World Voluntary Organization..I want to travel and help people, but i don't know a good organization. HELP?

Question

I have always wanted to help people and also travel to place such as Africa, or China, or Jamaica ect. But i don't know any decent organizations or how they work.

I would be very grateful for some insight.

Thanks

Answer 1

I have a couple ideas for you. The first two are very similar.

First, if you are a US Citizen, the Peace Corps (this I am more familiar with)--it is a 27 month commitment, at first glance "omg 2 years? that's insane." However, there is very good reason for this long of a commitment. If you are accepted, then you fly with your group to the country you've been accepted to and spend 3 months training. Training consists of language training, safety, health, technical training about your work assignment, culture, and often more. You live with a host family during that time so that you can practice the language and learn the culture in a safe, comfortable environment--where its okay if you mess up and say or do something out of the norm. Then you swear in as official volunteers and move to your community where you will work with them in your specialty to help them build their community and create sustainable things that they can keep up with once you are gone.

The Peace Corps bases your country program off of your skills. They look at what you studied in college, what you have volunteered in, any languages you may have some experience with. For example, if you have an education degree, they might want to place you in TEFL, or if you have experience volunteering in health, they might want to place you in Health Extension. In your application and interview, you can preference the type of work and region you most want. Its not guaranteed you'll get it, but if you are looking at it logically and your skills match it, often times you will. If you preference region or work, have a logical reason that you can explain to your recruiter. The regions to choose from are Latin America, Caribbean (and yes! Jamaica is one of the countries there), Africa, North Africa/Middle East, Eastern Europe/Central Asia, Pacific Islands, and Asia. You can't pick your country, you can preference your region. But throughout the application process, while you know the region, you will not know what country they want to assign you to until they send you your official invitation in the mail. I've recently been invited to El Salvador to work in Youth Development leaving on September 14th.

It really is a great organization. If you decide to apply, just make sure you have volunteer work that you can show them. Even if you start volunteering the day before your interview, that at least shows them you are very much interested in gaining skills and being the best applicant you can be! (that was the corniest sentence, but true)

Okay, next:

VSO: this is a British organization, quite similar to the Peace Corps. However, the Peace Corps only accepts US citizens, but VSO accepts many different nationalities. They volunteer throughout Africa, Asia, Pacific, and Caribbean...and then a few spots in between. VSO volunteers receive full personal and financial support including training, a living allowance, flights, accommodation, medical and health insurance, work permits and visas. I'm not exactly sure how long it is, you sort of have to work a lot with their web page to find the info (link below). But I've heard great things about it, and Peace Corps Vols often praise the VSO vols.

Here are some links to other volunteer organizations, or those which have the opportunities, some of them you have to pay for....whatever reason....and it can get quite pricey...but you get to pick what you do and where you go and generally choose the length of time you want to do it.

http://www.volunteerinternational.org/se...

http://www.worldteach.org/

http://www.globalcrossroad.com/

http://www.volunteerabroad.com/search.cf...

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/de...

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listing...

This one is neat because its with health care people, helping people who can't see, have eye problems: http://www.uniteforsight.org/

http://www.unitedplanet.org/

http://www.i-to-i.com/?source=transition...

http://www.eliabroad.org/content/view/40...

Answer 2

You please come in Bangladesh. So many poor people are live here. I will help you. I am a Senior scientific officer of a research organization of the country. Thanks.

Answer 3

www.rippleafrica.org

They have a GREAT section for volunteers on their website with tons of information...good luck!