Volunteer Articles

Ten Reasons Why International Volunteering Will Help You Get Ahead

By Ryan Witcombe November 11, 2010

There are plenty of options in the world of ‘voluntourism’, as it is often called, that can have a profound impact on a young volunteers life. Pro Bono Australia journalist, Ryan Witcombe writes about his year of volunteering in developing countries.

In 2005 I did something that had a profound impact on my life – something that more and more Australians are choosing to do. I took a year off from my university studies and volunteered in the developing world.

After two years at university I felt my motivation was waning and I felt I needed to get some direction in my life. I was studying international relations and was passionate about social justice and issues facing the developing world – but I felt that I really needed some hands-on experience. I decided to head overseas and volunteer in a couple of developing countries.

There are plenty of options in the world of ‘voluntourism’ as it is often called, but there is a big difference between organisations that follow best practice and are serious about making lasting change in the developing world, and other operators who are more interested in generating revenue.

After a great deal of research, I settled on Global Volunteer Network – an organisation established in New Zealand by Colin Salisbury in 2001. GVN is an organisation passionate about working with local partner organisations, and this idea of ‘local solutions to local problems’ was something I was drawn to. They are also an organisation which offers a high level of support to volunteers and plenty of resources, something that made me comfortable in choosing GVN. To date GVN has placed over 13,000 volunteers in project in 29 countries.

I spent three months in Nepal through GVN, volunteering with local partner organisation Volunteer Services Nepal. I lived in a small village outside of Kathmandu and volunteered at the Brighter Future’s Children’s Home, a home for orphaned and abandoned children. I was a long way outside my comfort zone – living with a family that spoke no English, in a village with just one water source (the local tap). I learnt valuable lessons about the lives of people in rural Nepal, and spending three months with the children and BFCH was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

I also spent three months in Ghana, volunteering with GVN’s local partner Help a School Project. I volunteered as a teacher at a high school in the town of Akropong-Akuepem, teaching English, social studies and computers to the students and providing computer training to some of the teachers.

Some people question having to pay to be a volunteer, but when I was in Nepal and Ghana I could see that the money I had paid to be there was funding the projects I was participating in. And my contribution as a volunteer was valuable – I felt I was having an impact on the lives of the people I was working with.

But in reality the real value of my volunteering was in my own growth. I learnt about myself – about what I am capable of and what I am passionate about, and I grew as a person. I returned to Australia still with an interest and passion for social justice and the developing world, but also with confidence and drive, and a self-awareness I hadn’t experienced before.

This week, Global Volunteer Network has released a report on the top ten reasons why international volunteering will help you get ahead.

Click here to view the report on the “Top Ten Reasons Why International Volunteering Will Help You Get Ahead”.

The report is authored by Eliza Raymond, an expert on international volunteer programs who has volunteered all over the world and worked with the Global Volunteer Network for the last 3 years.

Click Here to view the original article

Related Programs

Ghana Make a difference in the lives of under-privileged children and adults by providing education and assisting with essential life skills in communities across Ghana. Nepal Become involved in community aid programs in Nepal, including teaching, building, orphanage care, and health care.