What are the pitfalls?
When looking for an organisation there are many potential problems that you may encounter and that you should be wary of before booking up your time away these are (but are not limited to):
- Being on a project that actually causes harm to the host community
- Being on a voluntary project or placement that isn’t like you thought it might be
- Being on a voluntary project or placement that does not match your skills or interests
- Being on a voluntary placement or project where you are not really helping at all
- Being on a voluntary project where you do not fit in
- Being on a voluntary project or placement that is too short to be of any real use to the community
- Being on a voluntary project or placement that is too short for you to really learn anything
- Being on a voluntary project or placement where there is little or no support
- Being on a voluntary project or placement where you are only there because the hosts are being paid to keep you. i.e. you are there only as a source of income
- Being on a voluntary project or placement and then finding out something such as food / accommodation or travel is not included when you thought it might
- Being on a voluntary project or placement on a tourist visa or similar that does not allow you to stay for very long or do very much
- Being charged more than you thought you might
- Paying as soon as you register, meaning that if you decide that actually you do not think this is right for you, you either have to walk away from that money or pay more to complete the transaction
- Being ripped off
For information on how to help you choose a decent organisation to volunteer with see our hints and tips page
