

Photo by Andris Bjornson.

International long-term volunteer organizations like VSO, Peace Corps, and UNVolunteers do a better job of matching volunteer skills with specific needs.

Living expenses will be covered, and you may even receive a small stipend. However, you won’t have much control over what country you end up in, and the application process is lengthy. You may have to plan a year in advance or more.

If neither of these options works for you, there is an alternative: find a local NGO and plan your own volunteer experience from scratch. This is no small feat, and can be frustrating, rewarding, or both. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Assess your skills: What can you do? Are you a writer? Foreign NGOs often need help writing grants. Are you an IT person?

  Most NGOs need computer help and can’t afford it. Are you an athlete? Run a sports program for kids. Your creativity is your only limit. Presenting organizations with a list of your skills makes it easier for them to imagine how they can put you to work, especially if they haven’t collaborated with western volunteers before.

• Assess your goals: As much as possible, visualize what you hope your experience will be. Are you looking in a specific country, or will the best opportunity to use your skills choose your location for you?

  Do you want to work full-time, or do you want part-time work with more time to explore on your own? Do you hope to work directly with local people, or do you see yourself working in an office? Do you needan organization that will cover room and board, or are you okay with paying for your accomodations?

• Research: Now you’re ready to start your search. Matador and Idealist are good places to start, but there are many small local organizations that those sites miss.

  Google will prove invaluable here. Come up with search terms based on your skills and goals. An IT person hoping to volunteer in Nepal might try “Nepal computer vocational training,” “Nepal rural computing,” and “Nepal computer lab” for starters.

  Begin a list of contact information for organizations you find. Keep in mind that the organizations needing the most help don’t have the resources to even be on the web.

• Look in your own backyard: Seek out community organizations of immigrants from your target country. Though hard to find, these groups are often the most useful to know. They’ll be excited to meet someone who wants to help people in their homeland, and they may provide you with local contacts you wouldn’t have found otherwise.
  

  Photo by Andris Bjornson.

  Other organizations at home may be interested in what you’re trying to do. Some Rotary clubs provide a small amount of travel funding if you’re willing to give a presentation at a chapter meeting or write an article for their newsletter when you return.

• Get in touch: Write up a friendly e-mail articulating your skills and goals, and send it to the organizations you’ve identified. Don’t patronize, but use easy to understand language.

  You can recycle the same letter, but tailor it a bit each time. Don’t be afraid to cast a wide net; it never hurts to have too many options. Also, always ask if organizations can suggest other people you should contact.

• Prepare for uncertainty: People in developing countries often take a different approach to e-mail. Don’t despair if your well-crafted letter elicits one line responses inviting you to discuss options over tea when you arrive.

  These organizations do need your help, but they may not have the written language skills to explain why. A second e-mail or even an international phone call via Skype may prove more enlightening, but be ready to not have all the answers.

If you’ve done your homework, you’ll likely find yourself sitting on a plane to a developing country with a list of organizations you’re excited to meet, but with no mental picture of what your life will be like once you get there.

Breathe deeply, and remind yourself that opportunities exist that you can’t even be aware of from a distance. Be patient, and you’ll almost certainly find a way to fit in once you hit the ground. You’ve set yourself up for one hell of an adventure; now just hang on for the ride.

This is the first installment in a three-part series. Stay tuned for more!

Community Connection:

Matador member MST is currently running a contest that combines volunteering with tourism. Check out her website for contest details.

Feature photo by aka Kath. Photo above by aka Kath.

Organization Overview

Let’s be blunt: There are many families living in the garbage dump in Guatemala City, eating and selling people’s trash. It’s not surprising, then, that these children do not go to school.

Enter Safe Passage, whose motto is: “to create opportunities and foster dignity through the power of education.” Since 1999 Safe Passage has been working with poor, at-risk children of families working in the Guatemala City garbage dump.

The organization believes the key to overcoming poverty is education and health, and currently has 550 children enrolled in school. With help from a staff of teachers, directors and volunteers, Safe Passage is changing the lives of children born into very harsh circumstances.

Photo by AIDG.

Opportunity Overview

Volunteers are needed to work directly with children in Guatemala City at the Safe Passage school and in Antigua in the organization’s offices. Starting in January 2009, Safe Passage will be recruiting a Volunteer Coordinator Assistant and a Classroom Teaching Assistant. They are also looking to fill a number of other volunteer positions immediately, such as English teachers, infant care givers, and curriculum developers.

Most volunteer positions are from a month to a year long. People who want to volunteer but don’t have much time should not hesitate to contact Safe Passage.

If a trip to Guatemala is not in the cards, then sponsoring a student may be the way to go. For $50.00 a month sponsors can help a student buy shoes, a uniform for school and other basics.

Sponsoring a child is an effective way to contribute at Safe Passage. Most people who sponsor a student do so for many years, thought the minimum commitment is one year.

Photo by mayaguatemalteca.

Ideal Volunteer Profile

Age and gender is not important for Safe Passage Volunteers. Some Spanish is a must because the kids don’t speak English and neither do many of the teachers. Depending on the volunteer position, different skills may be required.

People who want to volunteer but have basic Spanish and limited experience should not hesitate to contact Safe Passage; everyone can help!

