We love spending our summer breaks in picturesque destinations and if time (and money) permits, we would definitely want to go abroad! But what if I told you that you can make your summer vacations more productive and nurture your love for traveling at the same time? And no you don’t need to sell your kidney for it. In fact, you may just be able to make some money as well.es you heard it right! There are many social organisations in different countries where you can volunteer and earn a stipend as well! Here’s how you can!
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Researching for the best places to do social work
Research is the most crucial part of the process. Looking for a country where you want to volunteer along with getting details of the possible organisations you can work with is essential. Thanks to Google, you can look up the best social work organisations in a country of your choice and contact them via email. Some websites where you will be able to find volunteering opportunities are:
Many organisations offer volunteers the freedom to choose their field of interest to contribute to.
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Connect with online forums
To clarify your doubts about the host country, you can always have them answered on different online forums and Lonely Planet is one of them. You might wonder how connecting with online forums are helpful. Here’s why:
-It will help you get an insight into another person’s volunteering experience
-You can pick up useful tips on volunteering abroad
-It will also help you network with different volunteers, who want to embark on a similar journey like yours!
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 Find programmes for volunteering abroad
If you happen to be a student who is inquisitive and is keen on volunteering but doesn’t want to go through the entire effort of organising such an experience, there are programmes made for you! Organisations like AIESEC, are run by the students, for the students who want to volunteer in different countries. Internship opportunities offered by them are often paid ones. There are many more organisations which encourage student exchange programmes as well as volunteering. Those are:
–IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience)
–Cultural Vistas: Internships Abroad
–ELI Abroad
–Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS)
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Fundraising
If you’re someone who has begun working and need funds for volunteering, you can always set up a fundraising campaign on Ketto. Ketto is a platform which provides economic assistance through crowdsourcing. All you have to do is, fill in all the details on the form such as your name, contact number, description of the cause and the amount that you want to raise. Post which, you can share the campaign with your family and friends through different social mediums to raise funds. With the amount that will been raised, you will be able to fulfill your dream of volunteering abroad! The important aspect of setting up a fundraising campaign is that you need to provide relevant information and documents on the website. This is necessary to support your campaign and give an overview to the donors about the credibility of the campaign.
While you are at it, to make your volunteering experience a smooth sailing and unique one, here are some things you should definitely keep in mind!
-Be open to new experiences
-Be mentally prepared to get your hands dirty
-Try to learn the language of the country that you’re visiting so that you can communicate better (also looks great on the CV)
-Work hard to get a one of a kind experience (not everyone has an adventurous and a helpful spirit like yours!)
-Ensure that you take the required vaccination, as prescribed by your doctor.
Volunteering abroad is definitely one of the most enriching experiences. Where else would you get to witness a potpourri of cultures and people?
If you’ve already volunteered abroad, we would love to hear about your experience! Do write to us at hello@careerninja.in!
Want to volunteer with the United Nations Organisation? Well, here’s how you can!
