Volunteering Abroad

By Author: Daren Kyle
Total Articles: 466
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Volunteering for work abroad can bring many benefits both for the volunteer and for those receiving the volunteer work. Some of which are: having a good feeling of purpose, of fulfillment, and of accomplishment; getting to know new people and developing new friendships with them; getting to acquaint ones' self with different cultures and lifestyles; learning new and interesting skills; and of course, getting to see and experience the world first hand.

Volunteering abroad is an experience of a lifetime that too few people are lucky enough to have tried. It is one of the most exciting adventures any one can take while also being one of the most worthwhile and admirable efforts any one can pursue. It is a very efficient way to have a great and meaningful vacation abroad while also helping other people out in the process.

For nature lovers looking to do their share to save the earth, volunteering to help work on some nature restoration programs in various parts of the world could be a very viable option. There are a good number of eco-travel organizations that can coordinate and arrange for these things. Other ...
... volunteers can experience the excitement of bull fights in Spain or the joy of tropical weather in Thailand if they are given work in these countries.

There are also a lot of opportunities for volunteering abroad that appeal to those who have an interest in wildlife. In Asia, there are several countries that have programs that need volunteer help in tending to wildlife such as leatherback turtles. In South Africa, there are numerous schools - both public and private - that need volunteers to help teach children. In some of these schools, formal training in education is not even required.

The opportunity to be a volunteer teacher also exists in several countries in South America. In Costa Rica, volunteers can teach students classes in sports and in English. In return, these volunteers get to learn Spanish for free. These free language classes are usually given in long daily schedules. This is a great way to teach a language and learn a language at the same time.

Even students can benefit very much from doing volunteer work abroad. There are many universities and educational institutions in host countries that organize volunteer campaigns to attract more volunteer help from students of other countries. These campaigns are usually structured in such a way that the student volunteers get to share their time and their skills in another country while still getting credits in their own university.

However, environment friendly and education volunteers are not the most needed volunteers abroad. For most countries, it is health care professionals that are inadequate, thus they are the most needed. In most developing countries, the number of doctors and nurses, even dentists and oral hygienists, is far too low to accommodate the very high number of patients that need their attention. In addition, the medical facilities and equipment are also usually substandard and insufficient. Thus, volunteers for health care work are very much a necessity.

Resource :

Study Abroad - Spainexchange offers study abroad programs for students worldwide. Study abroad programs include student housing, exchange students and host families, language exchange partners, volunteer programs and information on studying and living in many parts of the world.