Convincing Parents to Volunteer Abroad

Volunteering abroad is a full adventure by itself, there is a lot to do and see while abroad. Many teenagers and young adults are the ones who form the bulk of the proportion of people who would like to volunteer abroad. Unfortunately most of them are dependent on their parents for not only financial situations as well morale support. As such when they would like to take a trip abroad they have to get their parents’ permission to do it. Sadly to say many of the potential volunteers do not go abroad because they fail to convince their parents to let them go. Their parents are justified to say no for a number of reasons like safety, price and stability. However, the potential volunteers can change their parents’ minds to let them go by presenting a well formed argument with facts. Parents are genuinely concerned about their children and want the best for them. If they are shown the potential benefits of volunteering abroad outweighs the problems then they will allow it. Here are some reasons potential volunteers could use to convince their parents.

Involving parents from the beginning of the planning process helps a lot as they will feel as they have more control and knowledge of what is going on. In the planning process they will find out about the risks involved, the amount of money that would be needed as well as the benefits of the program. Planning from day one helps because they will not act surprised on the request and will prevent them from giving weak excuses as to why it’s not possible for a volunteer abroad trip. Planning in advance with them also helps to put them in the psychological frame of mind knowing that after a certain period their child would be travelling abroad.

Another way of changing their parent’s minds is through showing an appropriate budget. One of the concerns for parents is that are they able to afford a volunteer abroad trip. As money is need for flight fare, volunteer fees, vaccinations, insurance as well as other items. When the parents see how much is needed they are able to see whether the volunteer program is feasible or not. If it’s too expensive it’s not possible and if it’s too cheap then questions are asked. Also to help in the budget the volunteers can fundraise or get jobs to help pay for the trip. This also eases the burden of the whole program on the parents. If the volunteer has some money the parents will see that he or she is committed to the program and wants to make it happen.

Lastly explaining the importance of volunteering abroad will help change their parent’s minds. There are so many benefits to volunteering abroad other than touring, and helping to the volunteer. One of them are the volunteers matures as they get to see how people in the world are living and become a better person; another advantage is that it looks really good on resume when applying for jobs or schools. This sets them apart from other job seekers who are already out there. Many parents may seem obstinate in the beginning but explaining to them on how volunteering abroad is possible and the benefits that arises from it will help change their minds.

Paying to Volunteer Abroad

Many volunteers grapple with paying to volunteer abroad. They find it hard to understand “if am giving up my time and my energy they should be able to volunteer for free.” The feeling is more aggravated when some volunteer give up their time to make money at work while at the same time they have to folk out more money. Volunteering in essence should be free on such a basis, as the skills the volunteer provide are a great asset to the organization in which they are working in. This should be true more so for people who are volunteering locally. This is mainly because most of the costs involved in international volunteering are covered in advertently by the volunteers themselves e.g. accommodation, food, and support. When one wants to volunteer overseas the dynamics change as there are some costs that volunteer didn’t think of that have to be covered. Unfortunately the organizations in which the volunteers should be working are not able to cover these costs because they don’t have the resources to do so. If they had the resources, they would use the resources to hire local staff to do the work. In order to get volunteers many small organizations partner with multinationals organizations to provide them with volunteers. These multinational volunteer abroad organisations normally charge fees not as commission but to ensure the volunteers are well taken care of during the duration of their stay. As a volunteer who is going abroad these are the things one would be paying for when they leave:
Accommodation and food comes on the list first as this is the most important. A good place to stay puts the volunteers mind at peace as they would they know they will be a foreigner and they would be safe. Many of the volunteer homes are situated in a safe and secure home where there are no threats to the safety of the volunteers. In most cases the money paid goes to covering meals as well although one would not get a five star meal but the volunteer would get food that is suitable for him or her. Most volunteer programs provide 2 or 3 meals for the day and they consider the volunteers dietary concerns.
The biggest chunk of the fees paid is hardly ever seen by the volunteer. This is great because the money goes to emergency procedures. Most volunteers want to have a stress free program while they are working. Unfortunately this doesn’t happen all the time and there are some rare cases where they might be some issues. Issues like the volunteer falling sick, or violence might erupt due to political violence or a natural disaster leading to the volunteer to be evacuated from the host country immediately. The main reason to pay for volunteering is to make sure the volunteer’s wellbeing is taken care of during the program.
One other thing that many volunteers who are reluctant to pay is the amount of research that goes into volunteering. There are many organizations that run programs in the world but many of them are ill equipped and are not efficient, the volunteer might go to a country and find that there is no need for the work that she or he is doing. They might find that they are wasting their time there and being involved in programs that have little impact on the society they are working in.

For more information visit http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org 

Volunteering Abroad And Airports

Travelling is a lot of fun especially for people who are really into it. There is so much out there that we should see and the thought is exciting. One could choose to visit the Terracotta in Asia, the pyramids in Egypt and a whole lot more. Some travellers combine volunteering with their touring to make more meaning of their journey to see the sites and experience life as a local. With all the travelling that needs to be done, there are certain aspects of it that are not positive. One of the negative aspects are losing your stuff, being lost and waiting at airports. When of the downsides of travelling is queuing at the airports. After a long international flight one thing that many people do not look forward to is waiting in line to be processed. Although there are proactive ways to make to avid the long queues at the airport, here are some of them,
One useful trick is to sit on near the front of the plane. This also includes when one is departing they should be at the airport early in order to get the seats that are nearest to the door. Some people pick different sits for different purposes but choosing a sit at the front means you get to leave the plane first and also be the first one on the immigration queue. The other benefits means collecting luggage is much easier with far less confusion. As one is planning to volunteer abroad for a few weeks or days, one should try to just have hand luggage. The benefits to this is one would have all their possessions with him or her at all times. Meaning one doesn’t have to wait for their luggage to come by at the and also if immigration wants to search your luggage it’s easier for both parties.
One of the ways to avoid long queues is choosing to land at a less busy airport. Airports like Heathrow airport or John F Kennedy airport have many visitors through them and they are bound to have long queues as soon as you arrival. To avoid wasting time on the lines, or cutting your time in half is by choosing to land in an airport that is less buy while at the same time not too far away from your destination. All this can be done before leaving home while you are choosing where you are going to fly to. The smaller airports come in handy as it is much more convenient and there is a less likelihood of losing your luggage due to fewer travellers. Smaller airports come in handy especially when one has to connect with another plane because there won't be another long queue. The only drawback is that they are not as lavish as the larger compatriots.
Lastly dealing with immigration is much easier if one is cooperative. If one is asked any questions they should answer calmly and truthfully. There are some countries that require the travellers to fill out a form, like I-94 for the USA, they should have it done by the time they are at the immigration offices. Also while at the airport, the travellers should look at the signs or ask for directions to know where they are meant to be. There is nothing as bad as queuing in the wrong lines. Lastly, if the travellers should confirm everything that they are told by the immigration officers or the details that they are provided to prevent any problems when they are leaving the country.

For more information on volunteering abroad visit http://www.voluntercapitalcentre.org