Bonus Points for Safe Passage

Working at Safe Passage is a chance to volunteer with an inspirational team of people while helping Guatemalan children. Some perks to volunteering in Guatemala include the fantastic weather, the fascinating Maya culture and the opportunity to travel on the weekends to exotic places like Chichi, Rio Dulce, and Tikal.

Some long-term volunteers receive a housing stipend, but this is unusual and most volunteers should be prepared to finance their own experience.

Photo by mayaguatemalteca.

Details

All the how-to’s are on the web at: http://safepassage.org/. It’s also possible to sign up for the Safe Passage newsletter on line to receive monthly updates.

An inspirational story

I met Hanley Denning a few times when I lived in Antigua, Guatemala. She was a positive, friendly woman who never stopped working for her cause. I’d often see her out jogging near my house and we’d wave at one another.

Hanley was the founder of Safe Passage and a real inspiration for many volunteers and children, and it was because of her vision that Safe Passage thrived. She was killed in 2007 in a car accident in Guatemala City while traveling from one project site to another.

The Hanley Denning Fund was set up in her memory and has raised more than $3,000,000 in memorial gifts for Safe Passage. She is missed but her dream lives on.

community connection

Interested in learning more about Guatemala? Check out matador’s Guatemala page for a comprehensive listing of organizations, travelers, local experts, blogs, and more.

Photo by Thinkpanama.

So how do you narrow down your options and choose the best volunteer diving program for you?

First and foremost, do your research. It is important to know what you want out of the volunteer experience (i.e. location, accommodations, number of weeks/months, etc.) so you can decide if an organization offers what you looking for.

Here are some of the top volunteering organizations around the world that host opportunities designed for divers and those who are looking to become divers.

As one of the world’s top ranked volunteering organizations, GVI offers experienced and non-experienced divers the opportunity to participate in crucial coral reef, fish, turtle and shark monitoring projects located in some of the most pristine diving locations.

You can spend 5 weeks to several months living in tropical locations, experiencing local culture, making new friends, and diving 8-10 times a week in places most of us only dream of seeing.

Who they are

Global Vision International (GVI) was formed in 1998 to provide support and services to international charities, non-profits and governmental agencies, through volunteering opportunities and direct funding. GVI is a non-political, non-religious organization, which through its alliance with over 150 project partners in over 30 countries, provides opportunities for volunteers to fill a critical void in the fields of environmental research, conservation, education and community development.

To date, GVI has established 11 biological field stations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Patagonia, Seychelles, Kenya and South Africa to work with local and international partners on conservation research and education.

What they offer divers

GVI has several Marine Conservation Expeditions that are located in some of the most amazing diving destinations in the world. http://www.gvi.co.uk/volunteer-options/expeditions/marine. Volunteers with have guidance, support, and training from a highly professional and energetic staff who not only strive to make GVI an amazing organization, but who also strive to make your experience as a volunteer unforgettable.

With two locations in Mexico along the Caribbean coast, GVI offers both the opportunity to learn how to dive (if you are not already certified) earning an internationally recognized diving qualification and the chance to contribute towards crucial coral reef research. For new divers, you can gain certification through Rescue Diver on a 5 week expedition or up to Divemaster during a 10 week expedition in Pez Maya.

Diving in Mexico. Photo Courtesy of GVI

All divers are given the opportunity to gain a PADI Specialty Certification in Underwater photography, which takes place in the incredibly breathtaking cenotes of Tulum. At the end of the expedition divers will also have their PADI Specialty Certification in Coral Reef Research.

The Pez Maya base is located on a remote beach on the southern shores of the Yucatan Peninsula, and speaking from personal experience it offers the opportunity of a lifetime for both diving and volunteering.

If you are currently a certified diver you can test your skills and join either a 5 or 10 week expedition further south on the peninsula at Punta Gruesa and participate in coral and fish monitoring programs. Both of these expeditions focus on researching the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second largest barrier reef in the world.

GVI also offers a Marine Conservation program in the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. GVI has been invited by the Seychelles government and local NGOs to assist their priority biological study and conservation programmers, including coral reef research, invertebrate surveys, whale shark migration observations, plankton sampling, turtle nesting research and water turtle surveys.

It may sound complicated, but on all GVI expeditions, volunteers are given complete training in scientific methods and continued lessons in species identification and conservation concepts.

GVI’s Marine Conservation programs allow you the chance to gain experience teaching English as a foreign language (by gaining a TEFL certification) to the local community, and to assist with the continued development of an environmental education and awareness program. With plenty of free time, you can explore ancient Mayan ruins, take a long-weekend in a neighboring country, and participate in local festivals.

To get a first-hand account of what past volunteers (myself included) have to say about GVI’s programs, check out some of their stories and video blogs such as this one:

Over the last 20 years, Frontier has established itself as a top-notch, highly professional non-profit volunteer organization. This is one of very few organizations that will provide volunteers the opportunity to gain professional level certifications in Tropical Habitat Conservation and Management, PADI dive training, and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) all in one trip. Dive the seas of the Mediterranean to the waters of Fiji and be part of a vital conservation effort.

Who they are

Frontier was established in 1989 as a non-profit conservation and development non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem integrity and building sustainable livelihoods for marginalized communities in the world’s poorest countries.

