As I discuss in the intro to Episode 228 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I haven’t yet had the chance to do a meaningful volunteer stint on my travels – although I “nearly” did, twice, in my twenties. (I still feel sad that the Solomon Islands project I nearly got to work on didn’t come off!)
But now that we know more about volunteering abroad, it is even trickier to do it “well” – in a way that truly benefits the community you’re volunteering in. It seems that one way to make it more effective is to spend a longer time in a community which is what today’s guests have done. I’m sure you’ll find their experiences interesting!
Show notes: Episode 228 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Volunteering Experiences
Volunteering abroad is an experience lots of thoughtful travellers contemplate – who doesn’t want to give back when we can. But of course, we know that not all volunteering opportunities are created equal. In Episode 228 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I chat with three women who have had fairly in-depth volunteer experiences in Uganda, Zimbabwe and Nepal, and their stories might help you reflect on what does make a good volunteer experience.
First, I chat with Lindy Alexander who spent eight months volunteering in a remote part of Uganda. She’s very frank with me about how, on reflection some years later, she’s not sure that everything they did had a positive impact – although lots did.
I then speak with Julia Salnicki, a zoologist who has spent many years either volunteering or managing volunteers on animal research projects in Africa. Her stories are amazing and apart from her tales on this episode, I’ve added another one about her three years in a painted dog research project onto Patreon – if you’re a supporter, listen now, or sign up at notaballerina.com/supporter
Finally, I hear from Patti Lefkos who, after several decades of experience as a teacher and principal in Canada, volunteered in a small school in Nepal. She tells us some of the many lessons she learnt from that experience.
Links:
- Support the podcast on Patreon – this week’s bonus content is an extended chat with Julia Salnicki
- Lindy Alexander – The Freelancer’s Year
- Julia Salnicki from Classic Safari Company
- Patti Lefkos
- Episode 145 on Volunteering Experiences
- Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers
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