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The West Bank – May 2011. We drove along the road until our path was blocked by huge boulders and we could go no further. Clambering over boulders we continued uphill by foot. On arrival, we were greeted warmly and shown into a brightly coloured cave by Daoud, our host, who told us of the history of the farm.
Situated on a hill-top south of Bethlehem, Daher’s vineyard has been in the same family since 1916, when it was purchased by Daher Nassar, grandfather of the family who now run it.
In 1991 the Israeli government declared the area including the Nassar’s land, to be Israeli state land. The family’s challenge has meant ongoing litigation. Despite this, the Tent of Nations was founded in 2000 as an educational and environmental organic farm “seeking to build bridges between different people, and between people and the land”
They have no mains electricity or running water. Solar panels have been installed and their water is collected via rainfall. Visitors and volunteers arrive from all over the world, and support groups are based in the UK and North America. They also run a number of other projects locally including projects for young people.
Our visit was part of a Holy Land Pilgrimage, when we met with local people and learn about organizations – of both Palestinians and Israelis - working for peace in the West Bank. Despite their difficult circumstances, I left with a feeling of optimism and hope for the future. A visit is a truly awe inspiring, unforgettable experience.
www.tentofnations.org/
Atan Street 17, PO Box 28, Bethlehem, Palestine
+972(2)2743071
I spent one summer from university living in the Thai countryside, right on the Burma border with the Karen people. A team of us was there to help the village build a clean water supply system so clean water could be pumped into the village for the first time. It was an experience I will never forget. If you are looking for a volunteer abroad opportunity for a summer or gap year ... look no further.
www.karenhilltribes.org.uk/
+44 (0)1904 612829
I always feel a little nostalgia when I return home from Coll. I've been twice and on both occasions it has been truly special. Not only is the island beautiful (perhaps because it is so isolated) but the locals on the island are so welcoming. I think its the simplicity of the place which captures my love for the Island. And you feel a sense of belonging there. On top of this, my reason for visiting has caused my admiration for the place to grow as it is where the charity Project Trust are based. It is this organisation which are allowing me to spend a year out in Thailand taking on projects in both teaching and orphanage work at the age of 18. Therefore I associate Coll with the positive prospects which I would not have received had they not have existed. Visiting the Island is all part of the Project Trust experience yet I would urge anyone to visit. Be it the Coll show, the golf tournament, Ceilidh dancing, fishing competition or beach football, there is certainly enough to keep you occupied. Or whether you fall more for the tranquil side which Coll offers: the unbelievably picturesque beaches, the wild flowers, rare birds or sea life you can find complete escapism here. Need I say more...
www.visitcoll.co.uk
Google map: bit.ly/qTzZeV
www.projecttrust.org.uk/
I wanted to do something different with my summer so when I received an email off a company called BUNAC with information about their Volunteer programmes I signed up immediately.
I spent my summer in American doing volunteer work in national parks. I worked in Arizona and Utah, mainly building fences and walk-overs at the Grand Canyon and in Zion National Park, the most visited national park in the US. It was a fantastic experience. I spent 8 days working on site, camping out under the stars, then would spend the next 6 days before my next project seeing the sights. I was able to meet people from all over the world and even brush up on my German.
If you want an alternative option for your summer then I would definitely recommend doing a volunteer programme with BUNAC. They help you every step of the way and give you continued support while you're out there.
Go for it!
Bulungula Lodge is not only paradise it is the essence of responsible tourism.
It is not the easiest place to get to, you have to make the effort, but it is worth it. Accommodation is in beautiful huts (doubles, twins or small dorms) with views of the sea or forest. The sun provides solar power and people provide smiles.
It is 40% owned by the local community and has helped to set up 100% community-owned and run businesses.
You can relax and get away from it all or join in and volunteer to help out on a project. See website for further information.
bulungula.com
+27 47 577 8900
I've recently been working with a volunteer company GapChile. Its family run and incredible experience, in my time there I worked in their nursery school, with orphans, with the Red Cross, with ladies in a rehabilitation centre, taught adults English, learnt to surf and snowboard and had plenty of free time to explore the country. The money I paid was not swallowed up into the organisation like many out there but used to sponsor an orphan to attend school or a young adult to attend university. The family that runs the gap company are primarily concerned with improving the education of young people in the area and you can be safe in the knowledge that your money really does go to a good cause. I would really recommend this volunteer program to people looking to make a difference on their travels and see the real Chile.
