Volunteering

Volunteering is a fantastic way to be a ‘responsible tourist' by making a positive and valuable contribution to some of the countries you visit on a year out. Volunteering is also a mutually beneficial process with enormous benefits for travellers too. By volunteering you gain a unique and privileged insight in to the people and culture of a country. Volunteering is all about having a more ‘real' career break travel experience by immersing yourself in local culture and getting to know local people on a far more intimate level than most passing tourists ever do. By volunteering you are also almost certain to pick up some useful new skills along the way which, if you are still working, really boosts your CV. More importantly, though, most travellers return home from volunteer trips having acquired some unforgettable ‘once in a lifetime' memories as well as plenty of new-found friendships.

Volunteering - sponsorship

If you are volunteering on your gap year or career break it is well worth considering some career break fundraising through sponsorship. If you are going to be volunteering on a worthwhile project while you are away friends, family and colleagues can be incredibly generous and you will be amazed at how quickly you can raise money when you put your mind to it. You can raise sponsorship for volunteering in any number of ways (the more imaginative idea you have the better is often the case!) - from organising a bring and buy sale at work to running a marathon.

Volunteering - What type of projects can I get involved with?

If you are planning on volunteering on a gap year or career break there is an incredibly diverse range of volunteer programmes to choose from. The type of volunteering you do will obviously depend on where your interests lie and which region or country you fancy volunteering in. It's worth stressing that volunteering is extremely flexible. For example if you are travelling on a round the world trip you could choose to volunteer in just one of the countries you are visiting for a relatively short period. Equally you could spend your entire gap year volunteering just in one place. It's entirely up to you.

If you are going to be volunteering on your gap year it's worth spending some time exploring the GYFGU website and reading up on all of the various volunteer programmes on offer. Another excellent source of advice and information are Real Gap's team of travel advisers - many of who have volunteered and experienced the programmes themselves. Broadly speaking, there are three main categories of volunteering…

Volunteering - Wildlife

Many travellers taking a gap year dream about volunteering to help endangered wildlife. If you want to get involved with wildlife conservation there are loads of extremely rewarding programmes to choose from throughout the world. For example if you would like to care for African wildlife there are suitable volunteering projects in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Volunteering - People

If you would like to ‘give something back' by volunteering to help impoverished or disadvantaged communities there are also plenty of options to choose from. For example you spend some of your time in India assisting at an HIV/Aids shelter.

Volunteering - Environment

If you are passionate about caring for the environment there are a number of volunteering opportunities you could consider. For example if you are heading Down Under then why not spend some time volunteering as a Conservation Volunteer Australia (CVA)? If you work as a CVA you will meet other like-minded travellers who are also volunteering and many of the CVA projects are based in remote areas of Australia you wouldn't normally get to see.

The above list of volunteering ideas certainly isn't comprehensive and if you have some ideas for volunteering which you can't seem to find on the website then speak to one of our travel advisers who all travelled and have useful career break travel advice to give you.


