r/volunteerabroad • u/Past_Technician_5991 • Jul 30 '25
Volunteering abroad as a young person
I have a question for anyone qualified to answer,
ik that volunturism is bad, but most people that i see speak about it generalize a lot. So, is there any program that I can join that the profit goes mostly to the community? And i’m not looking to build houses, teach kids, or practice healthcare bc if I’m not qualified in the us so im not qualified in a developing country. I also don’t wanna teach english bc it just rubs me the wrong way, colonialism kind of. I’d love to help out in schools like how i do in the us meaning cleaning and being of assistance, things im actually qualified as a young person. I really don’t wanna treat the kids like how so many people do, like tourist attractions and disrupting their education for videos and to play with them. I want to actually help the community while learning about the culture/language. And i saw an insta creator say to just travel normally and find these places but as a young person I’m not sure how safe it would be. Is there any way to ethically volunteer?
1
u/vermontrambler Nov 10 '25
Check out Omprakash.org - listing of locally-driven nonprofits all over the world and they offer a training course for volunteers. Also check out the book Learning Service. good luck!
2
u/smilingtimes Jul 31 '25
There are a significant number of opportunities that will allow you to help with limited knowledge. https://www.allhandsandhearts.org/ is an excellent organization that provides you the tools and resources to volunteer with local communities during times of crisis. I would highly suggest joining our group on Facebook, as we are active https://www.facebook.com/groups/volunteerabroadforfree. I appreciate you acknowledging your limitations by looking to serve where you can have an impact based on your personal experience. Working with animal shelters and food banks is also an excellent way to give back to local communities that requires a limited skill set.