This is an entirely Nepali run and based volunteer placement agency that ensures your pennies and helping hands go to those that most need them. Volunteer Society Nepal offers a huge range of volunteering placements from teaching monks English in the remote corners of the Himalayas to setting up teacher training programs in bustling Kathmandu. The placements all involve living with the local people, language lessons and cultural inductions whilst visiting some of the many world heritage sites in Kathmandu. If you fancy experiencing the wonders of Nepal, living with the locals and lending a hand to one of the poorest countries in the world then get involved.
A small local-run organisation desperately in need of volunteers, donations and tools to help with reconstruction projects following the devastating earthquake in August 2007. More than a year later, there are still thousands of people without homes so every pair of hands is appreciated, whether you stay for a couple of days or several months. If you can bring anything on their wishlist with you, even better!
I went to Kerala and took part in a Reach and Teach program with Yearoutindia. I volunteered for three weeks at a school in Adimali teaching Art and English, and helped the school prepare for Independence Day celebrations. All the local schools join in celebrating Independence Day, taking part in inter-school competitions and a show of strength in 2km march around the town, holding placards pledging allegiance to India and shouting Independence chants. It was quite a surprise for the locals to see a British citizen taking part in the celebrations and the head teacher called me in the evening to say the school was on the local news!
My experience of Kerala was fantastic, it has the most verdant flora and fauna, vibrant culture and the people I met were so welcoming. Besides many teaching and renovation projects at schools that really need help and support, Yearoutindia gives you the opportunity to be involved with the local communities and make a real difference to the lives of people in rural South India. They also run link school projects with schools in UK and looking to so the same with school in France and USA.
The coordinators and staff really go out of their way make sure volunteers have a great experience and that they really make a positive and direct contribution to the people and communities they work with. They only take on limited number of volunteers (usually 2-3) per project site, ensuring a personal commitment to the projects and a unique individual experience.
Yearoutindia is also a non-profit organisation who don’t advertise in print media, all their ex-volunteers who work on community development projects, conservation and environmental work, teaching in schools and orphanages act as volunteer coordinators back in their own country. A true volunteer experience run by volunteers themselves!
www.yearoutindia.com
info@yearoutindia.com
ruth@yearoutindia.com
Chiang Mai, like the rest of Thailand, has a huge problem with stray dogs. How about visiting Care for Dogs, a dog rescue and adoption centre, a few miles outside Chiang Mai? You can see the amazing work they are doing and even take some dogs for a walk. We went yesterday and it is well worth a visit!
What a fantastic booklet. It gives so much information about making the most of your holiday and doing something worthwhile.
We did loads of the stuff recommended in it and it helped us meet local people and ensure that our money was going to worthwhile places.
For example: teaching locals to read English (Brother Mouse in Luang Prabang - fantastic place!).
If you fancy a massage, go to the Red Cross in Luang Prabang. It's not luxury - none of your scented candles here - but a great massage and all the money goes to the Red Cross. The brave can even donate blood.
Stay Another Day Laos is available in guesthouses, travel agents, bars, restaurants - all over the place.
Sustainable Bolivia provides volunteer placements, family-stay opportunities, Spanish and Quechua language classes and sustainable ecotourism excursions throughout Bolivia. All the people at Sustainable Bolivia were extremely friendly and always looking to help me in any way necessary. I volunteered for 4 months and it was an experience I will never forget. In this time I lived with a family who treated me as if I was their own son. I only took two weeks of language classes but I was extremely satisfied with the instruction and professors. Additionally they have their own travel agency and provided invaluable travel tips.
Generally speaking I had a wonderful experience and if anyone is looking to travel, volunteer or take language classes in South America, I recommend you contact Sustainable Bolivia.
