WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU VOLUNTOUR
Take these steps to choose a responsible voluntourism opportunity. (learningservice.info) Know where your money is going. Research management and ask for transparency. “A responsible organization should be able to show you how their money is being used,” says Claire Bennett. If the organization is a registered U.S. company, check its financial health, accountability and results with Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org), a free online service. Do your research. Don’t be swayed by glowing testimonials on an organization’s website. Take time to check for negative reviews or reports in newspapers and blogs. Ask if you’re volunteering for something you’re not qualified to do. Sure you might get experience, but it might not be best for the foreign country. Assist, don’t lead. Be wary of organizations accepting unskilled volunteers to work closely with children. If you don’t have professional training as a teacher or caregiver, then you shouldn’t do it overseas either.
Join a volunteer project run by a longestablished humanitarian nonprofit. It takes a little advance planning (registering and training for a week or more before you leave are required), but then you can sign up for any American Red Cross (redcross.org) relief effort nationwide (no international programs).
WHERE TO GO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Romania: Work with bears in Transylvania Volunteer in Romania’s largest sanctuary for captured and abused bears, preparing food and monitoring their health, while staying in the medieval city of Brasov. Trip by Responsible Travel (responsibletravel. com) includes trekking in the Carpathian Mountains. Starts at $1,239 for a sevenday experience, not including flights. Kenya: Build with Habitat for Humanity The organization (habitat.org) has a “Global Village” program that invites volunteers to join home construction and other volunteer projects in more than 40 countries. Itineraries for one week or longer include plenty of hammer time (no experience necessary), but also cultural experiences and time spent with locals. The trips aren’t cheap ($2,365 for a 10-day experience in Kenya), with fees covering most in-country expenses and a contribution to Habitat’s work, but not airfare.
Mongolia: Reward ethical policies In its 2016 report, Ethical Traveler said the country “has embarked on a series of sweeping reforms to the country’s legal system, including provisions that aim to prevent crimes of hate, bigotry and discrimination. Currently, 500,000 people, including 70 percent of Mongolia’s herders, have modern electricity generated through solar power.”
GIVE A DAY GLOBAL The following are one-day volunteering opportunities, some of the 30 offerings reviewed and vetted by Give a Day Global. Find more details at giveadayglobal.org. Bolivia: Build new, safer homes Dig foundations, lay bricks and paint walls — all part of the Fuller Center’s efforts to replace unsafe mud and straw huts with sturdier housing in the city of El Alto.
Costa Rica: Rain forest restoration Help maintain rain forest habitat, observe animal behavior, repair enclosures, harvest and prepare food, and other activities at a wildlife rescue center in Manuel Antonio National Park (manuelantoniopark.com). Cuba: Cultivate healthy land Work alongside locals at Finca Tungasuk organic farming cooperative outside Havana. Activities include planting, harvesting, watering and learning about sustainable farming.
India: Help combat malnutrition Help serve students healthy midday meals with Akshaya Patra, an aid organization based in Bangalore, where nearly 30 percent of young children exhibit signs of acute malnutrition.
Laos: Help develop English-language skills In the ancient city of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, help Laotians work on their English through bilingual books and conversation. Panama: Help train and empower women Help young women practice English at Calicanto, which offers life skills and career workshops to at-risk women in Panama City.