Back to Career Break Volunteer Advice
Back to Career Break Advice

Volunteer India Himachal Project Give some valuable assistance in a day care centre or school in Himachal Pradesh. Teach English or other subjects, lead creative activities or help decorate the buildings – whatever you do will be greatly appreciated. Volunteer India Rajasthan Project Put something back into a country that desperately needs volunteers. Whether you help out in an orphanage, a school or a centre for disabled children, your time will be gratefully received. Bolivia Experience Discover why so many people love Bolivia. Take Spanish lessons and learn to salsa, do some valuable volunteer work with children or animals, visit the highest city in the world, meet the indigenous Tacana people and lots more. Brazil Education Centre in Recife Give vulnerable children a better quality of life by teaching English, football and other subjects. You’ll assist with homework, build up their confidence and help them to a brighter future. Brazil Environmental Education and Theatre Onboard This programme incorporates education and conservation as you travel by boat around the islands of the Tinhare Archipelago raising environmental awareness amongst children. You will also be involved in tree planting, assist with local environmental research and even producing a theatrical performance to raise environmental awareness! Brazil Floating School Project and Capeiora Take part in a truly unique project. Give English lessons in the morning, help build the touring, floating school in the afternoon then learn capoeira from locals in the evening. No experience needed, just enthusiasm! Brazil Support for Blind People Get involved with efforts to help blind people lead normal lives. Accompany residents on daily errands and leisure activities, type up materials and promote the project work. A challenging but very rewarding programme. Brighter Future in Cordoba Argentina Light up the lives of children and adults from a poor part of Argentina. Play with the younger ones and assist with their workshops, and help women develop the skills to become self-sufficient. Build a Future in Swaziland Put your DIY experience to good use – or learn as you go. Help build and repair homes and other facilities, get involved with painting projects and generally give underprivileged children a safer, more secure environment.  Cambodia Caring for Children Be a role model to children who were born into poverty. Draw up lesson plans, teach English, crafts and health education and help maintain the classrooms. Your presence and encouragement will help them towards brighter futures. Cambodia Teaching Volunteer Pass on the basic skills many people take for granted, and make a difference to young lives. Give lessons to children and help local staff develop their leadership skills so they can benefit future generations. Camp Canada Counsellor Programme Work as a counsellor and watch as your charges develop and grow. Stay at one of three bases, leading workshops, supervising your group of children and sharing their adventures. All three camps are in fantastic locations! Canada Community Volunteer Put your skills to good use on a whole range of projects. Work on therapeutic sailing or horse riding programmes, as a classroom assistant, in an art gallery or on a project suggested by you. Cape Town Medical and Community Programme Put your medical skills to use in area with many sick children. Help out at a clinic, or, if you’re not medically qualified, get involved with education, building or community projects. Cape Town Teaching and Community Development Get involved in several projects, based around two schools. Run craft and sports sessions, work with orphans, pass on vital skills and generally help lift the area out of poverty. A varied and rewarding programme. Cape Town Volunteer Projects The time you give to these projects will benefit Cape Town’s underprivileged communities tremendously. Live with a local family and choose from projects including Healing Through Horses, Marine Conservation and Penguin Rescue and Cape Town for Orphans. China Experience Programme See the real China, not tourist China. Live and work with villagers, trek to China’s holiest peak, stay in a temple, meet the monks and learn about the language, cooking techniques and customs. Coach Sports and Teach Malawi Make a vital contribution to a beautiful but impoverished country. Give the teachers a much-need hand with English and maths, and help set up sports training sessions and competitions. A little time will make a lasting difference. Community Support in Rio Brazil Help families break the poverty circle by teaching English, mentoring children, organising leisure activities and helping with the running of the day care centre. Your efforts will help them towards employment in the future. Community Voluntary Projects Senegal Work on one of several projects and help a country ravished by AIDS. Get involved in teaching English to children and adults, building facilities, assisting in an orphanage, improving health education or raising awareness of HIV. Community Voluntary Work Ghana Sample Ghana’s fascinating and largely undeveloped culture. Take part in projects that provide medical care and tackle the AIDS epidemic, improve education and leisure activities in orphanages and schools and build new facilities for the community. Ecuador Street Children Care and Education Brighten up the lives of children who are largely left to fend for themselves. Organise activities, encourage them to keep healthy and show them someone cares. You’ll also be supporting children who attend school. Everest Expedition Feel a huge sense of achievement after trekking to the base camp of the world’s highest mountain - the effort is most definitely worth it! Top it off with a jungle safari and a volunteer placement in a Nepalese village. Ghana Community Development Project Match your skills to one of several worthwhile projects. Get involved in teaching, orphan care, HIV projects and health care, construction, community development, ecotourism and more. Whatever you do will be much appreciated. Guatemala Building Homes Volunteer Give an impoverished family the keys to a house you’ve just built for them. You’ll be working to build safe, solid houses to replace their cardboard shelters. An extremely rewarding project – no building experience needed. Guatemala Community Outreach Project Make a valuable, long lasting contribution to a village in Guatemala. Give the children some basic lessons in English, maths, computing or crafts, build classrooms and recreational facilities or help with healthcare. Guatemala Experience Discover the beauty, warmth and colour of Guatemala. Get to know the locals, the language and the culture and climb a volcano. Do some volunteer work, swim in warm waters, visit Mayan ruins – fantastic! Helping Hand in Cordoba Argentina Based in Córdoba City, this is a broad programme whose overall objective is to help people in the community who suffer from severe poverty. Volunteers will run workshops and activities for both children and adults with the aim of developing their skills and building their self-esteem.   House of Light in Buenos Aires This project aims to help the children of AIDS victims, who are in desperate need of affection and attention. The centre has since broadened its scope and now also provides education and care to children from low-income families, who receive the love and support they so badly need. India Community Development Taking part in a community development project in an Indian village is a great cultural, rewarding experience where you will engage in a meaningful story of empowerment and development. India Sports and Community Himachal General Sports – Cricket – Football – Volleyball – Netball Become part of the Sports and Community Project based in India and help to encourage the physical health of disadvantaged children.  India Sports and Community Rajasthan General Sports – Cricket – Football – Volleyball – Netball Join our Real Sport Experience’s Sports and Community Project in India to help develop the physical wellbeing of underprivileged children. Kanjar Community Development