10 cool volunteer programs around the world

Sometimes there comes a moment when you want to drop everything and go to the ends of the world. Don't hold yourself back. Go save turtles in Thailand, teach Brazilian children, or sign up to volunteer at the UN. So you can see the world, learn foreign languages, find a bunch of new friends and, what can I say, make this world a little better.

We have collected for you ten real-life volunteer programs around the world. Accommodation and meals are almost everywhere free.

Teaching children in Thailand

Karenni Social Development Center invites volunteers to train young Karenni people living in northern Thailand. The task is to teach students of the social center English, ecology, international law and basic human rights. You will have to work for four hours from Monday to Friday. The center provides volunteers with free accommodation and three meals a day. You will live near the beach, so there should be no problems with leisure time left from work.

Requirements: English language Register here: https://sdcthailand.wordpress.com/

Helping children in Bolivia

Amanencer helps abandoned and orphaned children in Cochabamba, Bolivia. This is a Catholic organization, but you can become a volunteer here regardless of faith. Contract for a period of six months. You can do education, childcare, psychological and medical help - it all depends on your qualifications. If you love kids and want to do something good, then this option is for you.

Work on a farm anywhere in the world

The World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms organization helps to travel the world and learn about the cultures of different peoples. You will live in a family, and even with full board. You are only required to work on the farm for about four hours a day. Agree, picking pistachios in Israel is not the same thing as sitting your ass in a stuffy office. Relax, look at the world. The scheme is as follows: you choose a country, a farm where you would like to work, fill out an application and send it. The owner of the farm looks to see if everything suits him in you, and if everything is ok, he sends an invitation. Transport back and forth, as usual, is your own, and on the spot you will be met and surrounded by comfort and not particularly exhausting work.

Rescue turtles in Thailand

If you don’t see any special pedagogical abilities in yourself, but you still want to live in Thailand, then join environmental project Naucrates. Will you save sea turtles. The tasks of volunteers include monitoring beaches, collecting and processing data. Will you tell local residents that turtles are endangered, and then train new volunteers. The duration of the volunteer contract is 9-12 weeks. This is the only program presented where you will have to pay for accommodation and meals.

Teaching children in Peru

The Santa Marta Foundation invites volunteers to its The educational center in Peru. This is where the Incas, Machu Picchu, Titicaca, that's all. The Santa Marta Center tries to help homeless children and children from poor families. You can teach them the language, conduct cooking or computer courses, teach art, or suggest some kind of your own direction. Any initiative is welcome here. You will only have to spend money on a flight to Peru (we know that it is not cheap), and accommodation and meals will be provided.

Teach English in Honduras

Volunteer teachers from all over the world teach children from poor families at the bilingual Kofradia School near San Pedro Sela, the second largest city in Honduras. Lack of teaching experience is not a problem. The main thing is to have pedagogical abilities. In other words, love children and be able to captivate them with your ideas. In Honduras, such a distant country with a strange name, you will get an incomparable experience that will no doubt come in handy when you return home. By the way, knowledge of Spanish is not required, because all classes are held in English.

Teaching drawing to children from the Brazilian favelas

About 20 million people live in Sao Paulo, and most of the city's population lives in slums with beautiful name- favelas. These are shacks built with complete disregard for sanitary standards. MonteAzul strives to give children from the slums a decent education and the opportunity to subsequently escape from poverty. Volunteers from all over the world are welcome here. If you have any interesting skills or knowledge (music, drawing, exact sciences) that you can teach children, then this will be a plus. The work schedule is quite normal - from eight in the morning to five in the evening. This is a real opportunity to help poor kids and at the same time deeply study the culture and life of the Brazilians.

Volunteering in the Peace Corps

Volunteering in the Peace Corps is not suitable for someone who just wants to ride around the world, see others and show themselves off. It is worth signing up here if you really want to make the world a little better and are not afraid to overexert yourself. Because you will have to work on a par with ordinary employees of the organization. You can choose one of 75 countries around the world and feel free to go there. The areas of work are: agriculture, education, healthcare, ecology. It is not very difficult to get there, but when you return home you will have a recommendation from a very respected worldwide organization. They pay for airfare, full on-site provision, and even medical insurance. You will also receive a monthly stipend.

Rescue children in Mexico

Can you temporarily forget about your problems in order to solve other people's? Go to Mexico to teach orphans good, reasonable, eternal. NPH USA will help you channel your energy and connect with Latin American culture. To work with barefoot and grimy children, it is not necessary to have a pedagogical education. The main thing is a great desire to help children, and the opportunity to go there for six months. If you don't want to go to Mexico, you can choose another South American country. By the way, volunteers can go couples. We are sure that such an adventure will refresh your relationship.

Volunteering at the UN

Participation in the UN volunteer program is as serious as in the Peace Corps, but there are many more opportunities. You can choose from one hundred and thirty countries. Where haven't you been yet? Volunteers usually work from six months to a year. At this time, they also receive a scholarship, full board, health insurance and an awesome resume entry with a recommendation from the United Nations.

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Virtual Exhibition

volunteer movement

In 2017, on December 5, Russia officially celebrated Volunteer Day for the first time.

According to Rosstat, the number of volunteers in the third quarter of 2017 amounted to 1.4 million people. This is 20% more than in the same period in 2016.

Rosstat records that Russians spend on average about nine hours a month on volunteer work. Most help children, the elderly, the disabled. Volunteers also clean up garbage and landscaping in their communities, raise funds for charity, provide free medical or legal assistance, and help animals.

