This project strives to improve housing and living conditions in order to get families on the path to a better future and ultimately change their lives. It offers a unique cultural experience. Volunteers share intensive work time with local masons, and have the opportunity to witness first-hand the lives of a disadvantaged family, all while contributing to improve their lives through the building of a new house. Construction volunteers get involved in digging foundations, mixing concrete and generally helping the masons in their tasks. It takes approximately two weeks to build a complete house and volunteers are encouraged to work for this length of time in order to be part of constructing a complete home.

Volunteers make a donation to the project which goes directly to the house they will be working on. The normal donation for one or two weeks of work is £190. On top of the donation volunteers need to cover their living expenses. Hotels start at £6 per night and a home stay with a local family costs £55 per week with 3 meals per day. Project staff can help volunteers find accommodation (hotel, hostel or home stay) and a Spanish school if needed.

It is fully understandable why some people are apprehensive about organising their own volunteer placement and/or arriving alone at their destination. This post has been written to offer a little guidance and encouragement. We provide easy to follow, step by step guidance on how to set up your own volunteer placement and save money at the same time. Please note that some of the web links used in this post are only relevant to UK residents and those temporarily living or flying from the United Kingdom.

There are three easy steps to setting up your own volunteer placement: (1) choosing a project; (2) applying for a project; and (3) making travel arrangements.

1. Choose a Project

We provide tips on choosing a project within our Volunteer Guides (i.e. ask the host organization to put you in contact with past volunteers – talking with an ex-volunteer can answer many of your questions and help you decide if the project is the right for you). The main point to note is that you should thoroughly research a project before you apply. Before proceeding to step 2 you should check the Visa requirements for the country you plan to visit and get the latest travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

2. Apply for a Project

Once you have chosen a project you should refer to the host organizations website or contact them via email to find out how to apply. Some organizations will accept a short email with your proposed dates; whereas others might require you to submit a simple application form or want to conduct a telephone interview. A small number of organizations will tell you to just turn up. Each organization has its own way of recruiting international volunteers. You can extract all the information you need from the host organization. We provide tips on contacting organizations and applying for projects in our volunteer guides.

3. Make Travel Arrangements

Once you have been accepted on a project you now need to plan your trip overseas. The internet is the perfect tool for making travel arrangements, enabling you to book flights, reserve accommodation, purchase travel insurance, and check what vaccinations are required.

(a) Flights

There are many good travel providers out there but we particularly like North South Travel because all of their profits, after expenses, are donated to grassroots projects in the developing world. Please take a look at their website for full details and sample fares. North South Travel offer highly competitive fares for any route, worldwide.

You also refer to an earlier post on this blog entitled ‘Guidance on Finding Cheap Flights from the UK.’ This article provides links to some recommended flight comparison sites and online travel agents such as Skyscanner and eBookers. Remember, the secret to finding cheap tickets is by exploring and checking numerous sites, not just one. Therefore, we recommend you use all of the sites mentioned to find the best possible deal. The article also offers strategies and techniques that have the potential to save significant amounts of money on your next airline ticket.

(b) Accommodation

Travel guidebooks such as those offered by Lonely Planet, Footprint or Rough Guides provide details of many hotels, hostels and guest houses in Central and South America. Guidebooks are essential when travelling overseas but they do not provide the best way to sort out your accommodation before departure. Internet booking systems on the other hand enable you to find you a place to stay on your first night and take the worry out of arriving somewhere with nothing booked.

Hostel World is the flagship website and was the first online hostel booking website out there on the internet. Hostel Bookers is another good independent hostel booking site. Both of these websites are useful; however, some people prefer Hostelbookers because it doesn’t charge a booking fee. Although Hostelworld charges a small booking fee it has a better search facility than Hostelbookers; therefore, you might want to use this website if looking for certain facilities such as Wi-Fi. All hostels provide directions on how to get to there and many offer airport pick-ups. You simply need to choose what’s best for you.

Note: You might find that the organisation you will be working for offer accommodation upon arrival or can suggest somewhere to stay. If you intend to study Spanish or Portuguese before commencing your volunteer assignment your language school might be able to offer you accommodation or help you find it. In some instances it might be possible to go directly to the project; however, it is advisable to rest for a few days after a long haul flight.

(c) Travel Insurance

We highly recommend that you take out a travel insurance policy to cover possible theft, loss, accidents or illness. It is worth spending some time shopping around to make sure you are properly insured.

A good impartial travel insurance comparison website is Travel Insurance Guide. The guide has been designed to help you choose from all the different providers out there and make the process of choosing travel insurance as easy as possible. A number of helpful tips will tell you what to watch out for and highlight the areas where you can save money.

There are also a number of good direct travel insurance providers such as Columbus Travel Insurance and Insure & Go Travel Insurance. We have provided a selection of recommended travel insurance providers in the links section of this blog.

(d) Vaccinations

All travellers (particularly those who will be travelling with young children) should consult their doctor (physician) or health clinic 4 to 8 weeks prior to departure.

Depending upon your itinerary, medical history, age (and other factors), your doctor may recommend that you receive vaccinations for the following diseases: Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Rabies; Typhoid Fever; Yellow Fever; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR). During your visit to the doctor or health clinic, routine immunizations, such as those that protect against tetanus-diphtheria, should be updated, if necessary.

You should also seek guidance on other health related matters such as altitude sickness, insect repellent, malaria, prescription drugs, sun block and travellers’ diarrhoea.

You can find practical and complete health advice for travellers on sites such as MD Travel Health and Travel Doctor.

Summary

We have demonstrated how easy it is to set up your own volunteer placement. You can use this step by step guidance for any volunteer programme that accepts independent volunteers.