As one of the top-ranked and most accomplished volunteer organizations in the world Frontier’s commitment to conservation research, education and global awareness has helped to establish numerous marine parks, protected areas, and community-based organizations in more than 50 countries.

What they offer divers

Frontier has several projects located in Greece, Madagascar, Fiji, and Tanzania that are great for divers looking to contribute to conservation research. The Underwater Research Project in Greece runs weekly from May to September, and like all Frontier projects, the type of volunteer work you will be doing depends on the time of year you participate. This project involves diving and snorkeling in the local marine area – locating, marking and measuring the marine life under investigation.

Specific species being investigated vary from year to year but previous studies have included the Pinna (the largest mollusk in the world), local non-dangerous shark populations and sea horses. New projects are constantly being developed and new ideas are always welcome. The Underwater Research Project is ideal for those who may have specific ideas for research that they wish to pursue.

The Madagascar project is a great option for those who are looking to experience a variety of activities aside from diving. This trip is broken down into 3 phases: Day 1-15 involves teaching at a local village school which is extremely under-resourced. You will help to design and implement curriculum, correct work, and initiate extracurricular activities for the kids. Day 16-26 is a 10-day trek through the remote environment, sampling and surveying vegetation, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.

Lastly, the Day 27-41 brings you Frontier’s marine camp, where non-divers will complete their PADI Open Water course. Already certified divers will participate in underwater surveys, collecting data about local species.

The Marine Research and Conservation Program in Fiji allows volunteers to gain a UCAS transferable, internationally recognized BTEC Advanced Diploma (10 weeks or longer) or Advanced Certificate (4 weeks or longer) in Tropical Habitat Conservation.

Tanzanian coast. Photo: Giorgio

Frontier-Fiji will train non-divers up to PADI Advanced Open Water at no additional cost, and current divers will have the opportunity to advance up to PADI Divemaster at discounted rates. You will learn the research skills needed to aid in underwater surveys, where you will see an extraordinary array of marine life including turtles, manta rays, dolphins, and hundreds of fish species.

Tanzania’s coast is home to some of the most spectacular diving in the world. The crystal clear waters host a wealth of marine habitats and wildlife, making this a perfect location to learn to scuba dive and explore this pristine and magical underwater world.

Volunteers chart extensive areas of undamaged coral, record healthy populations of fish, note turtle behavior, sight marine mammals, and learn to recognize a huge diversity of intertidal animals.

Please note that not every Frontier diving project offers the same things, such as dive training and food. So it is essential to research each project carefully to know what is and is not included, and during what time of the year each project is available. Also, Frontier has a more selective application process than some other organizations, so read up on the qualifications they are looking for and decide if Frontier is right for you.

Coral Cay Conservation allows divers to volunteer on marine conservation projects in the Philippines and Tobago. Both projects get the volunteer involved in crucial coral and fish monitoring, with opportunities to monitor turtles and other marine life.

Divers and non-divers can advance in their diving certifications up to Divemaster. CCC welcomes volunteers of at least 16 years of age, and allows opportunities to join as a staff researcher or specialist.

Who they are

Coral Cay are award winning specialists in coral reef and tropical forest conservation and have been organizing conservation projects since 1986. This organization has aided in the establishment of several marine protected areas, and was instrumental in having the Belize Barrier Reef declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What they offer divers

Divers can join CCC projects as a volunteer, researcher or specialist for 4 to 20 weeks and work hands-on out in the field in the Philippines or Tobago on Marine Conservation projects.

CCC has worked in partnership with the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc (PRRCFI) and local communities to survey and safeguard reef and rainforest areas since 1995.

Project locations have included Palawan, Danjugan Island, Luzon and Negros. Currently, volunteers on the Philippines project are based at the Napantao Dive Resort, overlooking Sogod Bay. Here, divers will find some of the best diving in the Philippines, with plenty of coral, fish and macro-fauna (whale sharks) species.

Whale Shark. Photo by Noodlefish.

As a volunteer you will be participating in 8-10 survey dives each week, Monday-Friday. Weekends are reserved for “fun” dives and time to explore the area and take in the local culture.

CCC Tobago offers divers a great chance to survey a fragile reef ecosystem in the Caribbean Sea. After the 2005 mass bleaching event in the Caribbean, these fragile ecosystems are now under attack from a variety of coral diseases and anthropogenic impacts, all of which are threatening the very existence of coral reefs in Tobago.

It is essential to collect scientifically sound data on coastal habitats in order to develop effective management plans for the island’s marine resources. As a volunteer you’ll be diving on the Caribbean side of the island of Tobago, collecting data used in these monitoring studies. If you are there between March and August you can join in on Leatherback and Hawksbill turtle surveys, monitoring the number of nests laid on the beach right outside your door.

Both project locations allow for non-divers to gain their PADI Advanced Open Water certification one week prior to the official start of the project session. CCC also allows you to further your certifications depending on how long you decide to stay on as a volunteer.

For those divers who also have backgrounds in marine or conservation science, you can join CCC as a researcher or a specialist and help lead the expedition. This is a great opportunity to further your career experience in the conservation field.

Blue Ventures offers a unique opportunity to assist scientists in data collection in one of the most biodiverse areas of the world, Madagascar. Volunteers will dive sites that no one else has ever dived during “reconnaissance” dives, and will encounter an unbelievable variety of marine species, all while receiving a high level of professional dive and scientific training.

