Should I stay or should I go?

March 3, 2009 10:10 PM

I want to do volunteer project work abroad, but have some questions and only the MeFites to turn to...

So I've just graduated with an m. sc. in chemical engineering, and I was thinking about volunteering abroad somewhere. I have the money and the time, I'd like to travel somewhere and live there a while, I'd like to do something productive, and hopefully it will give me some brownie points on the resume. Mainly I think it'd really be good for the soul.

I was thinking helping communities in developing countries would be a good choice, or eco-projects, but the key stipulation is I am looking into volunteer project work in general, and not teaching -- it just doesn't interest me. I was hoping to plan going in the next few months, maybe be somewhere for the fall.

My investigations led to obvious opportunities with Engineers without Borders and CUSO-VSO, but these are realistically just poorly paid jobs -- they pretty much only take experienced people with practical skills to contribute, to send for a year or more. I'm not quite up to those skill levels yet, i was hoping to learn. I could apply for some of their student-type placements where they accept less-experienced young folk and only send them for a few months, but there's no indication that they're hiring for that anytime soon, and like the full program it's a lengthy application process. But i was reading this post on EWB and it kind of has me wondering if I should even bother applying if I'm not really going to be able to contribute meaningfully in just a short amount of time/with a lack of skills -- some of these people feel like they're hindering a lot more than helping. If anyone's got 1st hand knowledge on EWB, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Signing up for some "voluntourism" thing in South America or wherever seems like a much riskier situation and would require much more careful planning, since I'm planning on going by myself - heard a few bad things about that, people paying vast amounts of money for covering food/lodging, but getting swindled and left high and dry. But I don't know anyone personally who's done *any* volunteering abroad work so this is why I'm asking here - any reputable places out there (tried and true)? Also comes to the same "does it really help?" question as above.

Idealist.org is another place I've checked into, and it's occurred to me that I could go work on some eco-farm or other eco-projects in some European country or something. I have more research to do here but it's sounding like a good idea. Of course at this point I could go on a working holiday anywhere, as my sister so delicately just pointed out.

So I'd like to ask your thoughts and experiences regarding volunteering abroad. Is only volunteering for a few months still helpful to these places, or not really? Where are good places to go? Volunteering in developing nations vs. volunteering on eco-projects? Anything I've missed out on here? Positive stories, negative stories? Links to the good stuff?

Also, despite the fact I've traveled a bit, I'm pretty cautious and not very naive, but I want to know the places I should avoid, especially given that I'm a woman who will be going solo. I'd expect to make friends and travel with them when I go, but still.

Thanks!

posted by lizbunny to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Ultimately, you want to give of your time, energy and heart to a worthwhile cause you believe in. That needs to be the bottom line, not someone's intepretation of it - or what it's even called on paper. I think you need to drop the stereotypes and see beyond to the essence of what you will be giving and to whom. In the light, I'd go for an opportunity where I'd be hands on with the least amount of intermediaries and paper work as possible. There are huge needs out there - all you have to do is get absolutely clear on

geography
populace
your skills and strengths

and from there a strong awareness of what you'll be willing to do (or not) and with that to do develop good boundaries, which would included securing your own prote
cted space once you arrive so that you can re-center and re-group.

No one can tell you what's already in your heart. For this you need to do a bit of soul searching and maybe do a personal inventory with a workbook designed specifically for volunteers who are seeking to find their niche.

Here are a few books to get you started

Deliberate Acts of Kindness

Volunteering Around the Globe: Life Changing Travel Adventures




posted by watercarrier at 2:45 AM on March 4, 2009

You need to check out WWOOF: Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. For a small fee, ($20-50)they'll provide you with contact information of participating organic farms the world over which have agreed to provide free room and board in exchange for help with their agricultural tasks. I know someone who spent two months picking olives in Italy doing this.

Note that you have to join individual regions: you can't just sign up on the world-wide site.

Granted, these opportunities will probably have little to do with chemical engineering per se, though it wouldn't surprise me all that much if your knowledge of chemistry did prove useful.

They also have links to similar websites which aren't directly related to organic farming, including:

Workaway.

VolunTourism.
posted by valkyryn at 4:04 AM on March 4, 2009

I haven't worked for EWB (and IANAE) but I've met a couple of guys in my travels who have, and the general impression that I got was that it wasn't quite as smooth an operation as DWB (or MSF as their known in much of the world) happens to be. And these were experienced engineers - so I could imagine your headaches as a rookie in the field could be exacerbated.

I'd add to watercarrier's bottom line: you should look to find the break-even point (as it were) where your passions and beliefs intersect with the line of what is truly needed out there in the world. I'd humbly suggest that the more practical experience you have under your belt, the more you'll be able to bring to the table in a 3rd world environment, and the more likely you'll be able to be flexible with the context you're situated in, and bring a pragmatic approach that delicately balances against your practical experience.

FWIW, I work in Supply Chain Management for a non-profit in 3rd world environs. For a couple years, I was wondering how much longer I should stay in industry to gain more experience before making the switch. On the one hand, I think I could have used another 5 years (I had almost 10 before I left). On the other, you stick with that attitude too long and you'll never leave. From the sounds of it, even if you do put a few years in on the industry side first, I think you'll find the right opportunity for you in time, and you'll be better situated to maximize it.
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:19 AM on March 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Also I should point out that I don't want to discourage you against EWB, just encourage you to join them well prepared, should you ever. Hell if I haven't seen a million places in desperate need of the most basic infrastructure engineering.
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:22 AM on March 4, 2009

Practical experience will be key, and what you are building on your resume may not be what you'd expect.

If you are looking to live elsewhere to feel productive and you don't care about focusing on your career, the peace corps is and will always be the safest placement option. They screen very carefully, both candidates and where they place people, plus they provide the training you want. I worked with a very talented engineer a few years ago that spent a year teaching english in Lesotho, and then spent 3 more months traveling around africa (until he caught maleria and almost died). He was absolutely at the top of his game as a design engineer, and his thriftiness overseas translated into a modest life that allows him to continue to take huge vacations to fascinating places.

If you go with something more along the lines of EWB, there's a reason they like some level of experience - you will be being asked to do more with less. If that's not the case, you will be using older equipment, performing possibly outdated methods, and more than likely in a more industrial/manufacturing landscape, which may not be the job you are looking for on your return. On the positive note, if you're finding it hard to find a job in the current economy, its a great time to try this.

Lastly, the Peace Corps does stuff to help pay for school (or at least defer it) while you work for them. I can't say the same thing for EWB, as I don't know. Hopefully, you are graduating debt free, but, the more you have, the more specific your options will be.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:03 PM on March 5, 2009 [1 favorite]