My son is considering taking a volunteer vacation in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. One program he is considering is with I to I, and I was wondering if anyone has participated in their programs and if so, how was your experience? Are there any other programs people would recommend? He is traveling on solo for 5 months and would like to split his time between volunteering and touring. Any suggestions? Thank you.

There are many volunteering opportunities out here but some seem to charge fees for volunteers to be able to volunteer.

We are not talking about a 'per diem' accommodation charge bu big bucks - in the $1,000+ for two weeks. I personally think this is wrong.

There are also the type where an extra pair of hands is welcomed.

Given that your son has paid his way out there he can donate his 'labour' but not be expected to contribute financially for anything but food. Finding accommodation is easy.

He should enter countries as a tourist and should it be necessary to change his visa type, the organisation he is helping is best equipped to arrange visa changes.

Cambodia's needs are great, I know there are several projects based around Phnom Penh.

Lonely Planet has an entire book on volunteering, it’s very interesting and has loads of info, I would suggest you get it for him as a resource and starting point. It’s called <i>Volunteer: A Traveller's Guide</i>. You might also try the Lonelyplanet.com website and their chat board called “Thorn Tree Posts”.

Other options to consider are:

United Nations Volunteer Program at http://www.unv.org/
Red Cross at http://www.ifrc.org/
Oxfam International at http://www.oxfam.org/
Earthwatch Institute at http://www.earthwatch.org/

He might consider teaching English. There are also several websites run by or for people teaching English and other subjects in foreign schools around the world. Take a look at Overseas Digest (overseasdigest.com) which has a section on teaching overseas. www.overseasdigest.com/odsamples/ambrose.html The site has lots of information, links and contacts about teaching and living overseas.

I myself have volunteered several times over the years with Habitat for Humanity, http://www.habitat.org/, and would highly recommend it. See their “Global Village” programs, there should be various building trips in each country during the period your son will be in SE Asia. You do have to pay for these trips, but your contribution goes towards materials to build the house and for your own accommodation/meals. It’s an extremely rewarding experience.

Your local church or synagogue may have information on other groups.

I agree he would have to look into visa issues. Most volunteer work, even upaid, cannot be done on a tourist visa. Sometimes it is not permitted to change visa types while you are in a country. But he can probably work around those issues, he should just be aware of them. Note that Cambodia and Vietname have pre-arrival visa requirements even for tourists, so they may be more strict than say Thailand which does not require pre-arrival visas for US citizens. Most bona fide organizations are keenly aware of these issues and will assist and won't let you volunteer on a tourist visa (which is one way to separate the bona fide orgs from the ones which just want to take your money for "volunteering").

Cambodia is visa on arrival. VietNam is visa BEFORE traveling there. You will require ESL certificate to teach English in VietNam and a visa change. See: < http://saigonesl.com/ >.

I don't know of this organisation so I can't comment specifically, but I am aware that the "voluntourism" industry is renowned for providing poorly planned and badly delivered services. I spent some time on a long term volunteer project with VSO (the UK's largest volunteer organisation) and their view was that in the vast majority of cases these types of short term projects provided little by way of sustainable benefits to the communities they purport to help. In some case they are actually doing harm to the community. An example would be building houses/schools, a fairly common sort of project. Yes students can get their hands dirty labouring and will feel good about it, but wouldn't it be better spending that cash to provide employment for local workmen?

I applaud your son in wanting to help in this way but would suggest that he do some research on the whole principal of volunteering with this type of organisation before making a decision. As for individual organisations check how long they have been in existence, the experience of the management, the lenght and sustainability of their projects.

Yes, I have to say I agree with the above point for the most part. Habitat for Humanity always employs a team of local workmen on the site to work along with the volunteers (and part of your contribution goes toward paying their wages), and the idea is that the locals learn skills and will also then be inspired to build their own homes, but I usually think that if the volunteers, including myself, on my trips would just donate the cash equivalent (including airfare) rather than going themselves, a lot <i>more</i> homes would get built. But I guess you can light a single candle or you can sit and curse the darkness.

I would agree that there are scams out there and a good bit of investigation is necessary.

I'm also considering an i-to-i volunteer trip in Vietnam (helping to build homes) and have been doing my research.

I've come to the conclusion that yes, you generally will pay more than going at it alone or via a not-for-profit, but you'll get a lot more support and the peace of mind that everything's going to run smoothly. i-to-i have also been around for years (15 I think?), so they aren't some random little start-up.