2018 in Russian Federation Decree of the President of Russia V.V. Putin declared the Year of the Volunteer (Volunteer).

In this regard, the Government of Russia was instructed to form an organizing committee for holding the Year of the Volunteer (Volunteer) in the Russian Federation and approve its composition; to ensure the development and approval of a plan of main events for holding the Year of the Volunteer (Volunteer) in the Russian Federation; to recommend to the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to take the necessary measures within the framework of the ongoing Year of the Volunteer (Volunteer).

The decree on holding the Year of the Volunteer in Russia came into force on December 6, 2017.

Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation O.Yu. Vasilyeva stressed that the volunteer movement has great potential.

The volunteer movement today needs to form a socially significant order for mass training of volunteer leaders who will be able to attract creative and thinking people to volunteering. To do this, we need to continue to cultivate an appropriate attitude towards volunteering, open educational centers for the training of volunteers, develop and apply a competent information policy, the Minister believes.

Today, the level of development of volunteer activity in Russia remains extremely low compared to European countries. According to the results opinion polls in Russia, many people are ready to take part in volunteer activities, but due to lack of information on how this can be done, they do not participate. This is the main reason for the low prevalence of volunteering.

IN last years The "catalyst" for the development of volunteering in the regions was the preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014, which created unique opportunities for implementing a systematic approach in youth volunteer programs. The Olympic National Project forms a social order for the mass training of a kind of elite of volunteering, which will be able to attract creatively thinking strata of Russian society to volunteering. However, this "impulse" is not enough - it is necessary to qualitatively change the attitude towards volunteering in the minds of the public in Russia. In the process of this change, it will be necessary to solve the problem, which is that due to political conditions, social stereotypes, characteristics historical development countries, the popularity of volunteering in Russia is significantly inferior to the European one. This is due to the fact that in Europe the work of volunteer centers is based on a well-thought-out communication policy.

What was before?

To understand the features of modern volunteer movements in Russia and Europe, one should turn to the history of volunteering.

Volunteering takes its origins from ancient times. It is based on religious values ("love your neighbor"), which became the basis for the mass selfless work of religious communities. The basis of gratuitous, altruistic labor is the historical phenomenon of intraspecific mutual assistance of primitive people, the formation of social norms of solidarity for the survival of related groups and communities.

In the 1990s, the work of volunteers in European countries and the United States began to be recognized as significant economic resource. As statistics show, in 1998 almost half of the citizens were involved in volunteering, and taking into account adolescents over 14 years old, 79% of citizens. It involves all segments of the population, regardless of the level of education, profession and income. Volunteering is seen as a form of civic participation in social useful deeds, a way of collective interaction and an effective mechanism for solving urgent social problems.

The history of the volunteer movement in Russia differs from the foreign one primarily in the approach to organizing the process of volunteer work. In the USSR, the decisive role in the process of socialization of the younger generation was played by the participation of young people in socially useful work. To this end, work was organized in training and production plants, youth production teams, forestries, labor and recreation camps, etc.

In Russia, the volunteer movement began to emerge in the late 1980s of the last century, although, if you look at history, it has always existed, for example, in the form of the service of the sisters of mercy, the Timur and Pioneer movements, various nature protection societies and monuments.

Over the past twenty years, the concept of "volunteer" has changed a lot. If in the 1980s volunteers went to the virgin lands or BAM, they received a salary for their work, with which the state compensated for the difficult living conditions. The voluntary nature of work on subbotniks, harvesting, or patronage work was often closely connected with obligation and social coercion. There was no law on volunteer labor in Soviet Russia. The concept, content and form of volunteer work in modern Russia begins to take shape in the 1990s, with the emergence of non-profit, public and charitable organizations.

With the collapse of the USSR, the well-established mechanism for organizing the socially useful work of young people ceased to operate. Russian children and youth social movement experienced in the 1990s a radical break in the mechanisms of attitude towards their initiatives on the part of the state. There was an actual liquidation and self-liquidation on state level largest youth organizations performing educational function in educational institutions and labor collectives. Gradually, however, the situation changed: many new youth associations appeared, attempts were made to recreate the movements of children and youth on a national scale. So, although the "Russian Union of Youth" is officially considered the successor of the Komsomol, but in practice it certainly does not have the same power.

According to official data, in 2005 almost 600,000 public organizations, including volunteer associations, were registered in the country. It was this emergence in Russia in the 1990-2000s of the “third sector”, which is made up of non-profit, public and charitable organizations, that was accompanied by the formation of volunteering in the modern sense.

In connection with the growing number of social problems, in the solution of which, under the current economic situation, volunteers have become indispensable, the volunteer movement began to develop. There are people who are willing to voluntarily spend their time and energy for the benefit of society or a particular person.

And how are they?

In the West, a powerful ideological and financial support different forms charity. For example, according to the UN for 2012, in England 24% of young people are involved in voluntary assistance, in Germany - 23%, and in France - 19%. Today in France, 19% of the adult population at least once in their lives participated in volunteer activities. Of these, 60% regularly participate in volunteer work, devoting more than 20 hours a month to it. 46% of the respondents said that they became volunteers because they feel a great desire to help others. Every third German is a volunteer, devoting more than 15 hours a month to work in volunteer associations, projects and self-help groups.

