One of the most frequent questions that volunteers ask is “Why should I pay for volunteering abroad?”
For some of us the notion of paying to volunteer is a strange one. We may think that we are saving the organization wages by offering to work abroad for free.
In the west this may be true. Organizations might thank their volunteers with awards and special occasions. And yet in the developing world, volunteer organizations in Africa and other locations might ask participants to feed and accommodate themselves while they work and make donations to keep their programs going.
The reasons for this are economic, ethical and cultural. We need to be realistic about the abilities of developing countries.
For example, keen to volunteer in India? This country ranks one hundred thirty-two on the UN Human Development Index. From an economic point of view, organizations in India simply do not have the funds to accommodate volunteers.
Particularly in the standard of accommodation we are comfortable in and familiar with. We are incensed when executives earn big salaries and are given perks such as fancy meals. Imagine how the people of developing nations would feel seeing resources put into the pockets of volunteers who have chosen to be here.
The answer to that is that is, volunteers who take gap years or travel abroad need accommodation, transfers, meals, airport pickups, local coordination, orientation, pre departure information and assistance, safety, continuous support etc.
Some organisations charge a program fee to cover the many expenses associated with providing the highest-quality international volunteer experience. This ensures that the local communities and organizations are not financially burdened by hosting volunteers and enables organizations to provide volunteers with extensive preparation and support.
Apart from providing volunteers with an organized placement, agencies and orgs also arrange for cultural and spiritual lessons for volunteers to learn about the local cultural and go sightseeing in your free time. These are usually lots of activities to book too, like Yoga, Dance, Language, Meditation, Cooking, sightseeing, sewing etc.
We have realized over the years that people apply not just to look for the placement like volunteer teaching at schools or working in an orphanage but to rather experience the country, that’s what placements are all about.
If you do want to give back and participate but the potential costs are putting you off, don’t worry there are lots of affordable opportunities. You might also like to view our fundraising tips for volunteering abroad.