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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.
They are way cheaper than anyone else I can find, and are dedicated to making sure everything is organized properly.
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.
If you are looking to volunteer in Siem Reap as a teacher for kids this is by far the best option!
They are a charity so there is no profit involved as with other operators in the area. I have seen where the money goes - new buildings, education, food, clothes, bedding etc for these kids. They are not just in it for the money, they really care.
When I checked out some of the others in Siem Reap they send volunteers to these places but that's where their support ends - Globalteer are also the cheapest so good news all round. Really friendly people working there too.
They take people for three months or even if you are in the area for a few days and want to help they will find a placement for you.
Cambodia is dealing with an outbreak of dengue hemorraegic fever. Many Cambodians can't donate blood because of previous illnesses and so Kantha Bopha/Jayavarma VII (which is partly funded by a Swiss organisation), and Angkor Hospital for Children (funded by an NGO called Friends without a Border), actively make appeals to foreigners.
I gave blood at Jayavarma VII hospital. The blood bank room was clean, my vein was wiped with alcohol before the needle was put in, and the phlebotomist took an extra sample of my blood to put in a test tube for analysis. I had to complete a questionnaire on my health, medications, sexual partners etc.
If you like music, Jayavarma VII also holds fundraising concerts each Saturday evening from around 7:15 pm.
AHC has an online shop with some beautiful cards and prints of Angkor.
Jayavarman VII Children’s Hospital
Street to Angkor
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel 063 964 803
Angkor Hospital for Children
Street Achar Mean, Mondul 1 Village, Svay Dangkum Commune, Siem Reap District
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel 063 963 409
www.beat-richner.ch/Assets/richner_present.html
www.nationalradio.com/DrBeat.shtml
angkorhospital.org/default.php
www.fwab.org/
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.
A very good thing to do in Siem Reap, other than visiting the astonishing temples, is to give blood in the Kantha Bopha Childrens' Hospital. You cannot miss it, it's on the way to the temples. Blood is always in demand in this country where so many are excluded from giving it due to past illness, and you can be assured of total safety from infection and the highest standards of hygeine. All visitors to Angkor can leave something really useful by spending an hour of their time at the blood bank, located in the Jaya Varman VII Hospital. Get a free T-shirt, some stickers and leave behind some much-needed - healthy blood.
Jaya Varman VII Hospital, Siem Reap
Lazy Gecko's Cafe makes great food, both Western and Cambodian, and is a good spot for meeting other travellers. On Saturday nights, they run a minibus to the nearby JCA Orphanage, an orphanage for kids who've lost their parents to HIV related illnesses. The kids are always absolutely delighted to get visitors, and they put on a traditional dance show for you and invite you to share a meal with them. The trip is free, but take along a donation (cash, or things like school equipment, clothes etc). A great night is guaranteed for both you and the kids.
Phnom Penh - Lazy Gecko's is on the main backpackers' drag by Boeng Kak lake.
This is an inexpensive (US$12 per room), simple, clean and very friendly guest house. Each room has en suite and air conditioning. It is a good place to unwind after a hard, hot day. There is a bar, a casual restaurant (with Western or Khmer-style food), a pool table (good for chilling out) and free internet for catching up with your emails and bragging to friends. It is close to town and they give you transport around town and to the airport. The modest profits from here go to support Savong's School - a volunteer language school that is also worth visiting.
D&D Angkor Villa Guest House,
No 6 Highway (Airport Road, near the Caltex Station).
Tel : (00 84) 855 12 531 037
www.angkorvilla.com
Indian vegetarian restaurant run by volunteers. Good food. You pay what you judge the meal to be worth and the profits go to charities in India.
(NB No alcohol) Mon-Fri. Lunch and evening
Sat. Evening.
Barrack Street Jetty near the bell tower
www.annalakshmi.com.au
Conservation holidays that don't involve flying or cost thousands of pounds: Volunteer on one of over 30 RSPB reserves in the UK. Work includes practical conservation and wildlife surveys as well as showing visitors around the reserves.
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
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