Volunteering or working abroad for free?

Question

Hiya,

I'm a UK resident who has just graduated from uni, I'm looking to see the world but as you can imagine I don't have much money. I thought about the volunteering route but that seems to cost a bloody fortune.

I'm willing to work for my board and food and I understand I cant expect a volunteer agency to pay for my flights but there MUST be places not in the UK which don't cost a fortune to go. I can commit approximately a year. I'd prefer to work with animals but as long as i'm not teaching then I'll do pretty mcuh anything.

I can afford up to £700 but not anything more as I just don't have it.

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Free is difficult these days. There are several programs that might be in your budget excluding travel expenses. Unfortunately you're pretty much on your own for getting to your destination. My daughter and brother volunteered in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica one summer building trains and doing other ecological work. They loved it. There is one program that's about £81 per week including a home stay or £35 per week without the home stay. However, you'd be working at the school which you apparently want to avoid. The other programs there are much more expensive.

You're probable best off looking for options in Western/Eastern Europe or Northern Africa where the travel expenses will be less. This one in Bulgaria is £125 to 250 for 2 - 3 weeks including accomodation and food.

Here's one specifically for UK residents that's in Montenegro: http://www.volunteerabroad.com/listingsp...

Vulture Conservation in Croatia: http://www.volunteerabroad.com/listingsp...

This one is in Florence http://www.volunteerabroad.com/listingsp...

Something like this might have been interesting, it's relatively cheap. http://www.volunteerabroad.com/listingsp...