If we talk about the types of volunteer activity in most European countries, then most often volunteers are involved in fundraising (about 27%). Other popular types of volunteering in the West are cooking and serving food (23%), doing work or helping with transportation (20%), volunteering in education (19%).

The reason for such a developed volunteer movement abroad lies, among other things, in the culture and education of future citizens in the spirit of “family” volunteering. Often, family people who would like to take part in any volunteer projects have to choose between social activity and spending time with their family. Family volunteering, which is widespread in the West, makes it possible to get rid of such a dilemma. In the US, there is even Family Volunteer Day, which is celebrated on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This event not only brings family members together, but also allows them to make a joint contribution to the development of the local community.

A new unusual option for voluntary participation of volunteers is virtual or online volunteering. It makes it possible to show social activity for those who can't donate their time. This is especially true for those whose professional experience or lifestyle is associated with the Internet environment, as well as people with disabilities. As part of such activities, it is possible to work on the development of Internet applications, the creation and moderation of sites, online communication with various groups of people, including psychological assistance, support groups, and so on. Online volunteering is becoming a reflection of the modern realities of the information age, therefore, it involves a large area of activity.

Great importance is given to volunteering by the European Union. Thus, according to the decision of the European Commission, 2011 was the official Year of Volunteering in Europe. This was a reaction to the actions of the European civil society, which proves the importance of the work of volunteers for different regions, countries, nations and Europe as a whole.

Not surprisingly, there are a number of successful international voluntary organizations in Europe, such as UNV (United Nations Volunteers), SCI (Service Civil International), NB: World4U, ICYE (International Cultural Youth Exchange), Alliance, CCIVS (Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service), AVSO (Association of Voluntary Service Organization). Each of these organizations has its own specifics and activities.

New trend in Russia

In Russia, in contrast to European countries, the level of development of volunteerism remains low. Thus, according to studies (Gallup International), only about 10% of the population in Russia are engaged in volunteer activities, mainly young people, most of whom are students, which is explained by the presence of a sufficient amount of free time and increased mobility.

Despite the fact that the experience of other countries in the field of volunteer work makes a significant contribution to the theory and practice of social work in Russia, modern Russian society cannot accept any of the models of organizing social work that are effectively operating in other countries.

The “Concept for promoting the development of charitable activities and volunteering in the Russian Federation”, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1054-r, sets as the main goal of state policy in this area “activating the potential of volunteering as a resource for the development of society, contributing to the formation and dissemination of innovative practices social activities. Another important element of the Concept is the development of infrastructure for information, consulting and educational support for volunteerism.

As for family volunteering, in Russia it manifests itself only at the level of individual actions, but not as a systematic work. For its development, programs of work with families and, of course, the promotion of this important type of social activity are needed.

Virtual volunteering in charity has so far been quite rare in Russia, but in Lately its importance is growing. So, there are separate projects with the participation of online volunteers. The largest of them, perhaps, can be called Wikipedia. A lot of Russian-speaking users are involved in writing articles for this large-scale resource. An example of charitable online volunteering is the work of the pozar.ru LiveJournal community, which coordinated the work of volunteers involved in extinguishing fires and providing assistance to victims in many regions of Russia. Another volunteer online resource was the Help Map, which collects information about victims of fires and collection points for victims.

Factors and sources of volunteering

Let's consider some factors of development of potential of voluntary work.

The main factors are:

State policy, including encouraging tax legislation, organizational and financial support for NGOs, a developed legal framework for the activities of public associations;

The level of development of the private business sector, which is the main source of various resources for the activities of the third sector;

Developed middle class having traditions of direct and indirect charity;

The level of development of organizations of the voluntary sector, which has the knowledge and skills to attract and organize the work of volunteers;

Family values and traditions of active service to society, altruism, care and social innovation;

Civic values and conscious service to society, and not to persons from the media;

Strategies for civic education and upbringing implemented by the public education system;

A conscious active position on the development of civil society on the part of the community of scientists and educators.

In addition, the Russian volunteer movement has undoubted features. This is due to the fact that: 1) the status of a volunteer in society is not defined; 2) systemic methods of attracting the population to volunteer activities have not been developed; 3) the volunteer movement is characterized by spontaneity, spontaneity, instability; 4) positive promotion of volunteerism is underdeveloped.

Currently, among the priority areas facing the volunteer movement, experts in this field highlight the expansion of the volunteer space - the search for forms and methods joint activities social protection institutions, general education schools, law enforcement agencies, employment services, cultural institutions, labor collectives as participants in the volunteer movement.

It's all about perception

The great social significance of volunteering is recognized in Europe, both by the general population and by political and economic figures. Thus, in the UK, more than two thirds of public organizations annually employ more than 20 volunteers and about one third - more than 100 volunteers.

Thanks to the cooperation of industrial, commercial enterprises, banks with public organizations, employers encourage the volunteer activities of their employees. The “typical” employer-supported volunteer works a couple of hours a month at social organizations by doing fundraising or providing targeted assistance. Moreover, large firms have a specialist who coordinates the volunteer activities of their employees. Other firms award prizes to organizations where their employees work. In addition, competitions are announced for the organization with the best volunteer program. The benefits of corporate volunteering for the company are, first of all, in creating its positive image and increasing the identification of employees with the workplace and, as a result, increasing awareness and productivity. The relationship of business with public organizations is often organizationally formalized through the participation of business representatives in the board of a public organization.

This type of corporate volunteering, the concept of which was developed in the USA back in the 1980s, began to be implemented by the UK Volunteering Center. Thanks to its public campaigns, the creation of national and regional networks, the Center is seriously developing.

