Working As A Volunteer In Bolivia Is A Tremendous Opportunity for Personal Development
One of the very best ways to learn a foreign language, gain experience of another culture, and the get the feeling that you are doing something good for others, is to sign on as a volunteer to the destination of your choice. Boliva is a popular destination for volunteering because the need is great, but also because the volunteer can live and work in an exotic location while gaining marvelous life experiences.
Before we discuss volunteering in Boliva in more depth, let’s first make clear what the concept of working as a volunteer is all about.
Most people have heard of the Peace Corps, which is a U.S. Government program that sends volunteers to various points around the globe. Peace Corps workers are paid a small “subsistence stipend” for their services. But the volunteer programs we are talking about involve the volunteer paying his or her own way, and also their own expenses while on site in their country of choice. The host is usually a private, non-profit aid organization.
The first question many people ask is: “Why should I not only volunteer my work and talents for free – but also pay a fee besides?”
Well, first of all, the fees are not high; usually just a few hundred dollars per month. In exchange you get a place to stay, a place to work, you become part of an organized effort and you gain work experience – not to mention the incredible experience of being immersed in a different language and culture. It’s a tremendous journey of personal development. Second, you are providing aid and assistance to make the lives of other people better – you are doing something wonderfully selfless and good for the world.
Many people choose Boliva for a volunteer mission because the need is great in some areas, and the Bolivian culture is one of the richest, and most vibrant in the world. Bolivia is a Spanish-speaking country, and even those who speak no Spanish can return fluent in this language once the volunteer service is completed.
Bolivia also offers stunning landscapes – magnificent mountainous regions and rain forests – and when you are not working in your volunteer program, there is ample opportunity to explore both the isolated rural areas, and the large cities.
Bolivia volunteers make new friends and connections – including both personal and professional connections – that often last for the rest of their lives. Volunteers who return from Bolivia come back enriched with a superior level of professional development and connections that make them highly valuable to employers, or with the advanced skills they need to become successful self-employed entrepreneurs.
The key to finding a volunteer mission is to do a lot of research and planning. Search out an organization that works in Bolivia, and which offers a deal and situation which fits your budget and skill set. Whatever your profession — from carpenter to teacher, to nurse or plumber, to English instructor or expert gardener – you will be able to find a volunteer host organization that will get you busy doing good work in Bolivia.
Remember, the choices are many, and it is only wise to investigate carefully. It’s possible that some volunteer hosts are not as scrupulous as others. As in any situation, where there is money to be made, there are people who will seek to take advantage. Check references, or better yet, talk to someone who has personally worked as a Bolivia volunteer with a specific organization. There are many high-quality, well-administered programs that host volunteers and put them to work on above board use in areas where help is sorely needed, and some of the organizations in Bolivia are the best in the world.
Incoming search terms:
- volunteer for free