So you come to Latin America to volunteer and you tell locals about what you are doing. In my case, when I tell Colombians I’ve met about what I’m giving my time to, a lot of them say, “Hey, I want to leave Colombia and help in a different country!”
The world is a big place!
I try to help out as much as I can. Listed below are the most important things you can do to get them started with a volunteer experience abroad:
1. Be upfront about costs. While not impossible, it can be difficult to find an organization that will pay for your housing and/or cost of living. People say, “Hey, well I want to do it but I don’t have the money.” They need to know this is an obstacle and that saving a lump sum of money beforehand may be required. Not an insurmountable obstacle: there are sites such as CouchSurfing that can help with free lodging.
2. Lend your English skills. A lot of organizations, as well as sites that locate volunteer opportunities, have the majority of their volunteer positions listed in English. Be a translator, and help them articulate what they want and what they can offer an organization via phone and/or email.
3. Assist with researching visa requirements. Getting a visa can be extremely difficult (especially for Colombians). Make sure they can find all the information they need regarding forms, ID’s, etc…
Did I miss anything? If anyone has any additional tips, please post them in the comments.
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Atlas Service Corps is also a great organization to look at: http://www.atlascorps.org.
Its founder, Scott Beale, is currently living in Bogota.