NGOJobs meets DeeperTravel
In the large offer of volunteering and voluntary work at home and abroad, it is easy to lose the overview. DeeperTravel is an association and at the same time a platform that informs people about sustainable travel, worldwide volunteering and voluntourism. In the interview with Eva from DeeperTravel there is a lot of exciting information and perspectives on the topic of volunteering and sustainable forms of travel.
How do you manage to keep track of all the volunteering opportunities?
Of course, that's not so easy. We have been dealing with the topic for years, read specialist literature and do a lot of research - that's how we stay up to date. In addition, the exchange with other organizations and initiatives is extremely important. Even though there are always new trends and new providers, relatively little changes in the opportunities and areas of application for volunteer work.
Many people despair at the often high prices charged for volunteering in faraway countries. What do you think about the fees that are charged for volunteering?
Of course, it is surprising when you have to pay something for voluntary work. At the same time, costs are incurred for accommodation, transport, food, insurance, etc. for every trip. In addition, both sending organizations and tour operators incur personnel costs when handling a volunteer trip. This begins with the initial consultation, continues with the preparation, accompaniment and follow-up, to the entire communication with the project partners on site, the organization of accommodation and transport and so on. Rarely can all of this be handled by volunteers, so one may wonder who is going to pay for it.
(In this blogpost we have dealt with this topic in more detail).
In the case of sending organizations, funds are raised through donations and public subsidies; in the case of private providers, these costs are passed on to the volunteers on a pro-rata basis. With both variants, there is a risk of an "overbuilding" of administration. The transparency of the costs seems important to us.
Does your organization offer volunteering opportunities itself?
We are an association and are of course happy about volunteer work at DeeperTravel, for example by writing field reports, travelogues or guest articles. Otherwise, DeeperTravel is not a sending organization.
However, we are partners of Loro Trips - a small Salzburg-based tour operator for sustainable travel in Nicaragua, which used to be part of the Salzburg-León city partnership. Through Loro Trips you can book different round trips, theme trips (like fair trade), language trips and also volunteer trips. In the area of volunteer travel we support the placement and make workshops and seminars for the preparation, accompaniment and follow-up of the volunteers.
"Just thinking about sustainability when traveling is not enough."
What is your advice for those who really want to travel sustainably?
We have published a 4-part series on #IY2017 (International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development) with lots of advice and reflections. Sustainable travel is not that simple, and cannot be reduced to environmental protection. Important are also points like fair payment in tourism and poverty alleviation as well as respect for traditional values and cultural characteristics, global thinking and intercultural understanding.
Just thinking about sustainability when traveling is not enough. In reality, we would need structural changes to be prepared for the future. The NGO SOL - People for Solidarity, Ecology and Lifestyle has launched an interesting project in which you can take an in-depth look at the topic of sustainability with a self-experiment.
What skills are most in demand in volunteer work?
Openness, curiosity, wanderlust and enthusiasm are already a good basic framework. Then, depending on your qualifications and skills, you can be deployed in various projects. Projects in the field of education, or projects with children, are still very popular. This is a very sensitive topic and we have published a brochure on child protection in volunteer work together with the child protection association ECPAT. For such assignments, pedagogical training would be an advantage. In the social sector, there are also many opportunities for volunteering; if you have a background in social work or health care, you will have no problem finding a suitable project. There are also opportunities in the environmental sector, and volunteers with manual skills are often sought. What we have noticed is that recently there has also been an increased demand for people for public relations and administration. One of the most important skills is of course the knowledge of the local language, or the language of the project.
"A volunteer trip should not be a last minute vacation".
How can interested parties prepare themselves to make volunteering a positive experience for all sides?
The very first thing you should do is a lot of research and be clear about what exactly you want and why. Then it is important not to make a decision "over the fence" - a volunteer trip should not be a last minute vacation, but needs a sound preparation. Only if you feel well advised and taken care of from the beginning, you should start the trip. Therefore, the decision which provider you trust is central.
In our opinion, it is also important that no unrealistic promises are made on the part of the providers (can be deployed in all areas without qualifications), that direct communication with the project managers and former volunteers is made possible, that all ambiguities are removed during consultation and that extensive preparation for the deployment is obligatory. It is ideal if the volunteers still have a contact person outside the project in the target country and if they are still offered a follow-up with which they can reflect on their assignment. Cost transparency and an appropriate duration should also be selection criteria. If an organization offers that you can work with children for two weeks without any pedagogical training, you should leave it alone.
On our information platform with blog we have published numerous tips and tricks on how to prepare as a volunteer. There is a list with further links to publications, advice centers and associations. We have also published an ebook on the topic of 'Fair Volunteer Travel'. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, we will try to support you as much as possible.
You can find contact information at https://deepertravel.de/
