Are you thinking about doing short term volunteer work abroad? Making the decision to take a volunteer vacation is easy if you know how you enjoy spending your time away from work. What's difficult is deciding where to go and which program to choose.
I love books that give advice about planning life-enriching vacations. Here are four from my library that I recommend for anyone wanting to learn more about voluntourism.
Lonely Planet's Volunteer: A Traveller's Guide to Making a Difference Around the World
Lonely Planet's Volunteer: A Traveller's Guide to Making a Difference is packed with practical information about all aspects of voluntourism. It covers everything from why people volunteer and the types of volunteering they do to how to prepare for the experience.
Chapters about volunteer programs are arranged by the type of program, such as "Organized Volunteer Programs" and "Do-it-Yourself Volunteer Placements", "Religious Organizations", "Structured & Self-funding Volunteer Programs" and even "How to Start your own Charitable Project".
This is a very useful book. My only complaint is the size of the type -- it's too small and in a few places too light, in my opinion, but hopefully that won't be a problem for you. And it is available on Kindle which will let you enlarge the type.
Frommer's 500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference
Frommer's 500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference gets right into the project listings, 500 of them, and what's nice is that they are divided into chapters based on the type of work or project it is, such as "Animal Welfare", "Teaching Vacations", and "Scientific Research", to name a few.
Each listing offers information about the project and what you'll be doing, whether you'll receive training, as well as contact information and details about lodging and costs. A "don't miss" sidebar for each project gives you additional information on what to check out while you're there.
A few pages in the back of the book help you decide which type of project would be right for you.
The 100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life by Pam Grout
I own all three of the books in this series which also includes The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life and The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life.
The 100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life is divided into regions of the world, with lots of varied projects, so whether you want to stay near home or travel to the other side of the globe there are plenty of opportunities to choose from.
The book gives you the deatils about each project, what you will be doing, approximate cost, and contact information. Peppered throughout with amusing sidebars, the book's breezy style makes for entertaining reading.
For example, next to the entry about Globe Aware's program to assist Europe's marginalized gypsies in Tarlungeni, Romania, you'll find a sidebar with tips about vampire-inspired tours in Transylvania. Alongside the entry for Korea's Sanan Village's farming project, you'll find a sidebar telling you how you can create your own pottery and where you can find several famous Korean ceramics museums.
Whether you want to restore medieval castles, teach music in Ghana, or pitch in with farm chores at the above-mentioned egalitarian commune, you'll find plenty to stew over in this book.
700 Places to Volunteer Before You Die: A Traveler's Guide by Nola Lee Kelsey
In addition to 700 Places to Volunteer Before You Die's 758 project listings, this thick volume offers advice on how to get started, including what makes a good volunteer, things to consider when selecting a project, and how to use this book.
Detailed indexes in the back of the book will help you find listings by project type.
Author Nola Lee Kelsey says in the book's introduction, "Don't go forth and conquer the world. Go forth and embrace the world fully as an equal among all living things."
Take this to heart and you'll be surprised how much your own life is enriched when you reach out to help others.
I hope these books will help you plan your volunteer vacation. Can you recommend any other books on voluntourism? Leave a comment and let me know!
You might also enjoy reading:
- Volunteering: A Rewarding Way to See the World
- GoPhilanthropic - Meaningful Intelligent Travel
- Heifer Ranch: Educating People about the Needs of the World
- Ambassadors for Children
Thank you, Kate! It was great seeing you at the conference as well. I hope you and your family are having happy holidays!
Posted by: Melody | December 25, 2011 at 07:53 AM
Pretty awesome write-ups. Glad to have that 700 Places to Volunteer Before You Die: A Traveler's Guide.
Posted by: denver window coverings | November 23, 2011 at 09:37 AM
Mel, I love your blog! Your photos are super!!! I mean, really spectacular. Don't be surprised if my Chuck doesn't want to meow his way over one day and hop aboard one of your trips and do some HOT BLOGGING!! He's a rascal, but you have to love him. It was great seeing you at the conference.
Kate
Posted by: Kate Lutter | October 22, 2011 at 08:55 PM
You'll be surprised how much your own life is enriched when you reach out to help others.
Posted by: Broomfield Blinds | October 06, 2011 at 06:50 PM
Yes, it's really fun to find out about new experiences you can have and books like these are full of them.
Posted by: Melody | October 04, 2011 at 03:13 PM
I love books that give advice about planning life-enriching vacations.
Posted by: Castle Rock Blinds | October 04, 2011 at 02:51 PM