Volunteer Vacations: How to Choose an Ethical Program

By Margaret Jaworski

In October of 2004, Alice Sears, then 51, and her sixteen-year-old son Tyler, flew to Delhi, India to join their fellow adventurers of all ages for a 15-day horseback riding journey through Rajasthan province in northwest India. Organized by Relief Riders International, the trip combined an exotic adventure with hands-on altruism. Along the route, the caravan stopped at small villages and schools where they set up medical clinics and pediatric camps. Sears and her son helped register and count out medicine and supplies. At night, the travelers stayed in centuries-old Rajput forts or slept in luxurious tents draped in gold and crimson Indian fabrics and decorated with pillows and handmade rugs. Although neither Sears nor her son spoke the local language, they had no trouble communicating with the locals. “You can shake someone’s hand, have an exchange of the heart and show that you care,” says Sears, who’s now on sabbatical from her job as a Milwaukee county district attorney. Sears is no stranger to volunteering or far-flung locales: she took her entire family, including her five children, to Papua, New Guinea and climbed a mountain in Nepal. But the trip to Rajasthan, she says, was “a peak experience.”

Pam Norman, 42, her husband Brian, 46, daughter, Alexandra, 15, and son, Andrew, 10, spent spring break 2005 in a 4-star beachfront hotel in Belize. In the afternoons, the family enjoyed swimming, sunning and all the benefits of a beach vacation. In the mornings they volunteered at a local school for children in need. “We worked on landscaping projects, distributed school supplies, and participated in peaceful conflict resolution sessions,” says Pam Norman.

Alexandra, Andrew, and the local children quickly found shared interests. “The students joined us on the beach for casual conversation throughout the week and became my children’s friends,” says Norman, Executive Director of Ambassadors for Children, the nonprofit that organized the trip. “Our vacation was filled with life-changing experiences and memories that our family will always carry with us,” adds Norman.

For many of us, volunteering abroad evokes images of hearty young people and dedicated retirees living in makeshift huts in remote or rustic corners of the world. While these traditional volunteer vacations still attract thousands of dedicated people, this total immersion model is no longer the sole option for people intent on combining adventure and altruism. Known as “Voluntourism,” this new version of “traveling for good” or “traveling to make a difference” is “hands-on volunteer service balanced by sightseeing and experiencing the culture of a destination,” says Norman. And it is a growing trend. According to the Travel Industry Associations of America (TIA), more than 55 million Americans have taken some form of volunteer vacation and nearly twice as many are considering doing the same.

Success With Significance

What’s motivating this new type of traveler? “I believe we all have a fundamental desire to contribute to making the world a better place,” says Nancy Rivard, founder of Airline Ambassadors International, a nonprofit humanitarian relief organization composed of airline employees and “civilian” volunteers who distribute medical and other aid to people in need all over the globe. “Personal fulfillment is a powerful impetus,” says Rivard. This combination of volunteerism and vacation, notes Sears, creates vivid, enduring, and transforming travel experiences. “I think my son and I personally got more from [helping] the villagers than we gave,” she says. Norman echoes this sentiment: “My children learned that we can make a difference in a fun way as we travel. It’s a vacation tradition we plan to continue.”

Voluntouring 101

Voluntourism options are limited only by your preference, time, and budget. You can spend leisure time in Buenos Aires or Bangkok, Tijuana or Tahiti, and still volunteer in homes for the disabled, schools, soup kitchens, hospitals and clinics, or work on an archaeological dig, count turtle eggs, or track aquatic trails of a school of dolphins. You can build houses, clean up parks, or paint a schoolhouse. And you can experience, enjoy, and contribute while staying in your preferred accommodations, from a hotel, resort, or vacation rental to a homestay or more rustic lodging. Trips last for a day, a weekend, a fortnight, or longer; prices range widely from $500 to $5,000 per person.

Do Your Homework

Regardless of the destination or trip you choose, do your homework. Research the tour operator or organization and ask to speak to past participants. David Clemmons, founder of VolunTourism.org, advises getting answers to these core questions before you sign up:

1. What is the level of interaction with local residents?
   
   
2. How much guidance from tour/organization staff will I receive?
   
   
3. What type of physical labor is involved; e.g., will I be mixing cement or lifting heavy bags?
   
   
4. What contingency plans are in place in case I need to take a break from volunteering? If I need to leave the trip, what’s the exit strategy?
   
   
5. What activities and tours are included in the price?
   
   
6. How much downtime is built into the trip?
   
   
7. What percentage is tax deductible?

Margaret Jaworski started her writing career at the New York Times Magazine Group. As Senior and Articles Editor at Family Circle, she assigned, edited, and wrote prize-winning articles. Now a freelance writer, Margaret’s work has appeared in dozens of publications, including Crain’s New York Business, Ladies Home Journal, CNN Traveler, and Reader’s Digest. She joined an Airline Ambassadors trip to Buenos Aires, where she fell in love with the city and became a passionate advocate of voluntourism.