Volunteering Overseas for the Over 50s
Article and photos by John
Dwyer
Contributing
Editor on Senior Volunteer Service
10/2008. Resources updated 12/5/2023 by Transitions Abroad.
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With friends at IDP (internally
displaced persons) camp in Herat, Afghanistan. |
I remember when President John F. Kennedy
announced the formation of the Peace Corps in
1961. I thought it was a wonderful idea that arrived
too late for me. I was married and had a young family
and responsibilities at home. Thirty years later on
October 24, 1991 I found out I was wrong. I was a Peace
Corps Volunteer headed for Guatemala. It is now nearly
24 years since the year I made my decision to join. Although
my Peace Corps experience was not everything I had hoped
it would be, the doors that it opened have led to a very
fascinating part of my life.
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Lake Atitlan, Guatemala while
in Peace Corps 1992. |
In 1996, four years after leaving the
Peace Corps, a former volunteer with whom I had served in
Guatemala called me and asked if I would be interested in
working on an election in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She
said the Peace Corps was recruiting individuals to work
as United Nations Volunteers. The
principal requirement was some election experience. The
opportunity offered work on the first post-war election
in that devastated country. After some hesitation I
decided to apply and was accepted. Thus began what
has been, and is continuing to be, a rewarding and exciting
journey. I have since worked in 14 countries and traveled
to 54.
Choose Your Volunteer Organization
Very Carefully
There are wonderful opportunities available
to folks over 50 who wish to serve internationally. Although
organizations like the Peace Corps and United Nations Volunteers
require long-term commitments, there are many organizations,
including public, NGO, and private that offer shorter international
volunteer opportunities. Short-term
assignments are a very good way for one to gain experience
in international service and to determine if volunteering
abroad is something one would like to pursue on a longer
term basis.
The prospective volunteer should carefully
examine the programs and history of placement organizations
prior to making a choice. A good fit with one’s background
and goals is vital to a meaningful and challenging experience.
The key is to work with an organization that has a track
record and is well-organized. It should be working
closely with an in-country organization to assure that its
programs are providing a needed service to the communities
and individuals served. It is important to talk with
former volunteers over 50 years of age who have associated
with the organization that you are considering. Ask
them about their experiences, what their expectations were
and if the organization met them. Did they feel that
they made a contribution to the communities served? Did
they feel comfortable with the age-mix of the volunteers
and was their experience properly utilized?
Regarding
the mixture of ages, one of the delights of my service
is that I have, to this day, continuing friendships with
former volunteers who had just graduated from college when
I, at 56, was a Peace Corps Volunteer 24 years ago.
There are no doubt many other questions
you may have when considering an organization. I recommend
reading the articles and overviews in the Volunteer
Work Abroad and Volunteer Vacations section on this
website. Drill down by country and read Participant Stories to get an idea of your options first-hand and in-depth.
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Peace Corps trainees with host
family in Guatemala 1991. |
Why the Costs when Volunteering?
Shorter-term international volunteer
assignments, with the exception of some organizations that
have very particular professional needs, usually require
that a volunteer pay for the transportation and costs associated
with the volunteer assignment. In most cases
the costs are tax-deductible. The volunteer should check
with the placement organization and also with one’s
tax advisor to determine the tax implications. There
are very good reasons the organizations charge for
volunteer placements. They work, in advance, with in-country
host organizations to develop programs that fulfill needs
and contribute to the country of service. They travel
to the program sites to set up housing, medical care, food,
transportation, insurance (if offered), and security for
the volunteers. All of these tasks require time and
financial resources.
Try to Match your Interests and
Expertise for Maximum Impact when Volunteering
When choosing a particular program,
it is best to select one in which you either have useful
experience or one which encompasses long-held interests
on your part which might prove beneficial to the local community.
In other words, hobbies and avocations which are advanced
and matched to the needs of a country, such as the ability
to set up and manage computer networks, software, etc. There
are also many faith-based international volunteer opportunities.
Fundamentally, however, the new volunteer must adjust
to new cultures and circumstances. Knowledge or deep
interest in one’s program,
although not always necessary, does ease the adjustment.
