Travelling to Teach and Build

check out www.volunteersouthamerica.net its great for the independent traveller!

Reply 2

durbgoi

Travel-to-teach seem very good so far.

Reply 3

fasteddy

10

Yeah it kinda depends where you want to go...

Reply 4

Volunteering for manual labour or any unskilled work is a bit iffy - they take on paying volunteers instead of paying local people to do the job, which while it (may) generate funds for the project (if the funds GO to the project rather than some placement organisation) and something gets built, it's hardly sustainable or good for the community. Teaching is, of course, different, if you have skills that locals don't (ie English).

Reply 5

oxymoronic

19

Slender Loris

Volunteering for manual labour or any unskilled work is a bit iffy - they take on paying volunteers instead of paying local people to do the job, which while it (may) generate funds for the project (if the funds GO to the project rather than some placement organisation) and something gets built, it's hardly sustainable or good for the community. Teaching is, of course, different, if you have skills that locals don't (ie English).

Agreed.
I don't really see the point in 18 year olds pottering off to go and build a school in Tanzania, or whatever. You don't have any knowledge or experience of the building world meaning your work will be of a poorer quality than if a skilled labourer from the local area did it. This isn't sustainable development, as you are taking the job of someone who is more than cabable of doing it within the local community. The only reason they haven't done so is that they may not have the funds to do so. Thus, it is much more benefical to raise money in the UK then donate it to a charity or send the money to the community direct (if you already have a contact there) so that they can do the project in a much more efficienct and cost productive manner which actually supports the local economy and people rather than disempowering them.

Again, teaching is also questionable in some places where there are qualified people ready and able to do the job but are pushed out of the way by a teenager from the UK who hasn't the foggiest idea about how to teach English but spending a couple of thousand pounds in order to 'make a difference'. Are you already at university? As many have charitiable societies which have partnerships with a charity in different communities around the world. Students collaberate with the host charity over the academic year planning a project and fundraising. The project is always suggested by the local community and the fundraising goes towards paying the wages of local people and buying the equipment from local sources. Then in the summer, if the students so wish, they can go to the country and visit their charity. Most people then spend a couple of weeks working alongside their host, shadowing what goes on and participating in the project. But for the entire time it is totally in the hands of the local community, you're there more as an added cultural/linguistic bonus rather than as the person who is so lovely and coming over to build something. Many also run social development projects which involve teaching. If you're already at university see what your societies are like, as these are generally much better as they're not for profit and based on a partnership with a certain local charity or community rather than mainly based in a huge office in London.

Reply 6

oxymoronic

Agreed.
Again, teaching is also questionable in some places where there are qualified people ready and able to do the job but are pushed out of the way by a teenager from the UK who hasn't the foggiest idea about how to teach English but spending a couple of thousand pounds in order to 'make a difference'.

I am Swedish, but do however speak decent english, and am also thinking of going abroad to teach english or doing some other volunteer related work. The aspect you mention, however, I am a bit puzzled about. How do you know if your organization lets you make any difference, or do you just pay to go on some illusionary trip thinking that you are the saviour of the troubled people involved.. Etc.. The thought of paying lots of cash to do no difference and then putting it on my CV is not what I want.

I'm seriously interested though in doing something which can be benefitable to someone else than me (as well).

And hey OP, do you have msn?
I'm really up for something like this but not sure where to look etc etc.

Reply 7

Mike_P

I am Swedish, but do however speak decent english, and am also thinking of going abroad to teach english or some other volunteer related work. This was, however, was I was a bit puzzled about. How do you know if your organization lets you make any difference, or do you just pay to go on some illusionary trip thinking that you are the saviour of the troubled people involved.. Etc..

I'm seriously interested in doing something which can be benefitable to someone else than me (as well).

And hey OP, do you have msn?
I'm really up for something like this but not sure where to look etc etc.

Absolutely top notch English mate, a whole heap better than decent :smile:

Reply 8

KayleeLand

Absolutely top notch English mate, a whole heap better than decent :smile:

thanks

(yeah, I looked at your profile but..) Where is it you are on the profile picture?
And interesting dress for that type environment :cool:

.

Reply 9

I volunteer (teaching English) with http://www.volunteeringnepal.org - a small, local organisation based in Kathmandu who set up and run their own projects in the education of women and children in a rural community. They mostly have Nepali volunteers, but all the funding for the projects comes from international volunteers.

Reply 10

oxymoronic

19

Mike_P

I am Swedish, but do however speak decent english, and am also thinking of going abroad to teach english or doing some other volunteer related work. The aspect you mention, however, I am a bit puzzled about. How do you know if your organization lets you make any difference, or do you just pay to go on some illusionary trip thinking that you are the saviour of the troubled people involved.. Etc.. The thought of paying lots of cash to do no difference and then putting it on my CV is not what I want.

