Volunteering abroad can be one of the most enriching travel experiences for travellers. Not only does it face you with something new and exciting, but it also offers you the chance to make a real difference in the world.
From changing someone’s life to protecting fragile ecosystems, here are five invaluable travel friendly volunteering experiences.
Medical and healthcare missions
For nursing and pre-med students, medical professionals, dentists and other health specialists, abroad volunteer healthcare programs can truly excel your knowledge and career. These projects provide excellent field experience by aiding communities with inadequate healthcare and also increasing awareness of global poverty. Volunteering is an outstanding way to enhance your own professional character and benefit the reputation of women in health and medicine! Medical programs are available in various countries like India, Zambia and Nepal. If providing health care to poverty-stricken communities is of a great importance to you, look into medical volunteering.
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Teaching abroad
Education is the greatest gift to humanity, yet many communities in less developed countries lack access to this wondrous tool. Luckily, many NGOs offer a wide variety of programs to teach young children English and improve their literacy skills. Aside from offering incredible opportunities to kids in need, you’ll be demonstrating the important role in global education and encouraging young children to pursue their dreams. It can take you to all corners of the globe, including Cambodia, Costa Rica, South Africa and Brazil! If you’re keen to power minds and transform young lives, teaching abroad is definitely an experience to explore.
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Women’s empowerment programs
These volunteer programs offer assistance to women in less developed countries suffering from domestic abuse, unemployment or HIV/AIDS. Your work may range from teaching women financial management and literacy skills, helping women understand their legal rights, providing care in female health clinics or assisting local vendors with their crafts to increase incomes. Female empowerment is a very significant benefit behind these volunteer movements as they help improve women’s lives in so many ways! You may find yourself in Kenya, Tanzania or Morocco with these incredible female-focused programs.
Wildlife and environment conservation
From observing wild animal behaviours to cleaning up the environment, these projects focus heavily on protecting local ecosystems. There are so many to choose from; caring for sea turtles in Costa Rica, surveying movements of wild elephants in Sri Lanka, clearing human waste from beaches, monitoring biodiversity in reefs plus plenty more! Volunteer environmental protection projects can inspire new career interests, leading to becoming a pivotal player in areas like conservation biology, geology, resource sustainability and marine science. These are crucial scientific fields combating the effects of climate change, pollution, public health concerns and declines in biodiversity, so the more the better!
Building and renovation projects
Volunteer construction work is a fantastic way to contribute towards the growth and development of disadvantaged communities; in many cases, you don’t even need a qualification! You’d help build schools, community centres, housing and sanitation facilities for people in need whilst also learning valuable construction and teamwork skills. This experience also gives women a chance to harness knowledge in a trade greatly occupied by men, broadening skills and defying the stereotypes of ‘traditionally female’ career paths. Construction projects can take you to Fiji, Peru, Thailand and more! Ready to get literally down and dirty? Then pick up a shovel and try out this incredible volunteer experience.
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