Connect With the Local Culture by Volunteering


 

How we made a difference and you can too!

Have you taken short vacations but now are becoming interested in staying in one place for a couple weeks or even a couple months? Are you looking for opportunities for longer-term travel where you can form a more intimate connection with the local culture.

You know that won't happen if you just stay in a hotel and do touristy things. Consider volunteering! That's what we did.

How do I meet local people and form relationships?

You have a couple choices

  • Rent a guest bedroom in the home of a local person
  • Stay in a local neighborhood and wait for the locals to invite you into their lives
  • Volunteer

Volunteering is the perfect first step toward longer-term travel.

You may be surprised to find that some of your friends have connections to volunteer opportunities in other countries. Start telling everyone about your travel plans and ask if have connections or suggestions.

If you don't have a destination in mind, all the better.

When we made the decision to travel and stay in one place for 3 months, we knew we wanted to go to Mexico but didn't have a specific destination in mind.

Our focus was to live in a local neighborhood rather than a hotel and involve ourselves with the local culture.

Volunteering is the best way to do that. We started asking around for suggestions.

One of our friends gave us the idea of going to Oaxaca. We'd never been to Oaxaca, and never even heard about it. Our friend had done some volunteer work with a place called The Oaxaca Learning Center.

Peter described the Oaxaca Learning Center as a volunteer organization which helps in the education of low-income students. Partially funded by the bread and breakfast rooms available in the center, they're always happy to have volunteers.

You will be able to find English speakers sponsoring similar organizations in most second and third world countries.

Once you've decided what country and city you want to visit, check websites of volunteer organizations.

Nowadays every charitable organization has a website where you can find out if they are accepting volunteers. What kind of things are you interested in doing as a volunteer?

  • Would you like to tutor or teach English?
  • Would you like to work in a garden?
  • How about helping out by taking pictures.
  • Maybe you can help with their website.
  • How about helping out with the cooking. It's a great way to learn new cuisine.

Reach out to volunteer organizations

We began our relationship with a charitable organization by way of an introductory email sent from our friend to a person he knew in the learning center, but you don't need an introduction in order to connect.

Make your own introduction by sending an inquiring email introducing yourself and asking for more information.

If you know what you want to do, let the recipient know in what capacity you may be interested in volunteering.

It's a good idea to start an email chain long before you plan to visit.

For a few months before coming to Oaxaca we had been emailing with the director of summer school at the Oaxaca Learning Center about volunteer opportunities. After exploring a couple ideas, we offered to teach a summer school English class to some of the children. A couple months later, here we are.

What type of volunteering are you interested in doing?

4 steps to finding a volunteer position in a foreign country

  • Spread the word that you want to volunteer in another country
  • Check the internet for charities that operate in your desired destination
  • Find their contact information on their website and send an inquiry introducing your self
  • Once you receive a reply, start an email chain

Next thing you know you are living and working in a new country and making a difference in someone's life.

You can read more about the Oaxaca Learning Center here 

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