The Value of Volunteering survey found that the majority of executives in the top 500 firms in the UK today believe that a candidate who has volunteered experience on their application is more conscientious, has good communication and teamwork skills.

Gradually, this practice takes root in Russia, as the Russian employer understands from this entry that he is facing a person with an active life position, who can become a charismatic leader who will successfully cope with the tasks set and will be able to lead people.

Often, young people in Russia are not ready for active work in public organizations, because they do not see the real social significance of the work of organizations. A person comes and stays in the organization only if his needs coincide with what the organization can offer him.

In addition, personal contacts - with family members, friends and acquaintances - encourage volunteering. Some became volunteers as a result of receiving various kinds of information materials: leaflets, posters, announcements of messages in public places, newspapers, on radio and television, as a result of information events (32% of respondents). Often the motive for volunteer work is the need for contact with other people and overcoming feelings of loneliness, as well as the desire to learn new things.

Since 1998, the volunteer association World4U has been operating in Russia, which is engaged in youth and student exchange programs and providing air tickets for young people, students, graduate students and teachers. World4U is a member of the Youth Action for Peace, associated group and a partner of many other international volunteer organizations.

In Moscow, there is a group "Donors for Children", which is a completely voluntary association. Members do not have a permanent membership or "membership in society". Volunteers arrange circles in the hematology department, children's competitions and trips to the theater for children and parents, organized fundraising for the search for bone marrow donors and medicines. And they just come to play with the children and chat with their parents. All these people are donors, and it doesn't matter if they donate blood or not.

In February 2002, with the support and assistance of the Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Russian Cancer Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. N.N. Blokhin, on the initiative of citizens of different countries, united by the desire to help sick children, the Nastenka Charitable Foundation was created.

The Foundation aims to improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer, comprehensive assistance to families of sick children. main object charitable assistance The Foundation is the Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology of the Russian Cancer Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. N.N. Blokhin, where more than a hundred children from different regions of Russia are being treated. "Nastenka" spends holidays, entertainment programs, concerts, excursions.

In Moscow, there is a volunteer group of the children's department of the Moscow Regional Oncological Dispensary "The Seventh Petal", whose patients need friends. It can be either one person or a family, a group of friends, members of various forums and clubs who can take patronage over a particular child and help him go all the way to recovery. You can call back, visit, chat, give gifts with or without a reason. If possible, provide support in the purchase of medicines, clothing, food.

There is also an association of volunteers who provide assistance to children who, by the will of fate, are forced to spend their childhood in a hospital. Refuseniks.Ru.

Each hospital has its own coordinator, who is responsible for organizing care for a particular medical institution. These are completely different people, often not familiar with each other. The project website is a platform for joining efforts to solve this problem and collect aid more effectively. Refuseniks.Ru collect the most necessary things for children. Constantly update the list of hospitals that need help, quickly replenished. The guys are always waiting for volunteers who want to join the project and help orphans in hospitals.

Volunteer group "World in the palm of your hand" is a non-profit, non-political, informal, voluntary association of people providing assistance social institutions mainly for working with children.

The Regional Public Fund for Helping the Elderly "Good Deed" was established in Moscow in 2000 as a non-profit organization with the following mission: to help improve the quality of life of elderly and old people of victims totalitarian regimes by organizing medical, social and historical rehabilitation.

Nature Conservation Team. V. N. Tikhomirova Faculty of Biology Moscow State University is a voluntary public youth environmental organization, one of the oldest organizations Nature Conservation Movements - All-Union movement for the conservation of wildlife. DOP MSU works both in Moscow and the Moscow Region on its main campaigns ("Zakazniki", "Crane Homeland", "Primrose"), and participates in solving "hot" environmental problems in Russia and around the world.

Volonter.ru - unified volunteer coordination service

Philanthropist: E-zine of philanthropy

Arsenyeva T.N. Innovative management of youth volunteer programs. Arsenyeva T.N., Vinogradova N.V.

Arsenyeva T.V. Psychological and pedagogical foundations for the development and implementation of innovative youth volunteering projects

Biederman K. Coordination of work of volunteers and management of volunteer programs in the UK

Kozyrev A.I. Development of modern volunteer movement in Russia

Kudrinskaya L.A. Volunteer work: the experience of theoretical reconstruction: Abstract of the dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Sociological Sciences. - Moscow, 2006

Methodological manual for executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and educational organizations on the development of the volunteer movement

Bodrenkova G.P. Systematic development of volunteerism in Russia: from theory to practice: a teaching aid. - Moscow: ANO SPO SOTIS, 2013 (Full text)

Volunteer Management: A guide for staff and youth leaders of the Belarusian Red Cross Society on organizing the work of volunteers (Full text)

Volunteer center "Turnkey", or Guidelines for the creation and organization of volunteer centers.-Kazan, 2012 (Full text)

On the road to goodness: a manual for the development of the volunteer movement. - 2nd ed., revised. and additional — Vologda, 2011 (Full text)

Handbook for volunteers of HIV/AIDS prevention programs among peers. - Moscow: Healthy Russia, 2005 (Full text)

Service to society: A guide to the development of volunteer activities of students of educational organizations / Comp. Argynov A.Kh., Zhumakanova R.A. - Almaty: Scientific and Information Center for Civic Education, 2009 (Full text)

SEARCH FOR VOLUNTEERS IN THE GORNO-ALTAI BOTANICAL GARDEN

Source: doseng.org

IN botanical garden there are expositions with plants Gorny Altai, Europe, North America And Far East. For five hours a day, volunteers will learn the basics of botany and work with plants, and take care of the exhibits.

