Are there any work/volunteer programs abroad that don't suck ass or cost $5000? I want to travel and actually /do/ something, whether it's wildlife conservation or being an au pair, but everything I've looked for is always hyper expensive or "work teaching children for 16 weeks with no pay in sierra leone".
Has /trv/ ever found a good place to find overseas work that doesn't require an advanced degree or thousands of dollars?
>>1045687
>Are there any work/volunteer programs abroad that don't suck ass or cost $5000?
There a bunch of them, but most expect you to have specific useful experience or skills. Three of the best, in increasing order of difficulty to get into:
1. Volunteers in Asia--I believe you have to pay for these, but the org and the postings are legit. Have both student/young-and-useless and professional programs. viaprograms.org.
2. VSO -- Voluntary Service Overseas. UK-based, but global. Tons of countries. Aimed at professionals who can do the thing they do professionally for free in the developing world for a while, but they pay expenses and a stipend. vsointernational.org.
3. UN Volunteers. unv.org. They have a list of the things they need people to do--very wide range, from development project stuff to disaster relief. Has short-term postings (3 mo or less).
http://matadornetwork.com/change/10-volunteer-opportunities-for-free-travel/
These are two volunteer possibilities that I did, just as example:
The peace project in Nicaragua
ACI in Costa Rica
They both have different types of work such as teaching to children or taken care of nature, and they're not expensive. Check them out!
Workaway.info
wwoof
tried workaway in Indonesia, absolutely amazing time, met some really nice people that you wouldn't get the chance to while being a normal tourist.
Did a lot of wwoofing in Australia, be aware that some hosts are looking for slave labour.
>>1045687
hands.org if you want to do disaster relief construction work
Peace Corps
>>1046174
Do your research, though. They have a tendency to dump some people into situations for which they are not prepared, and from which it is not easy to get extricated.
Of course some people thrive on that, to each his own, but know what you are getting into.
>>1046196
Two of my best friends are in the Peace Corps. One is posted in "east Africa" and the other is Moldova. The first guy guy posted in "east Africa" was evacuated a couple of days back due to riots and election violence. However, both of them are thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Having said that, they both expressed some doubts at the beginning. My friend in east Africa said that for a few weeks he wanted to go home - and it's not because he's homesick. The guy actually came to the United States when he was a teenager as a political refugee, so he's not uncomfortable in a new setting. Rather, the organization wasn't providing a whole of direction and a lot of the volunteers felt confused and overwhelmed. They basically got dumped into an unfamiliar setting, put into a classroom for language lessons, and then "released" into their new city.
But it seems like they've started to pick up on what to do and are both organizing community events and volunteer programs in their respective cities.
FYI, the Peace Corps is a big commitment. You have to have in-the-field experience or a four-year degree to even qualify for consideration as an applicant. It's a government-run program and not something you can just sign up for and fly off to in a week.
>>1046203
>Rather, the organization wasn't providing a whole of direction and a lot of the volunteers felt confused and overwhelmed. They basically got dumped into an unfamiliar setting, put into a classroom for language lessons, and then "released" into their new city.
This is a critique I have heard of the Peae Corps too many times.
SOme people can get past it and find somethingusefult o do, others struggle with it. In eaither case, it is a waste of the time and energuy of the voluunteer and the resources of the organization, to drop people into place without goalkls, training, guidance and leadership.
I am not a fan of the Peace Corps -- and would advise anybody I cared anything about to look for other options.
bump for interest
au pair is a pretty cool option, which i did( i am a guy btw). depends on your mother tongue and where you want to go tho. if you are an native english speaker is should be fairly easy to find something in rich countries. check out au pair world. if found my family there
>>1046206
>>1046203
>>1046196
I'm the guy who posted it, and am currently one year into my service. Your complaints are valid, there's a certain sink or swim mentality here. After they drop you off at your home, you're on your own for quite literally everything. Having said that, for most of us the training was extensive enough to provide. It's 40+ hours a week for over 2 months, most of which is language. The upside is there's tons of freedom that comes with it. I haven't seen any PC administration in my town since last December, giving me the time and space to do whatever I want outside of my primary project which is teaching.
Obviously I want OP to think long and hard about it, since 27 months is a serious commitment, but I can without a doubt say the past year has been the best year of my life, and the year I've grown the most as a person.
Didn't see this thread when I made my thread which is on a fairly similar topic. Both of my experiences are pretty specific to the UK and I don't know if similar programmes exist in other countries, but if you wanted to read about them then the thread is here >>1046029
bump
I've been an au pair, I didn't have to pay anything but it's probably different in the US.
Go to Australia on a working holiday visa, they're super backpacker friendly. It's not hard to get a job if you're willing to work in hospitality, labor/construction, or nannying. And the wages are pretty damn good - $18-20/hr minimum wage. Not to mention, Australia is a beautiful country with a lot of cool shit. There's also programs that help with the necessities, like getting a bank account, tax number, cell phone, and especially a job. It's the perfect place to work and travel while youre still young.
>>1049249
As an australian i love the fact that our country is always suggested by people for these reasons. Backpackers on working holidays welcome...lazy welfare bludging refugees..not so much
