Want to volunteer in Africa, Thailand, India. Where can I find a dependable, low cost volunteer organization?

Question

There are numerous organizations online, with different prices, packages, etc. Previously volunteered in Costa Rica, choose the cheapest Org, last minute, and had a horrible experience with the Org, but an amazing time in the country of course!! Any suggestions would be great, because I'm lost right now!!! Thank you!!!

Answer 1

Sounds like a worthy mission. any of the tear fund or red cross associations or companies advertising on T.V. would probably be a really good first port of call. they are always seeking funding so may be the same for volunteers. Or your local church or information centre could put you onto a more personal approach rather than the net. always research and ask for references when leaving the country on someone else's word can help avoid uncomfortable and dangerous situations.

Answer 2

First, to find out which organizations arrange volunteer placements, check out the following websites that have databases with loads of opportunities:

http://www.goabroad.com

http://www.transitionsabroad.com

http://www.idealist.org

Then to help you choose which organization to go with, ask if you can speak to their former volunteers.  If they do not allow that, or they can't give you names of volunteers that were fairly recent, then that's a red flag.  Also look at what support they cover - you should get enough pre-travel info so that you know what to expect and how to adapt to your new culture, what screening they do - I avoid ones that take anyone and everyone, what in-country support they give, how long they've been in operation, and just what kind of vibe you get from their website and by talking to them on the phone.

Answer 3

Forgive me for asking Angela, but do volunteers have to pay for being a volunteer?.Why don't you go to somewhere like Fiji or Vanuatu, and help? Try Google and type in Oxfam or World Vision. Good Luck!

Answer 4

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/

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.).

Here is a web site that can help you learn more about the skills and experience desired by long-term placement organizations that DON'T charge volunteers for placement, and how you can gain that experience locally, wherever you are right *now*, no matter your age. You are never too young nor too old to start engaging in activities and training that will make you a viable candidate for long-term volunteer placement agencies:

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

Answer 5

try visiting http://www.goabroad.com or http://www.volunteerabroad.com . It has a comprehensive list of volunteer opportunities across the globe. It also includes testimonials from the participants.

Just in case you want to volunteer in the Philippines, visit http://www.visayans.org . Thanks.