In recent years there has been an increase in the number of youth choosing to work overseas following high school graduation. Of these students choosing to take a ‘gap year’, many decide to undertake volunteer work in less privileged countries. Young people often decide to travel to developing countries seeking adventure and self-discovery, with the desire to make a difference (Ngo, 2013), while also challenging themselves and developing new skills (Söderman & Snead, 2008). There are many organisations within Australia and overseas that are directly aimed at youth, promoting the idea of becoming a ‘global citizen’, to entice them to contribute to their international projects (Ngo, 2013). Such projects may include building schools, houses, teaching English, aiding with sustainable farming and introducing low-cost technologies (Willetts, 2012). The motivation for many young people is to use their time constructively to gain a sense of purpose and satisfaction from their time spent overseas.
There are many positives for young people deciding to volunteer overseas in disadvantaged communities. For the youths themselves there is the opportunity to develop new skills from learning to construct buildings and local farming techniques to learning a new language and developing cultural understanding. Youth may select a country based on the native language as a means to expand on previously learnt language skills, through consistent conversation, or as a “desire to acquire language skills as a base for further study.” (Söderman & Snead, 2008) Volunteering can be a great experience for young people as they feel it is a low pressure activity, before committing to their chosen profession.
While most young people appear to have good intentions in their motivation to volunteer within these communities, many are in search of “short-term volunteer commitments matching their personal interests, for which they analyse the costs and benefits of the activities offered.” (Söderman & Snead, 2008) As young people have grown up in a society with increasing freedom of choice, their pursuit for volunteer programs sometimes resembles consumerism. While this doesn’t need to be seen in a negative light, as individuals are being realistic and making educated decisions regarding the time they have available, their own budget and the experience they would like to have. Youth working as “volunteers have a lot to offer and can strengthen their own education, ensuring they are engaging in ethical volunteering before embarking on their adventures.” (Ngo, 2013) This is an important factor, as youth should make sure to research the company/program they choose to work for, taking their history and project outcomes into consideration before committing their time and energy.
In order for individuals to have a positive experience it is essential that the program is structured, well organised, fun and educational. Without careful planning and consideration of the volunteers and the local people and their community it may not be possible for outcomes to be positive and effective. Feedback from the volunteer experiences of young people overseas is consistently positive and optimistic. The educational outcomes youth perceived include increased tolerance, greater self-awareness, improved leadership ability, collaboratively working skills to overcome challenging circumstances, and elevated personal aspirations (Willetts, 2012).
What are your thoughts on volunteering overseas?
I like the topic of this post, and this blog even. As a teacher, I have this discussion with many…
This is such an interesting and complex topic! While I think the intention is good and it’s fantastic that some…
Rachel, I absolutely agree that there are so many rewards for students if they take a gap year before going…
References
Ngo, M. (2013). Canadian Youth Volunteering Abroad: Rethinking Issues of Power and Privilege. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 49-61.
Söderman, N., & Snead, S. L. (2008). Opening the gap: The motivation of gap year travellers to volunteer in Latin America. Journeys of discovery in volunteer tourism: International case study perspectives, 118-129.
Willetts, T. (2012). Learning by doing. The Safety & Health Practitioner, 48-49.
Where to next?! 
This is such an interesting and complex topic! While I think the intention is good and it’s fantastic that some young people have the opportunity to engage in work which develops empathy, cultural understandings and confidence, I also think considering the impact that their volunteering has on the ‘less developed’ countries that they travel to is so important. I remember watching a program a while ago about the impact of volunteering on Cambodian ‘orphanages’ which were often full of children taken/borrowed from their families in order to satisfy the desires of the volunteers and the hip pockets of the organisations. That’s an extreme example obviously, but it does highlight the delicate nature of getting the balance right. I absolutely agree with you that a volunteer gap year can be a transformative experience for young people – and this can be critical in building social awareness and action. That some volunteers’ endeavours are coming to ‘resemble consumerism’ as you say though is definitely worrying, and understanding the real and intended beneficiaries of volunteering is challenging! I agree that finding an ethical posting is critical, as is being willing to commit funds as well as time. I expect that often projects have failed to get off the ground not for lack of willingness or available labour, but simply because of a lack of funding and resources. It’s definitely a complicated issue – thanks for posting!
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