Volunteering is an awesome way to make yourself feel good and give back to your community. Â However, there should be some precautions taken when volunteering to make sure you are truly making a difference. Â One new term that has popped up recently is âvoluntourismâ. Â Google the definition of âvoluntourismâ and you will find something along the lines of âa form of tourism in which travelers participate in charity, volunteer workâ. Â
Now, here are some ways to make sure you are actually volunteering and making a difference, rather than âvoluntouringâ:
1.Make sure youâre qualified
With most âvoluntourismâ trips you are advised to have a âgo get âemâ attitude, never mind if you are truly qualified. Â Â If you never built a house before, I recommend that you do not go to another community to build one. Â Be sure that you have had proper training and experience before traveling to another community to serve.
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2. Beware of âfor-profitâ companies
Make sure the company that sponsors your trip is a creditable one. Â Some companies are for-profit and will charge participation fees. Â Thus, they set up the program to make money.
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3. Be sure to avoid the âvoluntourism experienceâ
No one can resist a good selfie, however, when volunteering thatâs not all you are there to do. Â Some companies will emphasize the âvoluntourism experienceâ which stresses you take lots of pictures with the smiling members of the community to be used on their website and your social media pages. Â The companies will want you to work just hard enough to make you feel like youâve made a difference. Â With true volunteering there is a bigger emphasis on the community benefiting from your work more so than yourself.
4. Make sure youâre there long enough to make a difference
Most times, you cannot truly make a difference somewhere by only staying a few days or a few weeks. Â With âvoluntourismâ you volunteer with the community some, and the rest of your trip is spent vacationing. Â Many true volunteer programs are at least two to three months long, and the whole point of the trip is to serve.
5. Donât limit yourself to other communities
Donât have the money or time to volunteer in the other communities? Â No problem! Â You can still make a difference in your own community by volunteering a few hours every week at local schools, assisted-living facilities, and homeless shelters just to name a few.