As seasoned Travellers, what can we do to help as the world recovers from the Pandemic?
Try this Adventure Volunteer Guide
The COVID 19 pandemic has devastated the world. The effects of lives lost and damage done to the economic infrastructure of every city in every country will last for many years.
Isolated as we are today, there’s little we can physically do to aid in the restoration. But this doesn’t mean we cannot plan for the future.
When the travel bans lift, we’ll venture from the safety of our homes, perhaps tentatively at first. There’ll undoubtedly be places we cannot go in the short term.
But there’ll also be many places we can visit straightaway, some within our own countries, some overseas.
Regardless of your preferred style of travel – be it for tourism, for pure relaxation, or the desire to experience the vagaries of nomadic life, one thing is sure: getting out of the house and travelling will be vitally important in aiding a healthy worldwide recovery.
One element that aids this tremendously and helps achieve several goals at once, is Volunteer Travel.
This style of travelling is not the easiest. It isn’t one that will wrap you in the luxurious trappings of multi-hundred dollar per night bedrooms. It is, however, the one closest to the real needs of planetary restoration: friendship, inclusion, sharing, and the discarding of the barriers of fear. We are one human race, one species, and one interlocked and interdependent organism. It’s vitally important the world continues to function for the benefit of everyone.
Volunteer travel means to journey with a purpose outside of pure self-indulgence. It means not just to visit a place because the guide books say you must do so, but to embed yourself for however long you wish in the actual lives of the people in the town or the region or the country you want to explore.
The journey itself becomes an adventure. You contribute to the growth and functionality of local businesses while using your stay as the central point for the exploration of the broader community. The touristy necessities are always available.
And one of the beauties of this style of travel is its suitability for adventurers of all ages.
The concept is to stay with a local business or home while offering your services, be they specific skills sets, or only your time and presence. In return, you get free accommodation and meals, saving both you and your host hundreds of dollars in costs.
Ultimately, your gain is greater understanding, greater empathy, and an expansion of your self-identity. You will grow in strength and become more confident in dealing with things that are different from your regular routines.
And you’ll get to explore places you’ve only dreamed about visiting for far less than a standard travel package deal.
Here are some ideas for your next Adventure Volunteer Travel
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I’ve used Workaway twice now. Once in Bolivia, where I volunteered with an NGO in a remote town in the southeast of the country (getting there proved to be an interesting challenge!). And once in Jordan, with a local accommodation business in the Wadi Rum Desert. Both experiences allowed me the opportunity to live and work for a couple of weeks with locals and taught me a great deal about their lives and lifestyles. I was also able to spend time enjoying the more touristy sites.
I’ve been planning to travel across northern Africa – from Lebanon to Morrocco – using Workaway hosts, but this will have to wait for now.
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Works in a similar vein to Workaway. Despite what the name implies, doesn’t mean it’s only for backpackers and the like.
One thing to ensure is that you fully read the conditions of the stay. Some places for example only offer one free meal a day. You’re expected to provide your own food to cook in their kitchen. But this is still far cheaper than constant restauranting (my word) and is helpful if you find yourself not happy with the local food
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This site is a little less fancy than the others, based as it is more on an Info Board style. But it has many unique offerings, you won’t find on the two above.
They also state:
“Please note that the International network is a little different to the main networks (i.e Richer Western countries – my insert) as it includes “developing” countries. Some of the hosts in such poor countries cannot necessarily afford to keep you even with your help and therefore sometimes request a small donation towards food.”
Don’t be put off by this as the donation usually amounts to no more than a few dollars for food.
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