Let’s start with the definition of “volunteering.” Voluntourism is exactly what it sounds like, volunteering while participating in traditional tourist activities when you travel. While that sounds so simple, it’s actually about so much more. It is about cultural immersion, participation and exploration. It’s about meeting people from all over the world and from all walks of life and engaging in something truly unique with them that immerses you in a much deeper way than getting drunk in a hotel bar. While you can exchange a lot of “I love you’s” when you’re drunk, it’s superficial and probably won’t change your life in any real way.
When you volunteer, you can fully immerse yourself in the culture by working and even living with the local people. You get to hear their stories and learn their history. You have the opportunity to interact with other travelers from all over the world. You get to choose a cause that interests you and then get involved in it in a unique and amazing way. While you may have some hard work to do, it’s not about sitting in a cubicle watching the clock tick. It is exhilarating, unique and challenging, and it is for the benefit of those who need it most. By adding tourist activities, you can explore the country and just have fun, because you work hard and you deserve some fun! It is absolutely the best way to get the most out of a country and a vacation in a short amount of time.
So if you haven’t tried voluntourism yet, here are 5 reasons you don’t want to miss out!
1. Cultural immersion. The days of traveling to another country just to sit in a resort hotel drinking mai tai and baking in the sun all day every day are over. From terrorist attacks to tsunamis, earthquakes, economic collapses, and social media, our world has gotten smaller and smaller. Now we want to participate more, learn more and interact more. Spending a ton of money to fly to a foreign country and never leave your resort now seems frivolous. Through volunteer vacations, you can still get your beach time and mai tai, but you get so much more. There’s no faster and better way to immerse yourself in a culture than to work side by side with its people for a common cause.
2. Dissolve stereotypes. It’s no surprise that people everywhere have stereotypes. Stereotypes of Americans are not always flattering. It proves people wrong. When you volunteer abroad, you spend a lot of quality time with the local people. You can show them what being an American is all about. Be helpful, kind, courteous, respectful, and willing to listen and learn. Slowly but surely, you will influence the image people have of not only you, but also the culture you represent.
3. Knowledge is contagious. The more you learn on your travels, the more eager you will be to continue that learning process when you get home and to educate others about what you have learned. My first experience volunteering abroad was in Thailand at an elephant sanctuary. I didn’t know at the time how harmful it was to ride an elephant or watch elephants paint a picture. My instincts told me it wasn’t good, but I didn’t know what a devastating life those elephants lead to provide entertainment for tourists. My point is that I learned from the people who work at that sanctuary and I went back home and shared that knowledge. In doing so, I influenced what other people engage in when they travel, and that shared knowledge became invaluable.
4. It’s good for your health. Volunteering has been shown to help lower rates of depression, increase your functional ability, and reduce your chances of getting heart disease! We’ve all had bouts of depression where it seems like your life is a mess, nothing is going your way, and the future looks bleak. There is nothing better to get you out of your head than to help others, whether they are animals, people or the environment. You may think you have it bad, but I guarantee others have it much worse and could use your help. By helping them, you gain a bit of perspective that goes a long way.
5. It can change your life. It certainly changed mine.
So whatever your interests, if you want to get a little more out of life and your vacation, consider including some volunteer work in your travels. You will earn much more than what you give.
Happy and human journeys to you!