Age: from 18 years old

Requirements: love for plants

What is necessary: write your personal data and send by e-mail

Conditions: The volunteer pays for the travel and 1000 rubles of the registration fee. Accommodation and meals are free.

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAMAIESEC

AIESEC is an international youth non-profit organization run entirely by students and recent alumni. The goal of the program is to reveal and develop the leadership and professional potential of young people to contribute to the society of people. It has been operating since 1948 and is represented in more than 120 countries around the world.

Global Citizen is an international volunteer program that empowers young people to discover their leadership skills in an international team. There are four areas: education (teaching English), the problem of the environment (organizing a conference and lectures on the environmental problems of the country in which the volunteers are), social entrepreneurship (working with non-governmental organizations on social problems) and culture (volunteers talk about the country's tourism by filming blogs and preparing articles).

Age: 18 - 30 years old

Period: 6 - 8 weeks, from 22 hours a week. Internships are recruited throughout the year.

Requirements: be a student or recent graduate

What is necessary: register on the site, indicating your personal data, hobbies, interests and in which projects you would like to participate. Managers invite you to the first meeting, then a Skype interview with the host is scheduled.

Conditions: the volunteer pays for the visa, flight and personal expenses, accommodation is provided.

Contacts: [email protected]

For example, teaching in English in Egypt

Requirements: knowledge of English, teaching it to children or teenagers, participation in events organized by AIESEC

Age: 18 - 30 years old

Opening hours: 12 hours, 5 days a week

What is necessary: in addition to the application, you must record a one-two minute video where you answer the questions “Why did you choose Cairo”, “Why did you choose Egypt?”. You also need to answer the question “What is your motivation for submitting?”, while there is a limit on the number of words - no more than 100.

Conditions: the volunteer himself covers the cost of the flight, visa, food, free accommodation is provided for 6 weeks.

UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

Source: facebook.com/unvolunteers

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program is based in Bonn, Germany and operates in 100 countries around the world. You can contribute to improving people's lives by becoming a volunteer. Work can be done both locally and online. The main areas of activity are development assistance, as well as humanitarian and peacekeeping operations.

Age: from 25 years old

Period: 6 – 12 months

Requirements: university degree, at least two years of work in a related field, knowledge of one of the languages: English, French, Spanish. Also, you must be responsible, be able to work in a multicultural environment, be able to adapt to difficult living conditions, and have organizational skills.

What is necessary: fill out the form on the site, indicating your personal data. You must add all the information in full, the representatives of the United Nations will contact you, and if you are suitable, they will assign you an internship. Possible assignments and internships are not published in advance. Registration in the database does not mean that you will definitely become a UN volunteer

Conditions: the organizers pay the allowance according to the internship, accommodation, travel expenses, life insurance and medical insurance, annual leave, resettlement allowance, which is calculated at the end of the internship

SEARCH FOR VOLUNTEERS IN THE VILLAGE WITH HORSE

Source: huffingtonpost.com

If you love horses, fresh air and just want to take a break from city life, then this volunteer program is for you. The organizers will be happy to see both those who know how to handle these animals, and those who only dream of learning how to care for horses. You will be taught how to handle horses and horseback riding. The hut stands in the Tver region in the Oleninsky district. We invite volunteers in exchange for help with the housework.

Age: from 18 years old

Period: there are no specific dates, warn about the visit in advance for a month

Requirements: boundless love for all animals and the absence of bad habits

What is necessary: write to the organizer by e-mail, indicating the data: education, availability of free time, information about work experience and your expectations from communicating with horses

Conditions: travel at own expense, accommodation provided. When volunteering for more than two months - food is free

Contacts: [email protected]

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT FOR THE WORLD FOOTBALL CUPFIFA 2018

No FIFA World Cup and no major sporting event is complete without the enormous contribution of volunteers. It is the volunteers who provide the most important support in various operational areas, and their friendliness and fun create a fantastic atmosphere at the tournament.

Thousands of people from Russia and other countries of the world will participate in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Volunteer Program in Russia, who will receive unique opportunity become part of this tournament, as well as the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017. In total, about 5,500 volunteers will be involved in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 events, and more than 15,000 volunteers in the FIFA World Cup events. International applicants will be able to apply and go through the selection process from their home countries online.

Age: from 18 years old

Requirements: English proficiency and teamwork skills. Previous volunteering experience will be an additional plus for candidates. Volunteers will provide support in areas such as ceremonies, transport, media, protocol events, language services, doping control and services for fans.

What is necessary: fill out an online form. To fill out you will need a passport and a photo in digital format

Conditions: First, the employees of the Organizing Committee "Russia-2018" will remotely check how detailed the candidate answered the questions, whether he is suitable for age and education. After that, candidates will be tested online (for analytical skills, personal qualities and knowledge of the English language) and an interview at the volunteer center (in-person or online - for applicants living outside of Russia)

All volunteer candidates for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will be notified of the selection results no later than February 2017, and candidates for volunteers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup no later than February 2018. Candidates who successfully pass the selection will be invited to the next stage - training. The training will take place in 15 volunteer centers of the 2018 World Cup: each volunteer candidate will be assigned to one of them and enrolled in the training group, after which he will receive invitations to classes in electronic format.