Who they are

Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organization dedicated to conservation, education and sustainable development in tropical coastal communities. In 2006 they were “Highly Commended” in the Best Volunteering Organization category by the Responsible Travel Tourism Awards. Blue Ventures has one main marine conservation project located in Madagascar and is open to qualified and non-qualified divers, with expeditions lasting 6 weeks.

What they offer divers

Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world. Off the coast divers will find the 4th largest coral reef in the world, the Grand Récif de Tuléar. Blue Ventures, in partnership with local and international scientists, conducts research throughout this amazing habitat to aid in national conservation and management efforts. One of the most unique aspects of a Blue Ventures expedition is that volunteers live and work directly alongside these scientists.

Seeing humpback whales, spinner dolphins, endangered marine turtles and over 500 species of tropical fish and corals is part of the daily dive routine during the project. Varying from shallow forereef channels to deeper sea-fan forests, the sites that are visited are nothing short of stunning. As an added bonus, when conducting “reconnaissance” dives, there is a very good chance that you will be the first person ever to dive at that site in this exceptionally remote part of the Indian Ocean.

Let’s Compare:

Remember, this is just a simple overview of the top volunteer organizations available to divers and there’s much more information for you to know. All of the organizations highlighted here have great websites and resources to answer all your questions, including testimonies from past volunteers, resource links, and contact information. Global Vision International also has a fantastic guide to choosing a volunteer organization.

Volunteering can have a positive impact on the environment, the people you meet, and most of all on your own life. Why not take an opportunity to dive the world and help the world at the same time?

Photo by Jenny Sherman

We park our 36-foot school bus on top of a giant sundial in front of the student resource center at the University of Wisconsin Steven’s Point. Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man sits high upon a wall behind us. It is early morning, and I watch a handful of students stroll to class through the dew-covered windshield.

A girl asks me about the bus and our message. She informs me that Da Vinci was the first to note that the geometric patterns of a leaf match the branches of the tree it came from, and I admire a large oak next to us while imagining these patterns.

I can already tell this campus will bring a positive experience.

She directs me to my morning cup of coffee and I make my way back toward the bus, passing several smiling faces along the way. “You guys are awesome,” someone says while admiring our solar panels. “This bus is sweet, it smells like egg rolls!” a visitor says coming up the stairs. “I’m jealous of your adventures,” another says as she’s leaving.

Biotour: a brief history

BioTour began in August 2006 when two friends decided to take a road trip across the country, but didn’t want to go broke doing it. They bought a 989 Bluebird school bus converted to run on vegetable oil – read: free fuel – and Ethan Burke and Alan Palm drove it from the East Coast to Burning Man on waste restaurant grease.

As they stopped in cafes, at gas stations and rest stops, and, of course, behind Chinese restaurants, the positive reaction and support from truck drivers, park rangers, gas station attendants, policemen and passersby inspired the recent college graduates to turn their BioTour into an sustainability education non-profit.

Beginning its fourth cross-country tour this fall with two buses and a chase car, the BioTour stops in communities, K-12s, colleges and universities proving to people in this petroleum-guzzling country that there are viable fuel and energy alternatives.

Photo by Jenny Sherman

The crew shows onlookers – sometimes dozens at a time – a vehicle that once ran purely on diesel that is now powered by a waste product that smells like fried food.

After peeking crowd interest, BioTour invites them in for discussion on current issues. These range from high gas prices to mountaintop removal coal mining to rainforest depletion to confined feeding operations.

One example raised in several of the final visits of the Spring 2008 tour, created perplexing debate: In the face of pervading food shortages around the world, are biofuels good or bad?

There is no short answer to a question like this, but starting a discussion is the first step to spreading knowledge and finding solutions.

A BioTour visit includes a formal presentation outlining the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, then demonstrates a “fill-up” by pumping school cafeteria grease into the gas tank.

Local bands can power up with the solar panels on the bus’s roof, and oftentimes, drum circles will start in the center of campus.

The idea is to create excitement around a growing Sustainability movement and encourage participation in the democratic system. While crossing 43 states, we’ve met passionate and concerned individuals who make changes by actively involving themselves, and who most certainly will be this country’s future leaders.

the future?

While Alan is doing an interview for the local news and Ethan and Fernando explain the vegetable oil-conversion kit in the engine, I take pictures, listen and observe. At my periphery are books and articles describing our current energy crisis. Jack Johnson sings, “the cars were all spitting diesel fuels” on the stereo.

Two students outside argue the probability that we’ve reached peak oil. This frame of mind harasses me. Do I run and return to a less mobile, more established and blissfully ignorant lifestyle that smells less of French fries and more of chemically laden room deodorizers?

Photo by Jenny Sherman

No, instead I feel exhilarated. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep from driving through the night, maybe it’s the coffee kicking in. But more so I believe it’s the people – young people – who are interested in making a difference.

There is no better sensation than knowing people do care, that they are listening, and that our message will captivate them enough to be passed along.

community connection

For more on BioTour, or if you’d like to jump on a bus, find us at www.biotour.org.

For a step by step guide on converting your own vehicle to veggie oil, check out How to Stop Paying for Gas and Run o Free Veggie Oil in 8 Easy Steps.