I certainly don't agree with the above posts, as I think a continued stream of volunteers is very valuable to projects and communities as it brings in new enthusiastic volunteers, and with each volunteer, there is more money spent locally. With i-to-i you also get to work alongside the family that's building the house (well, at least for the building project in Vietnam).

While paying a team of local builders may be better for the local employment... I want to find a balance between helping, and having a worth while experience - I don't want to write a check at home and send it off.

One resource that I have found valuable in researching i-to-i is their forum, Campfire (http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/). There are a bunch of independent reviews from people who have volunteered.

Good luck, and no matter what you decide I hope it all works out for the best!

It might be worth pointing out that ALL volunteer work in Thailand requires a work permit - if your organisation is not prepared to sort this out for you (one way or another), I would give them a wide birth.

Thank you everyone for your input. Kim12, when are you going to Vietnam? I agree that it makes me feel better to know my son is with an organized group rather than traveling entirely on his own. His plan is to do both, although the volunteer programs are expensive and cutting into his budget. He is considering volunteer programs in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam as well as traveling alone for a portion in each of these countries. He is also going to Australia and New Zealand and perhaps South Africa.

Kim12, you are idealistic and I'm sure well-meaning, but very wrong. Most of these sorts of pay-to-volunteer programs are a complete rip-off. Nearly all of the money is pocketed by the organization for nobody's good but their own--they are basically specialty trip travel agents--and the "support" you are given is more mythical than real, and nothing any half-witted adult couldn't manage on their own. Of course any testimonials on i-to-i that appear on their website are going to be positive. It's when you do some additional independent digging on them that you come up with alternative views of peoples' experiences. And that what may have started years ago as a worthy idea has morphed into something quite different in 2009.

The best way to do volunteer work is to show up, do some intensive research/looking around/direct contacts, and then come to some agreement of what you will be doing and what they will be providing. It will be expected that you fund your own living costs (food, token payment for simple shelter, etc.) but not exhorbitant costs for fluff infrastructure and fancy marketing websites.

Frankly, unless you have very specific and proven skills to offer that are truly needed, (medical, agricultural, engineering, small business setup, etc.), you are mostly wasting other people's time having to manage you, babysit you, and find something for you to do. Unskilled hard labor is a dime-a-dozen, and best dealt with by hiring local people. This sounds very harsh, I know, but most westerner's "good intentions" make only themselves feel good, but don't do any long-lasting sustainable good for the locals in the big scheme of things. As someone who's lived in SE and East Asia for many years and seen most of these sorts of these inexperienced volunteers-pay-and-do-contrived-but-meaningless-projects, I couldn't pass this thread by. OK, rant over.

This volunteer tourism thread has some strong feelings. I agree that the personal experience and the benefit to the local community can be a mixed bag. That is why I was trying to find a good program.

My son has just graduated with an mechanical engineering degree. Rather than do a study abroad through the university, he thought he would travel southeast Asia and Australia/New Zealand hoping to find some volunteering along the way. I am the one who is a bit panicked and would prefer a program or two along the way so that he can become familiar with the area and meet people. It makes me nervous that he is traveling solo for such a long period of time. He, of course, has no worries.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to offer your opinions. You have all been so helpful.

He will become familiar with the area and meet people whether or not he joins a formal program either for study or as a volunteer. I really would not have any worries. I have lived in SE Asia for about 15 years and personally find it very safe, much safer than travelling on one's own in the US (which I now find parts of to be a bit frightening when I go back for visits). He will have the time of his life on his trip. I hope you will consider meeting up with him at some point in his travels here.

lisaseigal
The Jimmy Carter Work Project is in Chaing Mai Thailand in Nov 09. Its a 1 week blitz build to complete 82 homes. My wife & I are traveling from Fort Lauderdale FL to be volunteer block leaders for 6-8 homes. 9 of our regular volunteers from here are going as well. If your son is interested he can contact Habitat for Humanity at their website of Habitat.org This is a great orginazation & we do this every year

Thanks for the great idea. He does not start his solo trip until Jan 8 so he will miss this opportunity in Nov. He did sign up for a Habitat Humanity program in New Zealand. Looks like a wonderful program/organization. He is also doing an i to i program in vietnam. I will let everyone know how these programs work out. I hope that it will be a good experience for him and the people he will be helping. I will be joining him after his program finishes in New Zealand, so I am very excited. Although I worry about us being together for 1 month. I have to remember not to be a mother! Thanks again everyone, especially cicerone. You have been so helpful with my trip to India.