VOLUNTEERING IN INDIA

Abroad is a great way to see the world, change the scenery and make a difference. They also have one more indisputable plus - participation in many of them does not require money.

What do volunteer programs give, and what are they?

There are a huge number of such programs in the world - from multifunctional ones, like the Peace Corps, to small one-time projects somewhere in Nepal or Peru. Anyone can become a volunteer abroad - there is always a program suitable for any combination of age / knowledge / preferences. According to their directions/characteristics, they can be divided into the following:

Programs for participation in which you do not need to pay.
Those for which you need to pay (we are not talking about the services of intermediary agencies, but directly about the programs themselves).
abroad, in which the participant covers the cost of flights, meals, accommodation (all of the above or just something) at his own expense.
Those where most of the costs are covered by the organization or host.

All this can be combined in various variations, in addition, volunteer programs abroad work in various fields and directions. Among them are educational projects, work in reserves, medical care, business and construction, and so on. Among the most famous are Au Pair, Work & Study in USA, Peace Corps and EVS volunteer programs.

Work & Study USA and Au Pair

A fairly large number of organizations are aimed at working with young people - Work & Study USA and Au Pair are among them. The latter allows you to spend from a few months to one or two years in another country, learning its language, living with a local family and helping with housework and children.

The program assumes that the participant receives free accommodation and meals, some pocket money, while he does not do any hard work and has a lot of free time, including days off weekly. Participation in the program is paid, or rather, you will have to pay for the services of the agency, in addition, you must pay for a visa and travel expenses to the country of destination and back.

Work & Study USA - summer program for students of universities and secondary specialized educational institutions, which allows during summer holidays travel to the US for work and travel.

There are other programs with a similar name that exploit the idea of work and study, such as Work & Study Canada or Work & Study Australia. Here, as in the case of an Au Pair, you need to pay for the program and travel expenses with a visa.

AIESEC

Volunteer programs and internships abroad are offered by AIESEC, an international youth organization that exists in many countries. It declares its goal to reveal the leadership and professional potential of young people.

AIESEC is fully administered and run by students and alumni, and offers not only work experience within the organization, but also international internships in several areas and volunteer social programs Worldwide.

Work in various positions in AIESEC itself is not paid with money, however, the worker himself does not have to pay anything. But members of the organization have access to high-class trainings and training seminars for a purely nominal fee. Participation in AIESEC internships or volunteer projects also costs very little, especially compared to previous programs, however, the participant will have to pay for the visa and travel expenses themselves.

Peace Corps and EVS

The Peace Corps is an American organization that conducts volunteer programs abroad in many countries and corners of the world. Peace Corps is looking for the right person for the right job, which means that almost any adult has a chance to participate. However, 90% of positions in this organization require some kind of education or special knowledge.

Getting into the Peace Corps is not so easy, but for most jobs they promise funding at a level that roughly corresponds to the standard of living of the locals.

You can become a volunteer abroad with the help of EVS (European Volunteer Service) - part of the European Commission's Youth in Action project. They offer a wide variety of jobs and positions for periods ranging from two months to two years, and fund accommodation, meals, health insurance, and a member's visa. In addition, EVS covers 90% of travel expenses.

Lesser known and unofficial

Free volunteer programs abroad are not limited to this - there are also various projects that are not widely known (for example, from Lanta Animal Welfare, which takes care of dogs and cats in Thailand) and not even very official (like the assistant position in a small yoga center ). Many opportunities for volunteering for every taste can be found on specialized sites.

Volunteering as a kind of activity has been known since ancient times. It is not aimed at obtaining material benefits and focuses on helping those who need it. The law of the Russian Federation defines volunteers as individuals who carry out charitable activities free of charge. Volunteering is developed in the world, there are many programs that cover a wide range of tasks. Russians and residents of the CIS countries often participate in volunteer programs not only to provide voluntary assistance to those who need it, but also to travel abroad, travel and see the world.

Volunteering: benefit not only to people, but also to yourself

If you do not take into account the moral factor (voluntary assistance has always testified to a person with the best side), then participation in the volunteer program is a very successful and cheap way to travel abroad. It is also an opportunity to make new friends, deepen your knowledge of a foreign language and prove yourself in a socially important matter.

The first step is to visit the volunteer center. It is necessary to leave an application for participation in a particular project. Together with it, you must fill out a questionnaire in which you indicate all personal data. You also need to go through a short interview with the staff of the center, during which they will try to find out the purpose of the person's participation in the volunteer program. A big plus for the candidate will be friendliness, a disinterested attitude to duties, communication skills and a desire to work. The fact is that in many volunteer programs the number of vacancies is small, and the number of candidates simply rolls over. A big plus will be the knowledge of one of the most common foreign languages (English, Spanish, German or French).

Is it possible to emigrate through volunteering?

Participation in a volunteer program can be considered as a way of immigration, since participants in international humanitarian missions are entitled to receive the status of a resident of the country in which they volunteer. As a rule, a residence permit is issued for the period of being part of this mission on the basis of an official letter from its leadership to the immigration service of the country. If the volunteer later wishes to remain in that state, then the period in the status of a temporary resident while working in a mission will be counted in the naturalization process.

As a way to move to another country, participation in the volunteer program is ideal for young people who have not yet accumulated enough funds and professional experience to emigrate in a different way. This point can be attributed to the fact that some countries are extremely closed to foreigners. And it is much easier for a volunteer to get there if he is a member of a volunteer organization accredited in these states.