Feature photo by Programa No Gubernamental de Protección a Defenso. Photo above by KyleEJohnson.

Organizational Overview

Being a delegate with Witness for Peace is one of the most unique and interesting travel experiences available to the passionate, social justice minded traveler. Witness for Peace hosts groups of American delegates interested in creating peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by learning about and working to change U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America.

Specifically, “Witness for Peace concentrates on issues such as peace in Colombia, fair trade, labor rights and international debt relief.” (http://witnessforpeace.org/article.php?id=75). The organization is committed to non-violence and dedicates pre-trip training sessions to the principles of non-violent and grassroots organizing.

Volunteers who participate in a nine-day or two-week delegation learn about policy advocacy, international peacemaking, conflict mediation, cross-cultural sensitivity, diplomacy, and foreign policy, while also gaining an insider’s look at a country in a way that wouldn’t be possible on one’s own. If you want an intimate look at daily life in Latin America and are ready to challenge your understanding of the world, a WfP trip is definitely for you!

Personal Experiences: Volunteering with Witness for Peace in Colombia

As a Witness for Peace delegate to Colombia I had the opportunity to see the effects of US drug war policy on Colombia first-hand. Witness for Peace (WfP) delegations to Colombia are the riskiest of the organization’s trips as the country is in the midst of a 40 year old civil war and traffics most of the world’s cocaine.

Though a WfP delegation is not for the cautious traveler, these trips are neither reckless nor ill-conceived. While there is an inherent danger of traveling in the region, all precautions are taken to ensure a safe return.

Feature photo by Programa No Gubernamental de Protección a Defenso.

The background on Colombia:

Through Plan Colombia, the US funds the destruction of crops and coca fields on the Colombian-Ecuadorian border zone of Putumayo, a sparsely populated region of the Amazon. In the drive to eradicate coca crops (the raw material for cocaine), however, the US gives billions of dollars in aid to a Colombian military rife with corruption and boasting one of the worst records of human rights abuses in the world.

During my two weeks in Colombia I got an intimate look at the results of these policies on everyday Colombians.

WfP believes that the truth can best be reached by hearing all sides of the story, so throughout our trip we met with people with many different vantage points on the politics of Colombia and the US war on drugs. These included human rights activists, clergy working for social justice, military officials, farmers growing coca and farmers growing food, US Department of State officials, and community leaders.

Our bus was boarded by right-wing paramilitary troops, we saw oil pipelines recently bombed by the left-wing guerrillas, and visited coca farms and processing sites which turn raw leaves into coca paste, soon to be cocaine.

We also documented the destruction of food crops and the sicknesses caused by the coca eradications, which we presented to the US State Department officials during our meeting with them. All in all we got a very well rounded, in depth portrait of the country in a short time, and with many moments I will remember for the rest of my life.

Rarely while traveling have I gotten such a complete picture of what daily life is for someone so different from myself than that of farmers living in Putumayo, Colombia. Walking through their farms and seeing their crops, coca fields, and the military presence, I gained a greater understanding of the daily pain and sacrifice that life in a war zone can require.

When I think of the trip, brief moments of struggle and strength flash through my mind: a 65 year-old woman digging into the mud to pull out a WfP delegate’s shoe that had been sucked off his foot and into her muddy field; a farmer crying as he spoke of the fish dying off when his pond and fields were fumigated for the fourth time, destroying his livelihood yet again.

I will carry these stories and these lives with me forever, along with the beautiful ways Colombians cope with their hardship through warmth and kindness and sharing generously with others.

Photo by adman_as.

The Trip: Logistics

Every delegation is accompanied by two WfP staff members, Americans who live in the country and act as translators throughout the trip. There are 12-14 delegates, including two trip leaders who organized the trip from the US and are particularly expert in the topic of your delegation.

Once you pay for your international flight and delegate fee (around $1000), everything is arranged for you – all meals, hotels, and in-country transportation, as well as trainings and scheduling.

You are well informed of health and safety precautions and background material on the country before you leave. There is also a full day of training at the start of your trip which addresses cultural awareness, the principles of consensus process and non-violence, as well as the historic and current political reality of the country you’re visiting.

Back Home: The Lasting Lessons of WfP

In addition to providing an amazing travel experience, WfP helps give travelers the tools they need to create change at home. At the end of the trip you learn how to use what you have seen and learned to influence change in US foreign policy.

With your fellow delegates, you develop talking points to discuss with your elected officials, receive helpful advice about writing letters to editors of newspapers and other publications, and are assured of ongoing support from your contacts at WfP. This program and the training I received helped me to become someone who meets with and contacts my elected officials about the issues that are important to me, in Latin America and beyond.

Check them out on the web at: witnesforpeace.org

For more information email: witness@witnessforpeace.org

Photo above by Cross-Cultural Solutions.

We’ve all heard about the importance of sustainable tourism, ecotourism, voluntourism and a multitude of other buzz worlds that help locals benefit from travelers. But as individuals, it can be difficult to believe we’ll ever be in a position to really make a difference.

However, we never know where tomorrow may take us. The stories and examples below show how one traveler can make a difference. There is no reason why we can’t–why you can’t–change the world. Read on.

