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Volunteer Vacations
Dear Savvy Traveler,
I've just listened to your story on the mom who took her daughters to volunteer in India. It struck a nerve with me because my son has traveled extensively as a volunteer.
How does one go about finding volunteer opportunities? A good place to start is with Volunteers for Peace in Vermont or CIEE (Council for International Education Exchange). But that's just the tip of the iceberg. An Internet search will turn up dozens of private volunteering programs, which you can check out by asking for references and making a few phone calls.
We found one program based in a small rural high school in Nepal. The director attended college in Nebraska and now welcomes English-speaking volunteers in his village. He even had a flush toilet installed for volunteers, who work in the village school, tree nursery, library, etc.
My son traveled alone on his six-month trip, but he was well prepared for his journey. He had phone cards to call home, cyber cafes to keep in touch, and medicines in case of illness. Most important, he had ample travel experience. When he was 14, I took him to Calcutta for Christmas as the ultimate wakeup call - an experience that all U.S. teens should have. While we didn't volunteer on that trip, we got to know many Indian families through activities we participated in.
It takes a lot of planning to make a journey like my son's happen, but it's well worth the effort.
Dianne
Anchorage, Alaska