Paid and free volunteer programs abroad

Programs are paid and free. Paid ones provide for the purchase of tickets by a volunteer and payment for certain administrative services when processing documents, while only food and accommodation are free. The second type of volunteer programs assumes that all expenses are fully covered by the organizer, and the volunteer travels abroad absolutely free of charge.

The most popular volunteer programs abroad in 2019

Turtle Teams is a volunteer program whose main task is to save sea turtles and other endangered inhabitants of the deep sea. Participation in the program (Turtle Teams - its English title) assumes that the volunteer must be familiar with diving and have certain skills and experience in scuba diving. Small groups of volunteers of this program are scattered across many countries of the world, which are washed by the seas and oceans.

Australia's Conservation Volunteers is an environmental conservation program. It operates in Australia. The scope of activities of voluntary conservationists is the Australian coast, the national parks of the Green Continent, as well as supporting ecotourism. A British version of this volunteer program has recently been created.

"Volunteer Helpers" is a program for volunteers who help people around the world with household, in the hotel business, in the construction of social facilities. The main supplier of orders in this case is the international exchange Help Exchange. A feature of this program is the need to make preliminary agreements with hosts around the world so that they can prepare to receive volunteers.

"Volunteers in Sudan" - this is how the well-known international program Sudan Volunteer Program is most often called. If the applicant speaks English well, then the road to Sudan is open to him, where volunteers work who teach English to children and students of this exotic African country, and also strive to establish positive interethnic and cultural communication among the inhabitants of Sudan, where the issue of ethnic hatred has been acute for many years in a row. .

Accommodation conditions, of course, are not the most personal, but you won’t have to go far after work: sleep peacefully at school or university. Project participants pay only for the air ticket, the rest of the costs are covered. New teachers receive a small monthly stipend.
Marina Eroshkinahttp://hochutur.ru/book/export/html/84

Volunteer programs 2019 in Russia

On the territory of Russia, the volunteer movement is only at the stage active development, because there are not so many programs for participation. If countries Western Europe and the United States, the most popular are projects related to charity, saving rare animals and helping the disadvantaged, for Russians, programs related to numerous domestic reserves are of the greatest interest.

In 2019, everyone can take part in the following volunteer projects:

Volcanoes of Kamchatka Natural Park The program for volunteers runs from June to October 2019. The responsibilities of the program participants will include the arrangement of hiking trails and routes, maintaining educational activities and work with visitors. The organizers of the project will be especially pleased with volunteers who can take photos and videos at a professional level.
To participate in this program, you must pass a safety briefing and the rules of conduct in the protected area. In addition, the volunteer must be of legal age and have health insurance.
"Baikal Project" This volunteer program is organized in the format of a reality show from July to September 2019. Participants will recreate the project of the Great Tea Road on Lake Baikal, clean up tourist sites from garbage. All actions of volunteers will be recorded on cameras, at the end of the shift, each volunteer will receive a commemorative film about their participation in the project.
Preference will be given to applicants with good physical characteristics (the program includes a lot of tracking), with experience in landscape design or those who want to learn something new.
National Park "Yugyd-Va"One of the largest natural reserves in the world, the park "Yugyd-Va", located in Komi, from July to September organizes special program for volunteers from all over the world. The responsibilities of the project participants will include cleaning tourist sites, collecting and separating garbage, building gazebos, installing information stands, and conducting sightseeing tours.
Preference when accepting an application is given to organized groups (minimum 2 volunteers), people who know how to use garden tools, who have construction skills. Possession of skills in orienteering on the ground will be an advantage.
For volunteers who are professionally skilled in photography and video shooting, a special tour of the reserve will be organized, associated with the creation of educational materials and information resources.
Muravyovskiy park Muravyovskiy park attracts volunteers from all over the world throughout the year. The park needs the help of volunteers in cleaning and cleaning the park area from debris and pollution, caring for rare animals and birds, and cleaning fire lanes from leaves and deadwood. In addition, the park needs volunteers who are fluent in English and French. Their task will be to translate the park's promotional products into foreign languages to attract tourists from all over the world.
The park administration offers about a dozen different programs. When studying them, you need to pay attention to the requirements for candidates. Some will require good knowledge biology and physiology of animals and birds.

Video: how to become a member of a volunteer program abroad and leave as a volunteer

"Appalachian Helpers" is a volunteer activity in the region of the same name mountains in America, where a large area from Georgia to Maine requires special care. The duties of volunteers include work as rangers, environmental assistance, construction of the necessary supporting infrastructure, planting trees.

"UN Volunteers" is emergency assistance in countries that have experienced a natural disaster or environmental catastrophe. To participate in this program, you must have at least basic disaster relief skills, and experience in relevant organizations in your country of citizenship is welcome. This program is one of the most demanded, since many earthquakes, floods and other manifestations of the violence of the elements occur every year in the world.

Willingness to work in places remote and not the most comfortable at the UN is always welcome. Exotic lovers and altruists who want to help starving children in Africa, as it turns out, are not so few. But not everyone is clear on the reality. Everyday life and work in, say, the Central African Republic, South Sudan or other hot spots.
Nastya Krasilnikovahttp://www.the-village.ru/village/people/howtobe/142605-sotrudnik-oon

"Universal Volunteer" (Peace Corps) is a program that is somewhat similar to work in Soviet student construction teams. Its participants can work in any country in the world in the field of social construction, environmental protection, and provide assistance to healthcare workers of a certain state. No wonder the volunteers of this program are called universal.