Help

Ellin Yourgsen was enjoying her break in Thailand when the tsunami hit on December 27, 2004. She gave up the rest of her gap year travel plans to help out wherever she could.

From helping in the removal and burial of bodies to building temporary shelters; she was just one of tens of thousands of travellers who gave (and are still giving) anything they could to help those who needed them most.

www.tsunamivolunteer.net

Photo above by subcomandanta.

Educate

In Africa alone 6,000 people die of AIDS each day; that’s more than the combined total of deaths from war famine and natural disasters.

Volunteer on sex education projects and you’ll be helping to alleviate one of the biggest issues facing humanity in the 21st century. If this doesn’t appeal, simply give out as many condoms as you can afford (while keeping back a plentiful supply for yourself, of course).

www.worldvolunteerweb.org

Unite

What better way to link two different cultures than to get married. Jasmine Avissar, an Israeli Jew, and Osama Zaatar, a Muslim Palestinian, have truly bridged the gaps of a cultural and religious divide since meeting in Jerusalem in 2004.

Sadly, not everyone has welcomed the union between these two bitterly divided states, yet if one can start, could others follow?

http://projecthope.ps

Photo above by locket479.

Enjoy

Matt Harding loved travel so much he danced for his entire journey (well, kind of). His loosely termed ‘music video’ has shown the world to millions and opened people‘s eyes to the wonders of the world.

Whether this has had any benefit to the international community is questionable, but another person’s travel videos have never been so entertaining.

www.wherethehellismatt.com

Observe

When Charles Darwin stepped onto the Galapagos Islands in 1835, he was a young man part way through a world voyage. The species he saw on the islands and from future explorations led him to develop his ideas on natural selection and evolution.

Twenty-three years after his first voyage he published The Origin of the Species, a text that revolutionised our thinking on the world.

www.darwinfoundation.org

Share

The very basis of helping and volunteering relies on a person sharing something with another, whether that be time, a particular skill, material goods or something else.

Gary Myers, a trained doctor, left his home in Oklahoma to help victims of election violence in Kenya. He faced a daily barrage of extreme injuries-most caused by machetes-inflicted by those with opposing political views.

Many would have lost limbs and sometimes their lives, were it not for his extensive training.

www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Explore

Rosie Swale-Pope, who is 52 years old, is currently running across the UK in her last leg of a run that has crossed Europe, Asia and North America- she is expecting to reach the finish line in the middle of August 2008, having raised thousands for various international charities.

In 1983, at just 16 years old, Fyona Campbell set out to walk around the world. She crossed four continents- Europe, North America, Australia and Africa- and walked 32,000 km while raising over £120,000 ($230,000) for charity.

www.survival-international.org

Give

Shortly after the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, David Savage was so moved by the state of Romania’s orphanages that he moved there to help: setting up a small team of volunteers and later building a school, community centre and holiday home to give these under privileged children, many whom are HIV positive, a brighter life.

He was awarded an MBE in 2003 and still continues his work in the small town of Cernavoda, south east Romania.

www.nightingaleschildrensproject.co.uk

Photo above by Island Spice.

Conserve

The destruction of the world’s rainforests- ‘the lungs of the world’- is one of the greatest threats to our natural world. 25% of western medicine is derived from rainforest plants and we can only guess what cures still lie hidden.

With 50,000,000 tribal people still estimated to live in the world’s rainforests, the need to preserve their world and way of life has never been more apparent.

www.yachana.edu.ec

Donate

Half the world- that’s three billion people – live on less than two dollars a day (of those about 1.5 – 2 billion live on less than one dollar a day).

One billion children (that’s half the world’s children) live in poverty and around 30,000 die each day because of that poverty. In comparison, the travel industry is expected to generate almost $7 trillion this year alone.

I’ll leave you to do the math…..

www.stopchildpoverty.org

photo courtesy of Mei-Ling McNamara

Traveling is a calculated risk. Undoubtedly, the 21st century has allowed us to travel with greater ease, awareness and the miracle of modern medicine, but there are still unforeseen perils that can systematically sap the best of travelers.

Traveling is a calculated risk. Undoubtedly, the 21st century has allowed us to travel with greater ease, awareness and the miracle of modern medicine, but there are still unforeseen perils that can systematically sap the best of travelers. You might count yourself among the lucky ones: protected by a combination of street smarts, good fortune and some strong genes. But heed this warning: do not underestimate the debilitating power of bacteria, bush taxis or non-pasteurized milk.

You might call me a fatalist, but I prefer to think of myself as a realist. After a significant amount of time traversing a handful of continents, it would probably be the honorable thing for me to do to turn my body over to science. I have picked up my fair share of mysterious rashes, bone breaks, village viruses and abrupt fevers. I have more parasites and incalculable bacteria swimming in my bloodstream and floating through my digestive tract that I care to mention. However, I like to think that this is part of the risk of traveling, and it is a trade-off that I am prepared to make every time.

So, in that spirit, a few pieces of advice that might help you before you take that trip:

Before You Go

You cannot always prevent bad things from happening, but you can take measures to lessen the pain.