Calle Alfredo Michel No. 1174
Zona Las Cuadras
Cochabamba, Bolivia
+591(4)4231142
www.sustainablebolivia.org
Peruforyou is a tiny volunteer organisation based in Huancayo. They offer Spanish lessons to tourists in exchange for English lessons and health schemes given to local orphans and street kids.
You are placed with a local family to live and experience real Andean life. They also offer superb jungle treks - highly memorable and so rewarding.
The people at gapyearworldwide are gathering feedback from people who have volunteered abroad to help future participants. They are producing a list of free volunteering placements around the world which is cool. Thought I would share it.
Visiting Kibera wil give you a good idea of how much of the world's population live and the Kibera Community Youth Programme are a great group who are a lot of fun and will take care of you.
A voluntary charity in the centre of town. If you're here for a while, teach a bit of English, or help with their ever-precarious IT situation, shorter term there is a nightly drop-in English conversation class, just come along and chat, that's it.
As well as all this, they also have yoga classes, some of the cheapest rooms in town and it's a good place to meet other travellers who aren't in India for the cheap weed.
Lots of good work here with many newly arrived refugees and monks, even if you cannot volunteer, donate something.
Temple Road, opposite Thomas Cook
I thought I would put up a few thoughts about volunteering holidays in general and specifically Sri Lanka with i-to-i.
I spent four weeks doing a volunteering holiday at Kosgoda, working on Tsunami relief projects.
In a nutshell, here are the pros and cons:
Pros: you get to meet local people as a guest rather than a tourist; immerse a little in local life; work on projects which do benefit people; spend time (relatively) safely in an unfamiliar country and not have to worry about finding accommodation companions and activities; you will meet amazing people and, possibly; add to others' lives.
Cons: you do not 'really' benefit local people or projects very much at all; the projects are usually under-resourced and of dubious value to the local community; you will pay an awful lot of money for the convenience factor, of which very little goes to the community you stay with; you need to be aware that you're doing this more for you than for the benefit of the communities you visit; you may come away feeling a little jaded about the 'ethical' aspects of your trip.
Having said that, you can increase your chances of finding a trip which substantially contributes to local projects by doing your homework - ask for written information on the proportion of the holiday fee which goes to the local community, ask for details of the feedback from the local community leaders as to the success of the projects, ask other volunteers what they thought, ask for advice from charities and NGOs.
I want to wrap it up by saying that I had an amazing time in Sri Lanka, the people, food, country and experience were all wonderful.
I do not think that I contributed very much at all to anything worthwhile, but what can you expect from a four-week trip?
If I were doing it again, I would make much more effort to find local organisations to arrange my trip with, and pay them directly. Booking through an intermediary such as i-to-i means you have no control over what goes to the communities you're trying to help.
i-to-i certainly make the process simple, but you do then compromise on the actual value of your volunteering efforts and hard-earned cash.
Volunteer Bolivia offers tours of Cochabamba department, home stays, Spanish classes and volunteer work. They are extremely professional, they have the best teachers in Cochabamba for Spanish. My family was very nice and helpful and became a second family to me. They work with small organisations so their volunteer work is specialised and you will be the only gringo there. To have a "real" experience of Bolivia, there is no one better than Volunteer Bolivia.
www.volunteerbolivia.org/
342 Calle Ecuador, Cochabamba, Bolivia
Tel: +591 (4) 452 6028
info@volunteerbolivia.org
Angkor hospital for children encourages visitors to the area to donate blood. Blood banks are in scarce supply in Cambodia and your donation really will save a life. It only takes half an hour. The equipment is all safe and sterile.
Near the central market in Siem Reap town centre
Clinic times 10am - 4pm
EleAid has been supporting the Elephant Nature Park since its earliest days. Originally we signed up for their two-week conservation volunteer course in 2002. We ended up working with them for a whole year and rescuing 3 elephants and rehousing them at the Park.
The Elephant Nature Park has undergone many changes since then and has grown and is now home to 28 elephants of which 5 were rescued by EleAid.
It is still possible to sign up for the excellent two-week course, stay for a couple of nights or visit for an elephant conservation day. The elephants are allowed to live as natural lives as possible and watching them will take your breath away.
The best elephant experience for visitors to Thailand.
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