Agrotourists (WWOOF) is an international volunteer program that provides an opportunity for volunteers from around the world to work in agriculture. Volunteers will be able to provide all possible assistance to farmers in depressed and environmentally problematic areas in 53 countries where this volunteer program is accredited.

EVS - European Volunteer Service, which is an international project funded by the European Commission. It is very popular among the youth of the CIS countries. Young people between the ages of 18 and 30 are eligible to participate in EVS volunteer programs. As a rule, 90% of the organizational costs are borne by the founder. Within the framework of this project, there is an opportunity to visit all the states of the European Union, as well as many African countries, Latin America and Asia. Volunteer programs have a wide focus, from participation in cultural events and media support, to assistance in work government organizations countries cooperating with EVS.

There are many other volunteer programs that are active all over the world. Their voluntary participants today are tens of thousands of people from all continents of the planet.

For some, volunteering is an opportunity to travel for the benefit of themselves and people, for some it is an opportunity for self-realization, and someone uses participation in a volunteer program to move to another country.

Video: volunteering in Europe

Conditions for applicants

For participants in international volunteer programs, there are several criteria that they must meet. First, the candidate must be of legal age. This is an indispensable condition for participation in any international program. Secondly, he must know English at a basic level, knowledge of other languages is also welcome. Thirdly, the volunteer must not have bad habits (alcoholism, drug addiction) and not carry an outstanding criminal record. For participants in humanitarian emergency relief missions and natural disasters There are several other conditions for participation in the volunteer program: good condition health, first aid skills and psychological resilience in stressful situations. It is obligatory to have a valid passport and the absence of obstacles for opening a visa to a specific country where it is planned to engage in volunteer activities (for example, deportations in the recent past).

There is no official upper age limit for a volunteer. But as a general rule, candidates older than 30-32 are rarely approved for participation in programs. This rule does not apply when participating in UN humanitarian missions, where specialized experience is often required.

How to volunteer abroad

If there is a desire to become a volunteer, then you should choose the program of interest, visit the appropriate website and register on it. The second option would be to go to the nearest volunteer center, the address of which is indicated on the program website. In both the first and second cases, you should register by filling out the proposed application form, and also leave your contact details. It is advisable to write a motivation letter in which to talk about the reasons that prompted you to participate in this volunteer program.

In any case, it should be understood that the probability of rejection is high, since there are many candidates. At the same time, the volunteer organization is responsible for its participants, so the selection of candidates is taken very seriously.

Upon receipt of a positive response and after agreeing on all organizational issues(tickets, visas, time and method of departure, etc.) you should start packing your bags. It must be remembered that participation in many volunteer programs implies the independent issuance of visas and the purchase of tickets. Therefore, it is important to have enough money both for these activities and for the purchase of tickets home, which is important.

All information about future activities as part of a volunteer organization must be indicated in the contract that is concluded with the selected candidate. He has legal force, therefore, violation of its terms can be challenged in court.

An official invitation from a volunteer organization includes a “green light” for applying for a visa on your own, if you present it to the consulate of the country you plan to travel to. Also for volunteers, many states issue free visas.

It should be remembered that volunteering is purely voluntary. Therefore, a volunteer can at any time refuse to fulfill the mission assigned to him (although, in this case, he will have to reimburse the funds spent on him by the organization). In the same way, an organization that has accepted a volunteer into its ranks may part with it at its own discretion.

Pitfalls of volunteering

Even such a noble activity as volunteering has its pitfalls. You should know them so as not to get into a mess (at the same time - abroad and without money for a ticket home).

An extremely important point when choosing a volunteer program is its reliability.. It is desirable that some of the friends or acquaintances have already gone through the volunteer path in its composition and could thus confirm the reliability of the organization. There are cases when volunteers fall into labor slavery abroad, without the right and opportunity to return home. Fraudsters operate in the CIS, who, masquerading as official volunteer centers, actually supply free labor abroad. Do not fall for their bait - the first task of the volunteer.

When concluding an agreement with a volunteer organization, you should check the correctness of the data entered into it. No penalties disciplinary action etc. in the contract for a volunteer cannot be provided for by definition. It is also advisable to check all travel documents before leaving. The volunteer has the right to know all the necessary information about the type of future activity, the place and conditions where it will be carried out, as well as about all the potential risks with which it is associated.

The basic principle of a volunteer: do no harm. More precisely, do not harm yourself or other people. Often there are cases when a person who has arrived as a volunteer begins to engage in activities that are by no means voluntary. This is severely suppressed by the organization itself, and then the unfortunate volunteer goes home. Sometimes a person cannot, for some reason, perform the duties assigned to him. He does not get along with the team, he cannot work, he is terribly afraid of any risks. In this case, the person has every right to interrupt his volunteer activities and go home.

Volunteers often have to work in difficult natural and climatic conditions. In Africa it can be multiple infectious diseases, in mountainous areas - the danger of earthquakes, mudflows and avalanches. When communicating with marine life there is a chance of becoming a victim of their aggression. There are many risks, and this should be understood even before registering on the official website of the organization or going to the volunteer center.

Volunteering is a state of mind. Not everyone can become one. At the same time, one can talk about participation in international volunteer projects as a very effective and inexpensive way to move abroad. After all, yesterday's volunteer can stay in the country he loves and someday become its citizen, since the process of naturalization was initiated precisely as part of a volunteer organization.