1. Visit the Doctor or Dentist …or Wish You Had – Get a check-up before you go, and take care of any minor aches and pains that may only become worse by intense travel. This comes from someone who received a root canal without anesthesia, was evacuated for rabies exposure, and contracted falcipirum – the early stages of virulent cerebral malaria. You cannot always prevent bad things from happening, but you can take measures to lessen the pain. Rushing to a local hospital or dentist, where you may run into language trouble, dubious medical instruments and a possible mis-diagnosis can be a nightmare. Though it may make for a colorful retelling later, trust me, it’s really not funny at the time. To make sure you have all of your injections before you go to and an update on the health situation in the country you are planning to visit, go to the World Health Organization travel site at: http://www.who.int/ith/en/

2. Real Risk-Takers Get Travel Insurance – Ranging from the most basic of coverage to the most extensive, buying travel insurance is one of the wisest things you can do before you leave. Unforeseen illnesses, tropical diseases, fractures, or worse…if you are in the hospital for any length of time, or if you need to be repatriated back to your home country for surgery, the small fee you pay per month can save you a massive medical bill later. If you are still unconvinced, consider this story that happened to a close friend: she was in a serious vehicle accident on a well-paved road in Madagascar, and had to be evacuated via helicopter for emergency surgery. The price tag for the 30-minute trip: $10,000 – not including treatment. A good travel insurance organization to check out is http://www.worldnomads.com that gives decent coverage for any type of traveler.

3. Stock Up Your Medical Kit – You don’t have to take the entire Red Cross disaster kit with you, but bringing along some basic supplies can stop minor injuries from becoming bigger problems. Look for things you might be hard-pressed to find in your visiting country. I am not necessarily talking about sutures here (unless you are prepared to sew up your own arm, or somebody else’s), but I do recommend bringing along extra needles, syringes, malaria medication (in tropical environs), hydrogen peroxide, a course of antibiotics for stomach bugs, re-hydration sachets and Band-Aids (plasters). There are many travel sites that give comprehensive and informative lists on what to pack in your medical kit.

A good site to check out is: http://goafrica.about.com/od/healthandsafety/a/firstaid.htm. A note: I have been to many hospitals in Africa where they have no needles. You heard me correctly. They have no needles. I’ve single-handedly stocked a hospital with my own needles. Bring your own as a precautionary measure, so as to ensure that they have not been re-used.

In-Country

If you are not a professional health care worker, it is best not pretending.

4. Do Not Self-Diagnose or Self-Medicate – If you are not a professional health care worker, it is best not pretending. If you buy medicine at a local clinic, only do so with the full knowledge of your illness and a prescription from a qualified physician. It is a lot easier to get serious pharmaceutical drugs over the counter in developing countries, so be warned before knocking back some drug you are unfamiliar with. For one, you may not know the correct dosage, and one misread word in the instructions could have serious consequences. Closely monitor fevers or any strange, new pains. If they get worse, tell someone. “Toughing it out” in the field when you could have something serious is just not clever in any situation. Come clean with any medical problems you might have with friends or doctors, whether pre-existing or newly formed. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Green Monkey, Senegal

5. Location, Location, Location – A big city may give you access to immediate medical care, but the situation is altogether different in the remote countryside. If you plan to be gone for more than a few weeks, consider taking a basic first-aid course before you leave, and bring along a medical kit for treatable wounds. One of my favorite travel medical books I like to take along is Expedition Medicine by David Warrell, which gives medical advice when traveling in any extreme environment in the world. It also has excellent tips on preparation and preventative measures to take before heading into remote zones.

Another book that is a favorite among the US Peace Corps is Where There Is No Doctor by David Werner. Informative, mildly paranoid-inducing, but excellent in charting fevers, explaining illnesses and breaking down the contents of certain medicines. However, please see the Don’t Self-Diagnose tip as a reminder to use this as a guide only, or you might convince yourself you have a rare tropical disease when it is really just a reaction to bad eggs.

The Buddy System – There’s a good chance if you travel for any length of time that you’ll end up in a clinic or hospital somewhere. That’s life, but it is a good idea to bring along a friend. They can help you make sure to take all relevant information with you to the hospital, including your passport, credit card, local currency, list of injections and medical history. They can also help serve as translator, evaluator of hygienic practices, moral support or general comic relief.

If I hadn’t had my friend Gerry with me in a Madagascar hospital, I might have never recognized that the guy giving me my rabies injection was the same man who fried donuts in the market. If I didn’t bring my friend Owen along with me for my root canal, the dentist may have never known the anesthesia wasn’t working. It’s all par for the course I guess, but if you can take the proper precautions, you may save yourself a little less pain, and a few more days, out on the road.

Happy travels.

photo courtesy of Barbara Hicks

Habla Ingles??

What if I told you that I just had a whole week’s vacation in a four-star villa in a small, beautiful village near Salamanca, Spain and it included three full meals a day with wine and it came with about forty new best friends …all for free?

I know what you’re thinking, ‘Yeah, right, Lisa, what’s the catch?’

Well, there was one catch — all I had to do was speak English. And considering it is my native language…it wasn’t all that difficult (OK, maybe it was difficult late at night after sampling a few too many Spanish wines).

Que?

Pueblo Inglés is not exactly a school for English—it’s more like an intense English ‘experience. It’s a unique opportunity for native English speakers to immerse themselves in Spain’s culture and people firsthand in exchange for simply chatting with Spaniards.

