Volunteering Abroad

Why Should I Volunteer Abroad?

There are hundreds of unique opportunities for individuals who are interested in living and working abroad, while giving back to the communities that support them.  We know that applicants to our volunteer teaching programs are looking for something more than a paycheck.  These positions give you the chance to make a difference in a part of the world that has real need.

You’ll not only be doing something incredibly rich and rewarding, but you’ll also have a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in local culture.  With extensive orientation, cultural classes, and language training, you’ll be immersed in the country’s culture right away.  Plus, you’ll have the unique opportunity to live with a host family.  During your home-stay, you’ll share meals, culture, and experiences with your host family.  There is no better way to understand a new culture than to be a part of it!

Another benefit of volunteering abroad is that these programs offer a lot more options with start dates and contract lengths than do typical ESL jobs.  Most ESL contracts are for a full year.  For many people, though, this simply doesn’t fit into their time-frame.  You can volunteer, though,  for as little as 3 months.  For people juggling school and work, while trying to give something back to the community, the flexibility of a short-term volunteer teaching contract can be the perfect option.

If you’re someone who loves to help others, consider an international volunteer teaching program!

Volunteer in Georgia, Eastern Europe

Georgia is a country at the crossroads of Asia and Europe.  It’s also at the crossroads of its past and a bright future as a modern nation. The Georgian Ministry of Education has made English Education a top priority, and they need dedicated and motivated volunteers!

The Teach in Georgia program is sponsored by the Georgia Ministry of Education. This is a full volunteer program with program benefits being offered through the Ministry of Education.

Volunteers in Georgia receive:

• Paid round trip flights
• Free housing, with meals
• A monthly stipend
• Medical Insurance
• One week of language, cultural, and educational skills classes

Volunteer in Chile

Volunteering in Chile is a rewarding and satisfying experience that will allow you to learn about the local culture and to interact with your students in a positive and meaningful way.  Volunteering opportunities in Chile generally include the following:

Ground transportation: Your transportation from your arrival at the airport, as well as your transport to and from your orientation venue and placement area.

Arranged accommodations: You will stay with a Chilean host family for the duration of your weeklong orientation program in Santiago, and receive two meals a day. Our in-country coordinator will drop you off at your placement venue in Santiago and at the end of your week teacher training course, you will be delivered to the Chilean host family that is going to look after you for the duration of your contract. Your host family will provide you with three meals a day.

Affordability: When you calculate the difference between traveling to a country on your own and the cost of participating in a program, you might be surprised by how little the difference is.

There are a number of organizations specializing in certain issues that are present within Taiwan that are always looking for volunteers to help out.

Harmony Home Taiwan

This is a charity that was set up to care for people living with and families affected by HIV/AIDS. This is a non-profit organization that makes a huge difference.

In the past people living with HIV/AIDS received no proper medical treatments as there wasn’t much understanding of the disease. This lead to a moment when one woman, Nicole Yang, opened her home to people living with the virus. This act of kindness and compassion then birthed the Harmony Home organization.

How can you help?

Because the charity cares for those affected and the families of those affected, there are a number of opportunities available for volunteers.

There is a growing need for childcare with this charity; centers have been set up for this reason providing playrooms and beds for the children to sleep in. The children can really benefit from having western volunteers around to help with English and literacy skills as well as having people to play with.

Fundraising is another area you can assist with, you can be as creative as you like with raising funds; maybe host a bake sale? Put on a show? Or have a sponsored pie eating contest? Whatever it may be the funds are going to a really good cause.

Mary’s Doggies

This is an organization dedicated to stray dogs and cats living out in the wild or on the streets of the cities or those that have been mistreated or neglected. They own dog and cat shelters in which they provide medical care, food and shelter for these animals whilst also finding new ways to raise money.

How can you help?

To get involved you can visit a shelter and help out there; although the staff feed, shelter and care for the dogs they do not have time to go out and walk, wash and brush all of the dogs, which is where you come in.

You can also get involved through their fundraisers, their most recent being ‘dog days in drag’, which was held in a popular bar in Taiwan where 4 of the local diva drag queens put on a night of entertainment, including a drag king and drag queen competition and raffle. They managed to raise an amazing $80,000 TWD (around $2700 USD) for the charity.

Street kids are a big issue in Vietnam as they get by on either taking very low paid employment or worse, pick-pocketing and becoming involved in the sex trade. Volunteers are needed at centers which aim to get children off the streets and out of these lines of work and into something more progressive and honest with a brighter future.

What challenges will you face as a volunteer English teacher?

New food, smiling faces, a new culture to understand and a new country to explore–volunteer teaching can be the adventure of a lifetime!  But it is no ordinary job, and it comes with a unique set of challenges.

• Language and communication barriers – You have a fantastic opportunity to learn a new language.  But you will likely find yourself surrounded by people with limited ability to speak English.  You will have to rely on your own language skills.
• Culture – Living with a host family gives you a unique opportunity to experience the local culture.  It’s a big adjustment to make, though, and requires letting go of your previous conceptions and embracing a totally new way of life.
• Teaching with limited resources – The communities that you will be volunteering in don’t have extensive resources or education materials.  You will have to rely on resourcefulness and creativity to create lesson plans and communicate with your students.