How to choose a volunteer program
With so many options available to you when it comes to volunteering, it can be pretty overwhelming to decide which areas you want to make an impact in.Â
First, it’s important to think about things you’re passionate about and go from there. Are you passionate about working with children? Women’s empowerment? Gender Equality? Global health? Education? Sustainability? Whatever you decide to do, if you’ve stayed true to yourself and your passions, you can be sure that you’ll play a significant role in making an impact in areas that really matter.
Volunteering abroad with children is the perfect opportunity for career breakers who are passionate about making a positive impact on children’s futures. Volunteers don’t need to be skilled or have previous experience in working with children when joining one of our volunteering abroad programs. As a volunteer or intern with this program focus, you’ll support children through initiatives like educational enrichment and sports. You’ll also be working in public health awareness, women’s empowerment, as well as sustainable environmental practices.
It is important to note that GVI does not support orphanage volunteering. For more information, see our stance on orphanage volunteering. We also support ChildSafe, a global child protection initiative, and regularly review our comprehensive Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection policy. All staff and participants are required to complete a police background check before arrival on their chosen program, and on-site child protection training is provided once they arrive to volunteer. We also protect children from cyber and real-world threats by ensuring that our marketing material follows child protection best practices.
Join staff and other GVI participants from around the world to learn about, and contribute to, women’s empowerment and gender equality initiatives in your chosen region. Each of these programs have goals aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 5: Gender Equality.Â
Volunteering on women’s empowerment initiatives is a great way to see the world, experience different cultures and contribute to a sustainable project that has positive long-term results.
If you are passionate about contributing to women’s empowerment through education, public health education and entrepreneurial initiatives, then this is definitely the project focus for you. You’ll gain real-world skills while making an impact and immersing yourself in the local language of whichever country you choose for your career break.
Some of the activities you can expect to be involved in during these women’s empowerment programs include educational workshops for girls at their schools, as well as professional skills development workshops or language classes for community members.
Contribute towards advancing UN SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being when you choose to take a career break abroad focusing on public health projects.Â
Here you can contribute towards helping communities gain access to clean water, sanitation and vital information on health topics such as maternal health, HIV and AIDS awareness and proper nutrition practices. You can also contribute to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) workshops. These are workshops that promote and support regular hand-washing and other hygiene practices that have the ability to improve the long-term health of youth and adults.Â
GVI’s public health programs often attract career breakers that are skilled in the health industry, but it’s not a prerequisite. While previous experience is advantageous, it’s by no means necessary. Our public health programs are open to all career breakers from any background.Â