And for the Spanish folks, it’s like an intensive week-long English ‘sleep-away camp’ which gives them the opportunity to improve and practice their English-speaking skills the best way—by force of course.

For the duration of the week, they are forbidden to speak Spanish and must converse in and listen to English at all hours of the day…easy for me, not so much for them.

I was trawling the web one day looking for a job or volunteer work in Spain when the website for Pueblo Inglés popped up.

The idea scared and intrigued me at the same time—not only would I be able to travel for one week without spending a dime (that’s 15 cents in Euro), it would enable me to meet and connect with real Spaniards who mostly come from the professional business world—something often hard to do when you are a tourist on a budget (or globetrotting vagabond like me).

I applied on a whim, not knowing if I truly wanted to commit to this week of constant jibber-jabber. I figured they probably wouldn’t accept me on such short notice or I could always say ‘no.’ Exactly one day later I received an email: “Welcome! You’ve been accepted to Pueblo Ingles!”

Oh, and it was starting in two days. Time to high-tail it to Madrid.

Donde?

The morning of the eight-day program we all gathered in a plaza in Madrid and were herded onto a bus. We rode for three hours west of the capital city to a tiny rural town called La Alberca full of winding cobblestone lanes. The countryside was dotted with clusters of trees, all dropping acorns and chestnuts onto the hilly green backdrop.

Our hotel was in a bucolic setting with shady paths and ponds and was more like a group of several chalets. I was joined by about 20 English-speaking volunteers from Canada, the US, England, Australia, and Ireland and 20 Spaniards from all over Spain with ages ranging from early twenties to sixty plus.

English Spoken Here

The program directors, Pablo from Spain and Akemi from California, laid down the law at the get-go: The most important rule of Pueblo Ingles–NO Spanish allowed. They really wanted this to be a true and hardcore immersion experience for the Spaniards—basically forcing them to drink, eat, sleep, and possibly dream in English.

The Agenda

Each morning after pants-splitting buffet breakfast we paired off into ‘couples’ for ‘one to one’ conversations that would last about 50 minutes. After a ten minute break, we would then swap and grab another Spaniard for the next hour and so on.

It was a bit like a speed dating scene—everyone gabbing at once, getting to know each other.Everyone was unique, friendly and fun. Despite my initial fears, we never once ran out of things to talk about.

photo courtesy of Alfredo Avila

Everyday I was paired with different people and we constantly did different activities. It certainly was an odd and funny sight to see all these coupled pairs of people wandering around the grounds, sitting in chairs, and strolling down the street.

If someone didn’t know better, it probably looked like some kind of psychiatric institution or rehab center at which we were all getting over our drug, alcohol, or other addictions. Of course, if they saw our parties every night, they would probably think it wasn’t a very good program.

We would usually have a break sometime in the morning and also other activities like games, conference calls, and presentations—during which lucky Spaniards got to tell us all about their jobs, or Anglos entertained us with some kind of unique skill they have (singing, dancing, and other random embarrassing behavior).

A tasty three-course lunch with plenty of vino (nothing gets conversations going like some cheap wine) was at two o’clock, followed by the very crucial Spanish siesta (nap time) which I really think we should instate here in America.

At five o’clock we continued with more talking, fun group discussions about anything and everything and hilarious skits.

It reminded me of some university days doing role playing and brainstorming to come up with the most entertaining performance. It was fun to just be silly and what I really remember most is laughing almost all the time.

One day we toured the lovely nearby medieval village for a bit of a break. A three-course dinner with more wine, of course, was at nine (a little late for the Anglos and too early for the Spaniards) and then their Inglés would really get tested as many of us hung out at the bar until the wee hours of the morning.

The Spanish really know how to party.

Jesus and David made me laugh my ass off. Vicente made me feel like the queen of the dance floor. Cecilia was a sweetheart who invited me to stay in her home in Madrid after the program.

I can’t say enough about the new friends I made here. Yes, the program was free and that was my initial draw to it, but I realized later that the experience was ‘worth’ so much more.

The Easy Life

The beauty of this program is that your entire schedule is laid out for you. There is really nothing to worry about. I had my own small ‘villa’ that I shared with Potola, a boisterous and hilarious flight attendant from Madrid.

Our ‘casa’ was just steps from the lobby and bar so it was so easy to stumble to bed before sunrise, and get up the next morning (even if it was only a few hours later) and just walk over to my next session of speaking English. There was no commute, no metro, no taxi. You just walked home in two minutes. Life was simple and good.

It was easy for me, but much harder and more tiring for the Spaniards who had to do everything in their second language. Imagine being constantly forced to speak Spanish all day. Your brain would be so tired. And even when they were ‘enjoying the fruits of the vine” (read: drunk) and dancing they were still speaking English.

After a week of fun, we all ‘graduated’ and received our certificates for completing not only a week long English ‘course’ but one of the most fun weeks I’ve had in a long time.

All in all, the 8 days spent at Pueblo Inglés was like an intense microcosm of life—a condensed, easy version and having to say goodbye after our amazing week together was hard for me.

Hopefully the Spaniards improved their English and I know I have made some amazing new friends in Spain that will remain in my heart and hopefully in my life forever.

To find out how you can have a free week in Spain, check out: www.puebloingles.com.