Can some please suggest an organisation who arrange volunteer vacations at a low cost ?

Question

a GAP sort of thing would be nice i.e. where they provide allowances too ?? but its not neccessary . i just want to go on a long trip without busting my bank account and on a shoestring budget

Answer 1

The goal of organizations working in poor countries is to give the local people jobs and to keep money local, not to give Westerners a feel-good vacation/experience -- hence why short-term placement agencies (in contrast to the aforementioned) charge volunteers a fee, or require these volunteers to pay their own way (flights, in-country transportation, health insurance, accommodation, food, security, translators, training, staff to supervise and support them in their service, liaisons with the police and local officials, etc.).

There is a listing of the more-than-30 member organizations of the International Volunteers Program Association (IVPA) that is a good place to find reputable volunteer-for-a-fee programs -- programs where you don't need to have much experience in order to participate, and the placements are just for a few weeks or months:

http://www.volunteerinternational.org/

Your other alternative is to go on a trip on your own, as a tourist. Lonely Planet travel guides have information focused specifically on people traveling on a shoe-string budget.