transire benefaciendo
"to travel along while doing good."

 
disclaimer

When reading Around the World in Eighty Days (required reading by anyone who wants to travel abroad), I came across a phrase, transire benefaciendo. It's Latin and, literally means, "to travel along while doing good." I really loved that phrase. I've adopted it as my life's motto.

When I travel, I'm not sure I'm always trying to do good... but I'm definitely trying NOT to do bad: if the tour guide says please don't take photos here or please don't tough the walls of this ancient temple, then I don't. I don't ask that my room be cleaned every day, to have new towels every day, etc. I try to be quiet in sacred places, even though I'm an atheist and even if whatever religion was practised in the spot is long gone. I try to be mindful of other visitors and guests, especially when it's late. I throw away my trash properly and always ask about recycling (even if I suspect the question is going to be met with an incredulous look).

I do it because that's how I hope others will act when they visit sites that are precious to me, and because, when I'm traveling, I always think that I have the opportunity to undo the sterotype of American tourists.

If you want to do more than just be a tourist that doesn't do bad, you have a number of options.

Firstly, please visit my Blue List on the Lonely Planet web site, Doing Good On Vacation in a Developing Country. I have some simple things listed there you can do to help others when traveling to a developing country. Note that many of the tips require preparation BEFORE you leave your home. Please rank my blue list (highly, I hope).

Volunteer Vacations Within Your Own Country

You will need to be responsible for your own transportation and heath insurance, and probably accommodations and food. You may ALSO be asked to pay a fee to cover the costs of staff providing you support, and any materials you will need during your service. You also need to make arrangements before you arrive onsite at an organization; don't expect to walk in the door and say, "Here I am, ready to volunteer!" and find an automatic warm reception. Organizations have protocals that volunteers must go through, in order for the organization to protect its work and its clients; please respect these by contacting the organization long before you arrive.

What can you do?

Forget trying to do things while on vacation that would bring you into direct access to kids or an organization's computer systems; organizations need to do extensive background checks on people who want to provide such service, in addition to providing a great deal of support and supervision to such volunteers and, therefore, it's simply not cost-effective nor appropriate to involve short-term volunteers in these type of activities.

For more information, consider buying the book Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others by Bill McMillon, Doug Cutchins and Anne Geissinger.

Volunteer Vacations Abroad

If you want to volunteer abroad, please note that, unless you are highly skilled and ready to commit to at least six months abroad, you need to be prepared to pay to volunteer. Fees charged by volunteer-sending organizations cover some or all of the following: flights, in-country transportation, health insurance, accommodation, food, security, translators, training, staff to supervise and support volunteers, liaisons with the police and local officials, etc.).

There is a listing of the more-than-30 member organizations of the International Volunteers Program Association (IVPA) that is a good place to find reputable volunteer-for-a-fee programs -- programs where you don't need to have much experience in order to participate, and the placements are just for a few weeks or months.

You can also try United For Sight. The goal of Unite For Sight and its partner eye clinics and communities is to create eye disease-free communities. "While helping the community, volunteers are in a position to witness and draw their own conclusions about the failures and inequities of global health systems. It broadens their view of what works, and what role they can have to insure a health system that works for everyone..." This program was featured on CNN International. Volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, are 18 years and older, and there is no upper age limit. It is obligatory for accepted volunteers to purchase insurance coverage through Unite for Sight's recommended provider, and volunteers are responsible for all travel arrangements, visa vaccine requirements, lodging, airfare, food, and any additional expenses.

Lonely Planet published the book Volunteer: A Traveler's Guide to Making a Difference Around the World. It lists and reviews more than 190 organizations that provide short-term volunteer-abroad experiences.

There's also international volunteer trips by Habitat for Humanity. See the web sites for the charges for volunteers to participate.

Another overseas volunteer-sending organization based in the USA that will send unskilled volunteers for short-term assignments (six months or less) that seems reasonably-priced is SCI - Service Civil International. I know *nothing* about them other than what's on their web site, so please don't consider the listing of this organization as an endorsement.

I strongly recommend the book How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas, by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zehara Heckscher. It will give you details about what international volunteering really entails, why some organizations require that international volunteers pay, suggestions on how to raise funds for such, and a good overview of your options. But best of all, it provides tips and worksheets that can make your volunteering have real impact for the local people, and benefits for you long after the experience is over.

Volunteering On Your Own Abroad

Beyond the simple suggestions on my Lonely Planet Blue List, Doing Good On Vacation in a Developing Country, I do not recommend this. I do not advise, under any circumstances, for a person to volunteer entirely on his or her own in a foreign country, outside of the official affiliation of an official international organization. Volunteering through an established international organization is not only significantly safer, but also, it offers you a way to network your volunteer contributions with those of others, so that your volunteering doesn't happen in a vacuum. Volunteering on your own can incur many unintended consequences: for instance, what happens if the family you are helping accuses you of stealing, or of doing something inappropriate with one of their children? Or, what if there is a coup, or a natural disaster -- who will be responsible for evacuating you? If you are injured during your volunteering, will the organization assist you? Volunteering through an official organization helps protect you from many possible hazards and dangerous circumstances. And these circumstances do happen.

If you are absolutely bent on volunteering on your own, then please see this resource, Vetting Organizations in Other Countries.

What About Long-Term Opportunities for Highly-Skilled People?

If you want to know what skills and experience you need to have to make you an attractive applicant to long-term volunteer placements agencies that do not charge volunteers, please see Reality Check: Volunteering Abroad

 
Disclaimer
Any activity incurs risk. The author assumes no responsibility for the use of information contained within this document.

 
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