Introduction to volunteering abroad

Volunteer work involves working for other people for minimal revenue benefit but maximum self satisfaction!

Overview

If you love to help others and have a zest for life then volunteering is for you.

You can find different types of volunteering opportunities with Ecoteer.

The majority of our placements are in ecotourism. Whatever your interests you will find something for you in ecotourism, as long as you are passionate about helping other people and nature. For example, if your volunteer job was at an eco lodge you could teach the local community, become a tour guide or even a linguist as you will be meeting many tourists from all over the world.

We also offer volunteer opportunities in volunteer conservation, volunteer humanitarian aid, volunteer teaching and we can help you to study for your thesis abroad!

We know you will find your dream volunteer job, work experience, volunteer work or volunteer opportunity abroad with Ecoteer.

How volunteering benefits the volunteer

The benefits are endless. The volunteer will have the experience of a lifetime - the hardest part will be coming home again!

Apart from the normal backpacking benefits - finding yourself, becoming more independent, meeting new people, experiencing new food, cultures and different lifestyles - they gain in so many other ways.

Joining an Ecoteer volunteer job or volunteer work opportunity abroad will allow you to become one of the community at your project. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn new languages and embrace different cultures perhaps changing their way of thinking. The volunteers often create true long-term friendships with people they would never even have believed were alive, let alone consider them good friends. Volunteers often start new hobbies such as wildlife photography, canoeing, scuba diving, body rafting, first aid or sustainable living. If you join an ecolodge volunteer work opportunity you will meet people from all over the world everyday!

You never know who you may meet tomorrow! At many of our ecolodges film crews sometimes visit with celebrities such as David Attenborough and Steve Irwin having visited some of our ecolodges in the past.

Volunteering could change your future. You may meet people who could lead you to future employment anywhere in the world. Even if your future is not in the conservation/environmental industry, just think of your CV...

What would a potential employer prefer? "I spent 6 months working in a supermarket" or "I spent 6 months travelling on a round-the-world ticket, visiting all the big cities" or "I spent 6 months working in the Amazon rainforest where I learnt a new language, how to canoe, track wildlife, build tree houses and, oh yeah, I met people of different cultures everyday".

How Ecoteer volunteer opportunities benefits the community

The benefits for the projects often escalate over time.

The project will benefit through the work the volunteer does but volunteers also bring with them new ideas, skills and a fresh approach. Plus, if the volunteer is good at teaching they can help the local people learn a new language - a very important aspect for ecolodges and third-world volunteering.

Just by the volunteers being with the local people they will become more accustomed to Westerners and this helps them and the ecolodges as they become more confident communicating with tourists and bidding for future jobs.

But most of all the community will gain a new friend! And the more true friends you have can only make your life better!

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