As we have said, the most positive
use of one’s
experience and interests often result in the greatest contribution
to the country of service. I must say that my observation
of the Peace Corps leads me to a caveat regarding my advice. There
were times during the period I was a participant when the
Peace Corps seemed to assign people to specialties based
on slots that needed filling rather than the individual’s
experience. Sometimes
the matching worked, and sometimes it didn’t — but
that was also true of some volunteers working their specialties.
Editor's note: See interview with the Director
of the Peace Corps for
an emphasis on changes and improvements regarding
matching of expertise and available options overseas.
A great way to find out what your interests
are is to volunteer in your community. Most large communities
have organizations that recruit and coordinate volunteer
activities. You can check online for websites that
provide domestic volunteer information. Among the websites
I find useful for domestic volunteering options are: volunteermatch.org, idealist.org (also
international listings), and volunteerguide.org.
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Internally displaced family in
Herat, Afghanistan 2002. |
There are some unique considerations
that the over 50 group must think about when planning their
international volunteer service. For longer-term assignments
the future volunteer needs to arrange one’s investments
and financial obligations. During such assignments
some volunteers rent or lease their homes and apartments. The
term of the lease or rental agreement must be carefully
considered. One should think about what one would do
should they return home earlier than they had originally
planned. Having an alternate lodging plan in mind could
be helpful. The advent of online banking has made it
easier to handle one’s financial obligations while
away. When I first left in 1991 I hired someone to
pay my bills and look after my finances. I also did
this on later, long-term assignments. I now find online
banking very helpful, although I do need to have someone
gather my mail. The storage or sale of automobiles,
furniture and personal possessions must be considered. Arrangements
for pets need to be made. There may be other matters
you wish to consider.
There are some very good books
about volunteering that include lists of things to do prior
to departure overseas. One book I have always found
very helpful is: How
to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas,
by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega and Zahara Heckscher,
Penguin Books. (Editor's Note: The
many ideas expounded in a book that we have long
considered a classic on the subject have been expanded and
updated by a group of experts including Zahara and
Joe Collins at LearningService.Info,
and is one of the best books ever written on the subject.)
The best volunteer organizations that
you choose to work with will also provide important planning
information to you if you so request
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Showing photos in a rural village
of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, 2008.
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Health Care and Insurance Considerations
for Volunteers
A major consideration for prospective
volunteers of any age is health. Not just one’s
current health but potential health risks on an assignment
and the availability and quality of health care at the site
of one’s program. A good place to start is with
one’s physician. Get a thorough check-up and
evaluation. Discuss your travel plans and destination
with your doctor. Many long-term volunteer organizations
will require pre-assignment health examinations. Although
some long-term and most short-term organizations may not
require the exams, it is good for the prospective volunteer
to have a full picture of one’s health and medical
needs. To determine the quality of health care at the
program site the prospective volunteer should talk with
the deploying organization and also former volunteers with
that organization. Information about health and travel
insurance should also be discussed at that time. Many
organizations provide some insurance. If insurance
is not provided, a search of the internet will produce resources
that sell the needed coverage.
Conclusion
One of my major concerns was what my
adult children would think about my international volunteering.
I should not have worried. My son and daughter could not
have been more supportive. At times they seemed more
excited than I. As my international experience has
broadened over the years their excitement and interest has
grown and endured.
After all is said and done, after all
of the questions have been asked and the answers received,
there is only one way to realize the truly fulfilling experience
of international volunteering. You must do it! I
encourage you to do so, but only after thorough research
of organizations and examination of your motives and capabilities
to ensure maximum impact, even as you learn ever more skills
you may use in the future at home and abroad. I
wish you the life-enhancing pleasures that volunteering
has given me and, most of all, abiding international friendships
like those I now have as a result of my volunteer service.
John Dwyer, Contributing
Editor on Senior Volunteer Service for TransitionsAbroad.com, joined the Peace Corps at age 56, a decision that
has led to international service in 14 countries and
travel to 54 countries. After Peace Corps service
in Guatemala, John served as a United Nations volunteer
in the first elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina after
the Bosnian War. He has subsequently worked on elections
in 10 other countries. He managed camps for internally displaced
persons (IDPs) in Herat, Afghanistan and did development
work in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He continues to work internationally.
John hosts a website, Over 50 and Overseas,
which is a resource for individuals over 50 who wish
to volunteer internationally.
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