Let’s get real, is this even legal? Combining the powers of travel with volunteer? To be able to see a country and do good at the same time? Vacations are memorable, but volunteering overseas is life changing, and makes a trip so much more than unforgettable.
I’ve dabbled a bit in the realm of voluntourism, but not as much as I would like. Some of my experiences where with International Student Volunteers, where I spent two weeks on an environmental conservation project, and animal care unit before spending an additional two weeks traveling the country. My second experience was with Semester at Sea, where I had orphanage visits, and dabbled in the realm of care-taking and community development. My last and most recent experience was to Guatemala with the Alternative Reading Week program at my university, where we spent a week restoring a school, and spent a day touring nearby attractions such as Lake Atitlan.
SO WHAT’S MY POINT?
I have a couple. The first: is it’s YOUR turn to make a difference and see the world at the same time! If you have one week, one month or one year, there are programs in over hundreds of destinations to make your annual leave one to remember. So why not check out the following:
International Student Volunteers
International Volunteer HQ
Global Volunteer Network
These are just a few that I hold a high reputation for, however there are thousands of organizations out there and opportunities just dying to take you over seas and show you what the world is really about!
