I want to do Volunteer help, but I'm having trouble find the right organization.?

Question

For hours I have been searching the internet to look for volunteer organizations. The problem is I am 14 and want to travel to Africa. I know there are organizations out there that will let teens go, i'm just having trouble finding them. Please help me out. If you know of any organizations that I could contact, the help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

I have never heard of an organization that allows volunteers, at 14, without parents, going to volunteer in Africa.

Even if you find one, you need to be prepared to pay ALL expenses (flights, in-country transportation, health insurance, accommodation, food, security, translators, training, staff to create the service opportunities and then to supervise and support you and other volunteers in service, liaisons with the police and local officials, etc.). That will be a few thousand dollars.

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/

Here is a web site that can help you learn more about the skills and experience desired by long-term placement organizations such as PeaceCorps, VSO, UNV, etc, that require you to be much older (at least 18, though they prefer even older) -- organizations that don't charge volunteers but require volunteers to be highly-skilled, and how you can start to gain such experience locally, wherever you are now, even at 14:

http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volu...