It's becoming increasingly popular to make volunteering a part of a trip abroad, but it's also becoming increasingly known that not all volunteer programs are created equal. It's sometimes hard to be sure if you're helping or hindering, and difficult to be sure you're helping to create lasting change.
In Episode 145 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat with three travellers who've taken part in various volunteer programs in recent years. We talk about how to find a good volunteer program and their own examples are really worth hearing about.
First up, I talk to Ella who is currently volunteering in Malaysia at an organisation protecting endangered sea turtles. She has an ecology degree and describes the great work that is happening there, along with some thoughts on how to find a good way to volunteer abroad.
Next I chat with Meagan who lives in southern California. In the last few years she's become involved with regular volunteer work just a couple of hours' drive away in Mexico.
Finally, Eva explains the trip she took to the Philippines last year and how the money collected from travellers in the group was used to help a local community.
Links:
Overview of the problems of orphanage tourism - https://www.savethechildren.org.au/Our-Stories/Orphanage-tourism Adopt a sea turtle nest program where Ella’s volunteering - Lang Tengah - http://www.langtengahturtlewatch.org/adoptions/ Meagan Hurst of Malas With a Mission - http://malaswithamission.com/ Eva’s blog Not Scared of the Jet Lag - http://www.notscaredofthejetlag.com Giveback Giveaway which Eva mentioned - https://givebackgiveaway.com/ Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/145323 Language Learning Through Travel and Immersion
322 Life-Changing Study Abroad Experiences
321 B Corps in the Travel Industry
320 Thanks for the Travel Bug, Mum
319 Homestays When You Travel
318 Gevorg Babayan: Deep Dive into Experiential Tours in Armenia and Beyond
317 Border Crossing Tales
316 Fathers on Travelling with Kids
315 Meeting Locals When We Travel
314 Paul Christie, CEO Walk Japan - Deep Dive into Revitalising Rural Japan
313 Train Travel in Australia
312 Giving Back When We Travel
311 Micah Kamohoali’i - Deep Dive into Hawaiian Culture and Tourism
310 Fukushima, Japan - Hope Tourism, not Dark Tourism
309 SXSW Sydney: Why We Need Travel More Than Travel Needs Us
308 Walk Japan: Following Basho’s Road to the North
307 When Things Go Wrong At Sea
306 Eco-Accommodation
305 Accessible Gold Coast Travels
304 Bangkok Travels with Friends
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