JourneyWoman: Volunteer Vacations
Give in ways that can make a wonderful difference. Take one solo traveller, mix with one volunteer vacation in another culture and you have the perfect gift for all parties involved.
A good voluntour holiday gives you the opportunity to create positive change by offering your personal skills to a community in need. In exchange, you have the satisfaction of doing good while experiencing new people in destinations all over the world. An added bonus is that you are doing all of this with a safety net provided by the host organization.
Imagine being able to monitor mother pandas and newborn cubs in China or help disabled children in Nepal or work with women in microbusinesses in India. The ways you can serve around the world are endless.
But a savvy traveller should also ask good questions before signing on with any volunteer organization. It’s wise to find out about:
1. Exact costs plus any extra fees you may incur.
2. What are living conditions like?
3. Who will you be working with? Age group?
4. Do your goals and values match those of the organization’s?
For more information, Journeywoman recommends you read Volunteer Vacations: Short-term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others by Bill McMillion, Doug Cutchins and Anne Geissinger.
EVELYN HANNON IS THE EDITOR OF WWW.JOURNEYWOMAN.COM, THE LARGEST ONLINE TRAVEL RESOURCE FOR WOMEN. HER NEWSLETTER CONNECTS 65,000 WOMEN WORLDWIDE. http://credit-n.ru/zaymi-nalichnymi-blog-single.html