Volunteering abroad has many valuable and inspiring benefits. You can experience life in a different and fascinating culture while helping local residents who need your skills. As you master a new language, you can share interesting facts and exciting aspects of your own culture with others.
You can spend time immersed in an important community health and wellness or art project in another country. Your volunteer choice may be to participate in a nutritional program in a drought-stricken place. You can help clear fire-ravaged forests or you can support a project to protect marine life in a coastal area while volunteering abroad.
One of the most urgent types of volunteers in the world are health care professionals with support staff. Especially in areas hit by poverty or disaster, these volunteers can be critical to the success of major programs. Even those looking to volunteer abroad for the thrill of adventure find the right gain by helping others.
Forms lasting international friendships
Every time you travel abroad you meet new people and become friendly with them. But if you volunteer in another country, you can make lasting friendships with your colleagues. By working together on a daily basis, you get to know each other better and form strong bonds that will last for years.
Social work and charity projects abroad can be hard work without an abundance of resources. It can be a stimulating experience where knowledge, ideas and resourcefulness must be shared with other volunteers. This concerted effort of volunteers often leads to strong friendships that prevail despite long-distance communications from different home countries. If you and a friend from your hometown participate in the same overseas volunteer program, your friendship is sure to gain in importance.
Gain valuable knowledge and appreciation for other cultures
Volunteering abroad gives you a unique insight into a different culture. As a volunteer in another country, you will gain unique knowledge and understanding of different aspects of the lifestyle in another country. You learn and enjoy another language and respect the differences in your own mother tongue in polite or informal conversations. You will learn about the accepted use of common movements and body language in the country and place where you volunteer.
By learning about valuable habits and behaviors in your new place. You become more sensitive to how your own words and actions affect others. When you earn genuine respect for the custom and lifestyle in another country, you also strengthen your appreciation for your own culture. You develop a strong desire to treat your new friends, acquaintances and environment with respect.
Benefit from a rich and meaningful work experience
Not only do you personally benefit from your volunteer time abroad. You also get invaluable benefits from a rewarding and meaningful work experience in another part of the world. In today’s competitive job market, your international volunteering can help you find new housing.
When you put your volunteering abroad on your resume or resume, your applications will stand out. Even when applying for highly competitive jobs, your international experience can give you an edge over your competition. A survey conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service revealed some interesting results. This showed that unemployed people who did voluntary work (2002-2012) were 27% more likely to find a job than other applicants.