3 Months Voluntary Work Overseas

OGB03

Hello all! Sorry in advance for the longish post.

I'd like some advice from any fellow MSE's about the route I should take. I was depressed, crippled with debt and total apathy with regard to being here in the UK with what I considered to be no real quality of life. I'm in the process of becoming totally debt free, with the exception of a pretty small and manageable mortgage, and am starting to feel better and much more liberated. :j

After a lot of soul searching, I've decided that I'd like to travel the world but do something worthwhile and fulfilling in the process.

My background (academically) is in I.T, and whilst I have done a little teaching on a temporary basis, I am not a qualified teacher. I didn't take a gap year (many moons ago!) between GCSE's/A'Levels/BSc and MSc, but always wanted to.

I'm passionate about animals and conservation (dolphins, orangutan's, big cats, elephants etc) but after some initial research, would like to teach I.T/English to disadvantaged children/communities 'somewhere' in the world.

I thought it would be much 'easier' to become a volunteer, however, after looking around a bit, I realise it's not as straight forward as I thought it might be.

I've looked at the VSO website, but because I'm planning to save up first, the opportunities listed aren't really suitable as they want people to start either immediately or with specific start dates in the very near future. Ideally, I'd like to go away around Aug-Oct 2008 but with some forward planning and hopefully some help, I could be ready to go away a bit earlier. I'm fully expecting a 3 month stint to cost me around £2.5-£3k. :eek:

The website with the opportunities which seemed most suited to what I want is travellersworldwide.com. In particular, teaching I.T/English in Cape Town. There are also opportunities on there for some wildlife/conservation work which I would love.

In a perfect world, I'd be back here in the UK during the 'summer' months working and saving and then away for 2/3 months in different places for the rest of the year. That way, I can keep my apartment here as an investment, rent it out to cover the mortgage should I need to and have a base to return to whilst I'm deciding where to go to next!

Does anyone have any advice or personal experience that would help me? I'd especially like to hear from people who have used particular organisations with regard to support and finances etc.

Thanks in advance.

Voyager2002

Try talking to VSO.

In general, three months is too short a time to do a useful job abroad. If you basically want an extended holiday with a little work to stop you getting bored, there are any number of agencies that will arrange this, but for a price. If you want to do something useful, there are all sorts of possibilities, but you need to think in terms of a two-year commitment. If you want to follow this course, it takes at least a year to arrange a suitable placement, visa etc so you would have plenty of time to save up before departure.

OGB03

Thanks Voyager

I hope that 3 months isn't too short a time to do some useful work somewhere in the world!!! In fact, for a lot of the positions that I looked at on the VSO website, they were only up to 6 months. I'm not planning to do more than 3 months at a time because I am just digging myself out of the mire of debt and depression that has plagued me since I got sick and would like to approach with caution as it were. I could easily swap like for like in terms of working in I.T abroad, but that's just geography and definitely wouldn't make me happy.

There are lots of ideas here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=214779&highlight=voluntary+work

however, I just wanted to know if anyone had taken a sabbatical in this manner and what their experiences were.

Voyager2002

OGB03 wrote: »

Thanks Voyager

I hope that 3 months isn't too short a time to do some useful work somewhere in the world!!! In fact, for a lot of the positions that I looked at on the VSO website, they were only up to 6 months. I'm not planning to do more than 3 months at a time because I am just digging myself out of the mire of debt and depression that has plagued me since I got sick and would like to approach with caution as it were. I could easily swap like for like in terms of working in I.T abroad, but that's just geography and definitely wouldn't make me happy.

There are lots of ideas here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=214779&highlight=voluntary+work

however, I just wanted to know if anyone had taken a sabbatical in this manner and what their experiences were.

OK, my experiences:

While working abroad I had zero net living costs, and so rent from my house covered all outgoings and helped build up a capital sum.

Work: it is not just a change of geography, since even though you are using IT skills you are in a completely different kind of organisation, and living within a different culture. That can be a distinctly uncomfortable experience, but is certainly something different. However, in the country where I worked (and in several others) the main health issue faced by VSO volunteers is depression and stress-related mental disorders, so if you have experienced similar difficulties in the UK you should think carefully, and take good advice, before arranging to work overseas. (You should also be very careful about what you tell VSO in this area.)

Anyway, if what you want is a short-term posting, and VSO offer several opportunities that seem to be what you want, then tell them so. Even though they have details of projects that are immediately available, it may take longer than you expect to sort out visas and practical details. Again, they may well be willing to wait for the right person. Finally, there are always other projects "in the pipeline" and if they know that you are likely to be available in (say) six months from now, that will help their planning and they may be able to match you to a project that has not yet appeared on their website.

OGB03

Thanks for your experiences and some good advice. Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you look at it :eek:) my health is back to what it was pre-illness and I'm able to work again (and I'm soon to be debt free at last - hoorah!) so not depressed about it anymore! LOL.

Still got lots of research to do, but funnily enough, once you make up your mind to do something, no matter what obstacles are put in your way, you find a way to overcome them.

novelli

First thing i would say is do not pay to volunteer!!!!!!! Many agencies and 'charities' charge a fee for u to volunteer, dont fall for it!!!!!!!!

All u should need to fund is your travel there and back and your living expenses. Also possibly CRB checks, jabs etc.

Ive just spent 6 months in India working with children in the slums. I would highly recommend it, tho do be careful who u volunteer with. You could try children walking tall, in Goa. This is run by Rob who is english. Be very careful of some of the Indian orphanages, many are not in it for the right reasons!!
There is also an international animal centre in Goa that takes volunteers, so u could try that too.
your budget is very high!! obviously depends on where u go, but u can live very very well for less than 50 a week in Goa, and could get accomadation for around £60 a month if not less.
PM me if u want more info.

OGB03

Thanks Novelli, have pm'd you.