uVolunteer General FAQs
Why should I pay to volunteer?
This is one of the most asked questions we get; a commonly asked question and an understandable one as well.
The short answer is that you don't have to pay to volunteer! In fact, you can do it all by yourself; get in contact with a local organisation and arrange your own trip. But we feel this task should only be undertaken by a particular type of individual; someone who has the time and resources to perform all their own research and is willing to taking a chance.
Consider the following scenarios:
(Scenario A) You arrive at your host country not speaking the language and waiting at the airport for 2 hours for someone to pick you up and guide you to your project location only to realize that no one is coming to pick you up. (maybe because the culture of the country you are visiting is not as strict on time keeping as yours is. Or because something unexpected has happened! What do you do? You try calling the number given to you but there is no network….
Or
You arrive at the airport of your designated pick-up point and you are met by an uVolunteer representative or partner holding a place card with your name on it.
If we fail to meet you because of unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances, your placement information pack will clearly instruct you what to do. Call the telephone number of the person that is supposed to pick you up, if you can not get hold of them, read your placement information pack, it will direct you to your nearest alternative pick-up point, usually a nearby hotel that knows uVolunteer or one of our partners. Once you arrive there will be a working phone where you will be able to contact uVolunteer host country representative or contact uVolunteer HQ using our 24 hour emergency service.
(Scenario B) You arrive at your destination and contact the host organization only to discover that the organization has been shut down due to lack of funding.
Or
If the project placement you have booked is no longer available we will notify you as soon as we are aware and place you on a suitable alternative free of charge. We will normally notify you before you leave your home country but sometimes due to the nature of the countries we work in, we will not know until the last minute and by that time you may be already in your host country. In these situations volunteers need to be flexible whilst uVolunteer or our partner organisations quickly rearrange a suitable alternative.
These are just a few of the scenarios that can arise when you personally arrange a volunteer placement; arranging your own placement is not impossible and does not always end with negative results. But generally it is a time consuming task. Some spend months searching for the ideal placement, others travel down to the country they want to volunteer in, and then start looking for placement whilst there.
Bear in mind that, most projects will not offer free accommodation unless you commit for a long period (4-6 months). For short term placements you will most likely have to pay for your own accommodation, food and transport, and also the cost incurred in finding the right placement. Another factor to bear in mind is that local organisation sometimes will also charge you a fee to volunteer with them.
We know that uVolunteer's prices are affordable and it would most likely cost you the same amount of money, if not more, if you were just travelling around on your own paying for transportation, food and accommodation. Think off all those hotels, transportion fees and food costs.
One of the important aspects of volunteering that most do not take into account when considering costs, are the social, support, knowledge and integration networks made immediately available to a volunteer on arrival by an organisation. The links that these networks provide into the local community is invaluable. Most travellers never get a chance of immersion at such a level because they never intergrate into their communities they visit, are always passing through to the next tourist destination.
When volunteering, it is these aspects that I personally find very rewarding and that creates an unforgettable experience; usually climaxing in leaving friends who you'll have for life, when returning to your home country.
uVolunteer offers affordable program fees without sacrafcing the quality and coverage of our services. We offer a very comprehensive package that clearly outlines and explains what is and is not included in each project. Apart from arranging your project placement, our services also include:
Host Country Pick-Up: We will usually arrange a pick up point with you. This will most likely be a host county airport. We can also arrange different pickup points depending on how a volunteer is travelling (bus or train) to the host country. We have a tested system in place, which is explained in your welcome pack and ensures that you know how to act and who to contact in certain situations.
Orientation: An introduction and welcome pack will give you pre-departure information, health and safety tips, local cultural and historical information as well as a packing list. On arrival at our host country you will be given an orientation which will include tips on customs and manners, language lessons, a guided tour of local attractions and a project introduction. You will also be shown where you can access services such as, internet, laundry & telecommunication in your local environment.
Language Classes: All of our programs include language tuition; these sessions are designed to allow you to develop a basic conversational level of the language so that you can get the most out of your volunteer experience. These classes are conducted in small groups and range from beginners to advanced levels of class.
Accommodation/Lodging: We arrange your accommodations for you, so that when you arrive in your host country, you have a bed waiting for you. Your accommodations can range from a home stay with families in rural villages to eco-lodges in the middle of a rain forest or one of uVolunteer Home Bases (volunteer house). Most of our accommodations provide 3 meals a day. Accommodation will always be located in safe areas that are a reasonable distance from your project location.
24/7 Support: uVolunteer takes pride in being there for our volunteers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We have host country staff that is there to answer your questions and provide support and guidance throughout the duration of your placement. We also provide Host country staff with an emergency number where they can contact someone at the regional headquarters at any time so that we can provide immediate assistance in emergency situations. Most problems can be resolved within the host country, but we feel it is always good to have this additional level of support. Because we are based in the regions we work in, our regional headquarters will most likely be in the same time zone as the country you are in; so you do not have to worry about calling us while we sleep!
Last update: 2006-09-04 16:33
Author: Nathaniel Manu
Revision: 1.6