I'm seriously interested though in doing something which can be benefitable to someone else than me (as well).

Hey,
I think its just a case of asking around and getting advice/opinions from people who have been somewhere before. In my opinion its better to stick to university charities or similar, where you don't pay any money to be involved and the only thing you pay for is your flight out there. Then you can talk to past students who have done things before, and you know that you're not spending thousands of pounds which is going to go directly in the "company owners" pocket. Staying away from companies is the best thing you can do really, as yeah they might make it all simple for you, but you never know where your money is going. The link that the last person has posted seems interesting as they said it is mostly staffed by Nepali volunteers, which is another thing you should be looking for as its much more useful for you to be more of an aide to national staff than doing it all on your own. After all you'll probably only be there for a couple of months at the most, so they'll have to deal with it all when you leave so it makes sense for you to assist them rather than the other way around. I've just looked and you still have to pay a fair amount to do it with them and the fact you can use paypal really puts me off as it makes it seem like I am doing a regular commercial transaction, which it really isn't. Similarly, they will speak the language and know the local culture which you won't. Another place to find contacts is local charities (not national ones such as Oxfam) but smaller local charities where a community is supporting another community somewhere in the world. They will have a link to someone in the other community and would be able to facilitate going out there- if they said they would like your help. Similarly, Churches and other religious groups seem to always raise money for different communities and would have contacts around the world.

Yes its more work this way but then you know where your money is going, which as you said, the experience is for more than writing it on a CV.

Reply 11

oxymoronic

The link that the last person has posted seems interesting as they said it is mostly staffed by Nepali volunteers, which is another thing you should be looking for as its much more useful for you to be more of an aide to national staff than doing it all on your own. After all you'll probably only be there for a couple of months at the most, so they'll have to deal with it all when you leave so it makes sense for you to assist them rather than the other way around. I've just looked and you still have to pay a fair amount to do it with them and the fact you can use paypal really puts me off as it makes it seem like I am doing a regular commercial transaction, which it really isn't. Similarly, they will speak the language and know the local culture which you won't.

It does seem a lot to pay/fundraise, but I don't mind as I have seen first hand where the money goes. The amount you pay with VIN is still a LOT less than with profit-making companies like i-to-i, it includes your food and accommodation (usually with a host family) and orientation, Nepali lessons, airport pickup etc, but the bulk of it goes to funding the projects and keeping the organisation going - as I said, international volunteers are currently their only source of funding. Being able to use paypal for it is a very recent thing, and it makes it more convenient for a lot of people as the only other way to pay is by giving them a wad of cash once in the country. I, for example, give people the paypal link if they want to donate for me, as it's more convenient than them having to get money to me, and they know it's going straight to the organisation rather than towards my beer money, y'know?

Another point I'd like to make with teaching is that unless you are going for a long period (several months at least), it's pretty pointless. Even if you're taking over already established classes, it takes time to find your feet, suss out the level of the students and work out how best to teach them and utilise the (limited) resources you have. I taught for three months last time and it wasn't really long enough - I'd just started to tune into the individual needs of the students and really get into the swing of things when I had to leave. There wasn't enough time to see longer-term goals through. And of course it's bad for the students to change teachers every few weeks, or worse be left without one.

Reply 12

Thanks Oxymoronic and Slender Loris, I really value your views on this. Something as the Nepali project is what I'm really looking for. I'm really keen on South Asia and Africa, so now I'm going to try to have a look around what kinds of options there are etc.

Reply 13

Mike_P

thanks

(yeah, I looked at your profile but..) Where is it you are on the profile picture?
And interesting dress for that type environment :cool:

.

Hehe! Its in a cave at night in Kuala Lumpur! Was very hot. Dress is from Bangkok :smile:

Reply 14

KayleeLand

Hehe! Its in a cave at night in Kuala Lumpur! Was very hot. Dress is from Bangkok :smile:

Lol, awesome. I take it you did some kind of Asia trip?

Reply 15

PeePooQueen

i did a combined teaching and care placement in Sri Lanka it was pretty cool! I was working with the tsunamia affected children and i think it's one of the most memorable experience in my life.

I went away with projects abroad. I did 3 months but am sure it's possible to do short term volunteering.

check out their website(www.projects-abroad.co.uk), they have plenty of destinations on offer, which country are interested in going?

x

Reply 16

PeePooQueen

i did a combined teaching and care placement in Sri Lanka it was pretty cool! I was working with the tsunamia affected children and i think it's one of the most memorable experience in my life.

I went away with projects abroad. I did 3 months but am sure it's possible to do short term volunteering.

check out their website(www.projects-abroad.co.uk), they have plenty of destinations on offer, which country are interested in going?

x

Omg those prices! That's extortionate. For 3 months teaching in Nepal I paid over £1000 less than what they charge. :s-smilie:

!

Reply 17