[Celtic]

I'm looking a doing volunteer trip to Latin America sometime this winter where I could do some volunteer work. I'm a big believer in killing multiple birds with one stone, so I'd like to find a trip where I could:

-Do some volunteer work helping the needy in a way that would really be useful.

-Give me a chance to continue to improve my Spanish by practicing it.

-Give me a chance to meet more Latina chicas

Anyone have any experience with things like this? Most of the volunteer things I found on google are all inclusive deals targeted towards helpless gringos, that charge really high prices for you to go down there and work.

Thanks for anyone who knows anything about this.

[scotian]

I`ve looked into it and will likely do some volunteering in the future, I found some cool placements on this website: http://www.workaway.info/

[Wayout]

I'll add another bird you can kill with the same stone - money! Go teach English!

[choichoi]

yeah did one to Guyana last month - didnt pay shit but busted my ass helping others which was good

[the_conductor]

I did some volunteer work in a village near Lijiang, China 5-6 ago. Helped them build a school. IMO if you're going to stay in a place that really needs aid, most likely you won't be in the mood to game in that same place. Unhygienic living conditions, mass poverty, no infrastructure.

Look for a place where you can do your volunteering during the day, and go out a few miles to have your fun afterwards. Or you can trying volunteering in places that don't need aid but would appreciate "help", like schools or orphanages in the city.

When I was there I was with a few people who knew how to speak Chinese. If you don't know the language of the country you're going to or some good locals, you'll have to wade past a bunch of "volunteer tourism" programs targeted at gringos, packaged and marketed to make them think they're "making a difference in this world" and feel better about themselves.

[Spike]

I noticed that most companies that offer volunteering services are basically scams where you have to pay big bucks to volunteer. I've looked into the volunteering option a few times but this is my overall opinion on it.

[IainMuirs]

There are many big 'middle men' companies offering volunteer tourism to naive gap year students and they charge thousands of dollars for it then only hand over a couple of hundred to the actual charity on the ground. You need to avoid these places and go direct to local organisations.

[Cr33pin]

I was gonna do one of these "pay to volunteer things" this year. I took someones advice on here an just went to the Philippines an got my own apartment. Then found a orphanage an went down there an they let me volunteer on my own terms an times. Granted I didnt volunteer as much as I thought I would an ended up just kicking it for the first month I was there....

[Deluge]

This is far from Latin America, but thought it'd be cool to share. Some of my classmates did a volunteer trip trekking through fucking Mongolia with: http://tserentours.com/

[IainMuirs]

Every time I'm going travelling I tell myself I'm going to do something worthwhile like volunteering but I hit the ground and start enjoying myself and giving up my time to volunteer suddenly seems less attractive.

[Celtic]

Good advice on avoiding the pay-to-volunteer things. I read up on them and it seems like the main thing they do is enrich themselves by showing poverty to gringos.

I've researched and found some more options though. Hopefully one of these will work out: http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net/

[tarquin]

I've been thinking about taking a "vacation" during which I help people for a few weeks. I'm weary of the volunteerism industry. I'd rather not pay money to build a hut only to have the locals tear it down for the next group of paying idiots.

Would I be better off spending a weekend at Habitat for Humanity in terms of actually helping others? Volunteering at a local soup kitchen? I've only recently begun to think that I should give back, but I'm not sure the best ways to do it or even the exact reasons why I feel compelled to do so. Any advice would be helpful.

[kinnikinik]

I regularly combine volunteering into my travels...

If anyone wants to volunteer while in Manila, I HIGHLY recommend two organizations Project Pearls (projectpearls.org) and Young Focus (youngfocus.org) both operate in the area that used to be known as Smokey Mountain with kids that are in DIRE need.

If you're gonna be in Manila anyway, get your ass out of bed and go make a bit of a difference. You'll be glad you did, although I won't promise you it will be fun!