Have an
extended holiday and great life experience by volunteering abroad
For youngsters
who have completed their studies and not yet started looking for a job,
or someone with a bit of time on their hands, volunteering abroad can be
a worthwhile and mind-broadening experience.
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There
are many opportunities available in Africa, Asia and South America to both
assist the locals and their environment and also to extend knowledge and
experience, possibly coming up with new ideas for a potential life career.
Volunteering
Solutions currently have some great offers giving the opportunity to
head off to many fascinating locations.
Volunteering in Africa
One of the most satisfying areas
to volunteer is in several African countries where not only are you doing
a worthwhile job, but can also experience the beauty of this ancient and
fascinating continent.
While many African countries
are popular tourist attractions and destinations these days, the locals
are still incredibly poor and the health and childcare facilities are lacking,
especially in the rural areas. |
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Photo: Volunteering in Africa CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 U.S. Department
of Defense |
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| When
volunteering, you can get to travel the globe, visiting places that would
normally be out of your reach. Examples of experience to be gained include
teaching English to local residents, helping out in the medical sphere
or getting involved in environment related issues.
Volunteers
can assist in the rather humble schools and hospitals in various countries,
live like a local resident in an African village and generally become immersed
in the daily life of the people living there. They can get involved
in the conservation of the amazing and varied wildlife, many of which are
in danger from poaching and also controversial canned hunting safaris these
days.
Besides
the feel-good experience of helping the locals, you can also get to meet
other like-minded volunteers, head off on an exciting safari and generally
have fun before tying yourself down to a desk in a normal, boring office
job back home. |
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Head off
to South America
South
America is another destination where many of the diverse and unique wildlife
are in constant danger. A major example is Costa Rica, which again is a
popular tourist destination, but could still use your help. While
the country is making sweeping and major efforts to conserve both their
eco-system and the animals that live there, there are still many opportunities
to get involved as a volunteer, both helping and also educating the locals
about the need to conserve their surroundings.
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One
important aspect of Costa Rica is the leatherback
sea turtles, whose population has declined by more than 90 percent
since 1980. The female turtles regularly make holes on the beaches to lay
their eggs and eventually hatch their young.
However,
as many of the locals are poor and are just trying to get by, they tend
to dig up the eggs to sell, thereby scraping a living together, but endangering
the future of these amazing creatures at the same time. Unless something
drastic is done soon, these turtles will soon be extinct.
There
are several projects available in Costa Rica
where volunteers can live in the remote coastal areas of the country and
get involved. Along the way, there is a lot of fun on the beach and it’s
always good to mix with the friendly locals while educating their children
to look after their rare and endangered turtles. |
| Photo:
CC-by-SA 2.0 Steve
Garvie |
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These
are just a few examples of the great experiences available to volunteers
worldwide. Get involved, have fun and feel good about it at the same time.
You never know, you might also come up with an exciting lifetime career
never dreamed of previously.
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