Features : Ethical volunteering

Founder of ethical volunteering organisation Ecoteer, Daniel Quilter, discusses how to make the most out of volunteering and how to enjoy the country you visit in an effective and responsible way.

So you have decided to volunteer and then come the inevitable questions of where, how, who with and to do what exactly? Well dear gapper, read on and the fog will hopefully begin to clear, but more importantly you will be in a position to volunteer responsibly.

The first thing you need to decide is where. It is important to choose a country that you are interested in. If you can speak a foreign language or want to learn a specific one, then volunteer in a suitable country. Even learning a few basic words and phrases from the country you are visiting can go a long way.

What should I do?

Every potential volunteer has their own unique skills to offer to any project, but a responsible volunteer should consider these before they decide on which type of project to embark on. It is time wasted putting round pegs in square holes as both the project and yourself will not get the most out of the experience. If you work on things you know, you will be able to get more done, so your time away will have more of an impact than if you do something you have no experience of.

A Dutch volunteer who went to Sri Lanka stands out particularly. He was starting a job in Indonesia helping to solve water irrigation problems. Before he started the job, he had volunteered with Ecoteer in Sri Lanka helping to organise and install an irrigation system so the whole village could water plants more easily. A great example of utilising a pre-existing skill set, to the advancement of the project and to himself.

Where will my money go?

So you have decided what region to visit and looked at your skills and now you need to find a suitable project. Unfortunately, and it’s a sad truth, but money does make the world go round; even more so in third world countries. The responsible volunteer should volunteer with a company that donates the highest percentage of the volunteer's money to the project. I believe it is best for the volunteer to give the money direct to the project.

There are hundreds and thousands of grass roots organisations crying out for volunteers that are not associated with large volunteer companies. Ecoteer  and other similar websites have helped to collate the grass roots projects in one space. The larger companies do provide some help to the volunteers that the grass roots do not provide, but Ecoteer does provide a forum for volunteers to chat and once you have contacted the projects, past volunteers can be spoken to.

Preparation is vital. A responsible volunteer should research the country and take suitable inoculations, buy suitable travel insurance and make sure volunteering is covered by their insurance. You must contact the project on a regular basis and talk about what you will do before you travel, so you can prepare suitably i.e. take i-to-i TEFL Courses  or collect materials like pencils and paper if you are volunteering at a school. Learning the basic phrases for the country you're visiting is of utmost importance.

How can I travel there?

International air travel has been receiving a lot of press coverage for its impact upon the environment. To volunteer you don’t need to travel abroad. Why not volunteer locally giving one or two days a week or maybe a few weeks during your holidays?

If you do want to volunteer in a foreign country then explore other forms of travel. Trains and buses are great forms of transport and are often cheaper than flying - make the journey part of the experience rather than as a necessity to volunteer. Starting in the UK you can travel to the whole of Africa and most of Asia.

Flying is essential for some travel but if you do need to fly make sure you pay money into carbon offsetting schemes - especially ones that focus on new technologies which release less emissions rather than just plant trees.

What should I do when I arrive?

The general emphasis on the responsible volunteer must be to respect the local community that you visit. When volunteering abroad, you normally work with people who have different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. When you join this new community they welcome you into their home and workspace so you must respect them as you would if the roles were reversed. Go with an open mind and be willing to live like the local people, not like a tourist or like you do at home.

The long and short of responsible volunteering is respect for the local people and environment where you volunteer. Go with an open mind, enthusiasm and a willingness to work.