VolunTourism: A New Way To Give From The Heart

With the recent disastrous earthquakes so much in the news, many are seeking ways to help. Relief efforts are focused on helping those in direst need of our assistance. Charitable organizations, government relief efforts, and private individuals are all mobilizing to bring help to those hardest hit.

...but what of later? What will happen when the disaster fades from the news, or is driven from the front page by a more recent or more horrific event? What happens in Sri Lanka, and New Orleans, and the dozens of places, and thousands of survivors struggling to rebuild their lives and their livelihoods after they are no longer in the news and in the forefront of our relief efforts?

In times past, if one felt drawn to make a personal contribution to bettering the lives of those abroad, one either became a missionary or joined an organizations similar to The Peace Corps. If one were not especially drawn to any particular religious denomination, or did not meet the age requirements of the Corps, there were few options available to the ordinary person.

One of the most recent ventures in bringing aid to communities and populations in dire need combines one of the hottest growth industries of today with a desire to give something back - "voluntourism".

More and more people from all walks of life and economic statures - students, young couples, and seniors - are discovering a way to see the world in an entirely new way.

Not content to merely record their stay in another country, no longer satisfied with "sampling the local culture", these travelers want to make a difference. They want to feel they have accomplished something - to have had a positive impact on the lives of those they touch in their travels.

This new way of volunteering has been dubbed "Voluntourism", a combination of the words, and the ideas, of "volunteer" and "tourism".

You don't have to be a doctor or an engineer to be considered an asset - a valuable voluntourist. All you need is good health, a desire to participate, and the willingness to get dirty.

Ordinary everyday people from all walks of life participate in voluntourist projects, many returning to the same community year after year to continue to help with a variety of projects.

Wikipedia has this to say about it:

Volunteer travel, volunteer vacations or voluntourism is travel which includes volunteering for a charitable cause. In recent years, "bite-sized" volunteer vacations have grown in popularity. The types of volunteer vacations are diverse, from low-skill work cleaning up local wildlife areas to providing high-skill medical aid in a foreign country. Volunteer vacations participants are diverse but typically share a desire to “do something good” while also experiencing new places and challenges in locales they might not otherwise visit.

This new way of "seeing the world" isn't confined to traveling abroad. You can be a voluntourist where ever there is a need - even right in your own country.

Though their stay in New Orleans could hardly be called a vacation by any stretch of the imagination, Canadian renovation superstar Mike Holmes and his crew did manage to take in a few of the sights. 

A six-part TV series documents their efforts after Hurricane Katrina when Mike and his crew traveled to Louisiana to help in rebuilding. Struck by the devastation and neglect, they joined a relief project spearheaded by actor Brad Pitt, which focused on the Ninth Ward district of the stricken city.

Now a spokesperson for SOS Children's Villages, an organization that helps provide safe homes for orphans in many of the world's poorest countries, Mike continues to raise the bar for giving back.

How can you get involved in VolunTourism? First, you need to decide if this is something you, or you and your family would enjoy. If you're not truly motivated by the idea of rolling up your sleeves and getting sweaty to help out someone you don't know, then this might not be the best choice for you.

Perhaps making a donation to the charity of your choice is more in your line, or becoming a foster parent - which, by the way, will also benefit not only the family of the child you adopt, but also the whole community - a good return for your charitable "investment".

If, on the other hand, you are excited by the idea of making a difference in a close up and personal way, and you don't mind living rough while you do it, this could be just what you're looking for!

Check out some of the links in this hub, look up your favorite charities online, or search "voluntourism" to see what opportunities are available for you to participate.

© Elle Fredine 2010, All rights reserved