Hendrik Rost is a seasoned Spanish-speaking volunteer in the fields of education and office administration who first volunteered in Guatemala back in 2000. Initially discovering cost-free volunteering opportunities via idealist.com, the disillusionment he feels about recent NGO fundraising developments is clear in his laconic conversation.

“It seems to be getting harder to find these days, but if you don’t rely on the placement agencies, you should be able to find a cheaper option.”  After only a little perfunctory research on the net, you will notice that it’s now commonplace for many groups and agencies to charge their volunteers exorbitant fees.  But the final decision really comes down to personal philosophy. Just ask yourself: ‘If I truly believe in the virtue of this organisation, am I willing to donate some of my money as well as my time?’  When the answer is ‘no’, there are still a few options available.

Hendrik managed to work for free at ‘Common Hope’ in Guatemala.  He was officially there to teach schoolchildren from underprivileged backgrounds how to use computers, but his role was varied and he had the chance to play games with the kids, as well as come into contact with their families, seeing their living situations first-hand. By teaching the children concrete skills, the project aimed to alleviate some of the stress associated with poverty, alcoholism and abuse.

Hendrik and others like him were able to learn vital skills while benefiting the community they were working for.  “While giving of yourself, you gain communication, language and social skills.”

As a long-term volunteer you can usually take a limited amount of time off to travel and see the sights, or to socialise with other volunteers and project members. The beauty of this is that you’re not just a tourist.  As an integral part of your chosen organisation, you’ll often have the chance to live with a local host family and share meals with them.

You can apply for a volunteer placement of between two weeks and two years in length.  There is constant demand for people of all skill levels: you don't necessarily need a uni degree or years of work experience, only enthusiasm and the ability to work with others.

Before taking the plunge, you will need to be realistic about the standard volunteer requirements.  Most organisations expect you to provide at least a few of the following things before you leave Australia:

•    a willingness to live in shared accommodation with strangers;
•    basic to intermediate local language skills;
•    your resumé (C.V.);
•    a volunteer visa;   
•    travel insurance;
•    a police check;
•    money for your own personal costs.

More detailed advice will be provided by your chosen NGO or placement agency.  If you have any doubts, a good recommendation is to try out short-term volunteering before committing yourself to a longer time-frame.  As part of a longer holiday, a two-week job can give you a taste of what to expect.



http://www.idealist.org/
A global network with thousands of links to various volunteer opportunities

http://www.oneworld.net/
Primarily a news site for human rights organisations, with a volunteering search option

http://www.peacebrigades.org/index.html
A popular NGO offering work mainly to skilled over-25s in Latin America

http://www.ecuadorvolunteer.com/
This website has separate lists of ‘free’ or ‘low cost’ projects in the column on the left.

http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/work_or_volunteer.html