Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
What to expect
Placements range from a couple of weeks to a whole academic year, but most provide only
free accommodation and food - a very few provide pocket money. You'll need to be re-
sourceful, be able to teach, build, inspire confidence, communicate and share what you
know. Physical and mental fitness, staying power and the ability to get on with people are
essential.
Are there ethical concerns?
The debate continues about the ethics of volunteering, and covers a variety of issues:
•
Is it environmentally sustainable?
•
Does it really benefit the people or is it creating a dependency culture?
•
What's the 'benefit balance' between volunteer satisfaction and the community be-
ing helped?
Fair Trade Volunteering (
www.fairtradevolunteering.com)
has been created and established
by leading volunteer organisations and advisors in the travel industry to enable volunteers to
make a choice as to which volunteer experience they would like to have, and to give organ-
isations wishing to provide FTV projects guidelines, help and support to be able to deliver
them.
The 'volunteering industry' has in the past few years become just that - an industry, with
different organisations giving different levels of importance to the benefit for the projects,
the experience for the volunteer and the profit for the company. Just as the Fairtrade Found-
ation has helped the consumer to be able to make an informed decision when buying coffee,
bananas and chocolate
etc
, Fair Trade Volunteering is looking to do the same for volunteer-
ing placements.
Here's what they told us: “Our belief is that short periods of volunteering can be positive, but
only really if they are part of a longer partnership with the project, and combined with finan-
cial support above and beyond the volunteer's contribution, to ensure the work done can be
continued throughout the year. Organisations that are approved by Fair Trade Volunteering
not only ensure that the cost of the volunteer (and their work) is covered, but that there is
also a financial premium given to the project to ensure their work can be further supported
above and beyond the work done by the volunteers.
“Added to this, they must also show a long-term partnership with their projects, ensuring
that the work done by the volunteer and the funds being sent are part of a longer term set of