The benefits of organising your own placement are numerous but what usually brings most pleasure is the cost. Independent volunteers pay significantly less to volunteer abroad in comparison to those who book through a placement agency. You also have the assurance that any money paid goes directly to the cause rather than paying for the administration and marketing expenses of a placement agency.

You should consult the organization you will be working with for assistance with in-country travel arrangements. They can advise on how to get to the project and some may even be in the position to pick you up from the airport.

This volunteer placement is for 18 to 25 year olds (UK passport holders and residents of the UK only) who wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit a developing country and get involved with global issues of justice and poverty.

You don’t need any specific skills; however, if you have relevant skills or experience, the project will do its best to make sure you have the opportunity to use them.

All of the work is locally operated and supervised, beneficial to the local community and sustainable, offering you a structured placement. Projects include the following kinds of work: constructing community buildings like schools, toilet facilities and community centres with a local team; renovating existing buildings; developing new and existing gardens, play areas and sports pitches; caring for and teaching children in orphanages, kindergartens and schools; building infrastructure at ecological centres and helping community school groups to learn about protecting the environment.

As this project is aimed at people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to do something like this, it’s fully-funded for the volunteer. The programme includes: return economy flights from Heathrow; travel insurance; local food and accommodation; a small weekly allowance in country; pre-trip health screening; a medical kit; all minimum required vaccinations; transfers to and from the airport in country and to and from the project; full training in the UK and in-country.

This tour operator specialises in adventure travel in Latin America and worldwide. The company seeks tour leaders for all its tours (adventure tours, discovery tours, budget expeditions and overland tours) in Central and South America throughout the year. Preference will be given to: adventure travel tour leader applicants who are also licensed to drive coaches or overland vehicles; adventure travel applicants who have previously travelled to any of the destinations they operate tours in and/or have participated in group travel; adventure travel applicants with prior travel industry experience.

There is also a need for skilled, enthusiastic and confident people to join their team of drivers in South America. This is a great opportunity to relocate to a fascinating part of the world, to gain some fantastic travel experience and have a great adventure. You would be responsible general truck maintenance and also assisting the tour leader run a professional tour by working together as a team. Preference will be given to: applicants with good knowledge of mechanics and spare parts; applicants who are keen travellers, motivated and enthusiastic; applicants who have previously travelled to any of the destinations they operate tours in and/or have participated in group travel; applicants with prior travel industry experience.

It is very important to understand that the position of adventure travel tour leader / driver requires professional, self-motivated people. These positions require a minimum commitment of 50 tour weeks which on average is about 18 months.

The company will cover most expenses and will reimburse an amount towards flight costs after a set period of employment.

This Bilingual School is looking for native English speakers to teach English. Teaching experience is not necessary but is a definite plus. Volunteers need to enjoy working with children and teaching. Volunteers must be willing to work hard, accepting of other people and cultures, and be able to adapt to life in a foreign country. On weekends and other school vacations volunteers can explore the surrounding cloud forests and mountains, or travel to popular historic and coastal destinations.

Room and board will be provided along with a chance to make some money giving private classes to either students at the school or to adults in the community.

This educational project for the deaf is looking for volunteers interested in helping its teachers in the elementary school. Volunteers do not need any experience, only the desire to help the deaf students in any way they can. Volunteers can assist with different activities in the school such as helping the children (ages 6 to 15) with maths, reading, writing, etc., as well as preparing pamphlets, organizing the library, and special events such birthday parties. Since the students are deaf, the ability to speak Spanish is not so important. More important is a smiling face, caring heart and the ability to learn the basics of sign language. Free classes in sign language will be provided.

There is no cost to participate but volunteers are responsible for covering their living expenses. The project helps volunteers find suitable accommodation.

This lovely butterfly garden offers the opportunity of an extended stay to anyone interested in volunteering. Duties include caring for and feeding both the butterflies and the caterpillars, cleaning the caterpillar pens, collecting butterfly eggs, monitoring pupa activity, eliminating predators, etc. On-going projects such as recording data or garden maintenance abound. There is also the opportunity to volunteer as a tour guide. The only prerequisites are an interest in the magical world of butterflies and some enthusiasm. All other skills you will learn on site. Aside from the work, there is plenty of time to relax, pursue hobbies, and/or explore the areas beaches and waterfalls.

The project costs £130 for 4 weeks which includes lodging, breakfast and lunch. The facilities include 2 double occupancy bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a shared common area and fully equipped kitchen. Laundry service and internet access is available.

We are all horrified and saddened by the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly with regards to the potential calamity facing the region’s birds, sea turtles and marine mammals. If you are interested in helping with the Gulf Coast disaster and efforts to protect birds, wildlife, ocean life and habitat, here is a list of resources to get you started:

National Audubon Society

Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

Mobile Baykeeper

Alabama Coastal Foundation

Coalition to Restore Costal Louisiana

Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida

Oil Spill Volunteers

The City of Biloxi

This surf camp is looking for someone to run the camp. The applicant must be bi-lingual in English and Spanish, have knowledge of first aid, CPR, computer training in Microsoft Excel, have excellent customer service skills, basic boating and surfing abilities.

The manager receives free board and lodging plus a monthly stipend of £250.

This organic farm and nature reserve was set up to protect part of the Amazon rainforest and its wildlife. The project also works with local community schools, teaching alternative sustainable ways of living, with the aim of creating a better future for all. Volunteers have the opportunity to help and learn about vegetarian cooking, permaculture, natural medicine, green building, yoga, meditation, and philosophy. They also learn about working with conscious art and educational programs for children living in and around the community. In their spare time volunteers can enjoy tubing in the nearby river.

The project costs £6 per day, £45 per week, or £195 per month. The fee includes accommodation and three healthy vegetarian meals per day.