Today, thanks to the Internet anyone can travel around the world, to live in the country of your dreams and even make some money on what you want to bring home from this trip. It’s enough to have the desire to volunteer. Perhaps the most popular worldwide Internet resources with volunteer programs www.workaway.info and www.helpx.net. Collected here are a variety of options: from the construction of schools after the earthquake in Nepal to decorating the hostel in Malaysia, teaching English in Brazil, the cultivation of pepper in Thailand, the reconstruction of the castle in France or pet care in Hawaii… the Teaching of “English” and the work in the hostel — the most common volunteer programs.
Another useful online resource wwoof.net portal voluntary agri-tourism. Here you can learn how to bake banana bread, grow a papaya make fertilizer for vegetables, build a clay house, take care of exotic plants, to participate in the production of cheese and wine. To see contacts, annual costs from $20 to $29 for one or $38 for two.
“Today,” sought out a few Ukrainians, who for years need volunteers around the world.
FRY THE POTATOES IN HEAVEN
For example, a 28-year-old Inna Kolomiets from a small village in Vinnytsia already
to work as an English teacher in Vietnam and China, to turn a trick in a TV show in Indonesia a couple of months ago in her possession was a deserted beach on the Malaysian island of Borneo.
Inna promontorie workaway.info chose offer about volunteering in a hostel Nagapuri Beach Retreat in Borneo, Malaysia, where citizens of Ukraine can stay a month without a visa. In September 2016, the ina was, as she says, in Paradise, and geographical name of this “piece” of Borneo, Nagauri. Her duties included: cleaning the beach and the rooms for the guests, help in the kitchen, decorating rooms and also communicating in English with the children, cook, Mary, a refugee from Indonesia.
“In General, all the little things that there was no one dumped on volunteers — laughing Inna. — The first days was hard. The sea was washed ashore a lot of algae, so I only take half a day to clean the beach. I’ve wanted to go away, as here comes a new volunteer — johnny from Ireland. To work together has become more fun. I cook — he washes dishes, I raked the trash he collects”.
In General, with the arrival of the strong working hands of the Irish volunteer life Inna adjusted. To work now took only three to four hours a day. The rest of the time she did a lot of reading, blogging, swimming, sunbathing, and even began to paint, although earlier it was not interested. And in the evenings the volunteers were endless conversations with guests at the hostel, admiring the sunsets and watching movies under tea or beer. “Where is the Irishman, there is beer,” smiles Inna.
Three weeks of volunteering tourists arrived a little: from 10 rooms were always busy with one, the other lived by Inna. Housing is simple, she says, a mattress on the floor with mosquito mesh and made of stone and seashells wall decor:
“Nothing in excess, to the sea, a few meters, every morning woke up to the sound of the waves. What else is needed for happiness?” Well, let’s say, some people are full of happiness need the Internet, and on-site it is not. Yes, and to the nearest village with a shop, if you suddenly want sweet, 5 km. But those who come here on a week vacation, says Inna, I can’t complain.
And in the summer hostel in General is chock full of: “Girls volunteers had to spend the night in tents or storage, because all the rooms were taken”.
First workaway-experience she turned out pretty well thanks to the hostel owner, max, she said: “He 50, but in the soul — not more than 30. Cheerful, full of energy, speaks several languages. When there are tourists, that Mary is preparing at all, but if the hostel is empty, then I did all the cooking. Although it says loudly — potato fry, and everyone is happy”. According to her, Max didn’t track how many hours a day they work, often saying, “Relax.” “Although it was controversial relaxation, smiling Inna. He says: “Relax, there’s time, but that’s in the room need to shell pootkryvali, but there is fallen leaves from trees to collect my friend from doing drugs, and then coffee to brew”. In the last week of the off-season Max went on vacation, leaving a hostel in the care of ina and johnny. Tourists in General, the sea was calm and the beach — n
and surprisingly clean. All work was to play with children Mary and dogs. All. Boring. And the guys left.
You can build schools in Nepal, to decorate hostel in Malaysia or teaching English in Brazil
Inna found a new volunteer project in Sri Lanka, which proved to be much more promising. “In April I will be there to be a volunteer in a hostel on the coast as a Manager. If all goes well, it will remain there for the long term and on other conditions: with a small salary and official employment, as the owners of six months or leave the country”, says the young girl.
FIRST STEPS AND TIPS
Volunteers are provided with accommodation and food, and for this he undertakes for 4-5 hours daily to do some minor work. In my spare time to learn the culture and traditions of the host country, communicate with volunteers from all over the world, travel around the area, in General, open new horizons. Therefore, some travel over the years, the most active, by the way — school graduates, because the EU and the US after graduation are not made to run at a gallop to the University, and practiced to take a year “to think”, what I want to do in life. This year, young people need volunteers, make friends from different countries, gain knowledge and experience that when referring to later in the summary give an additional weight in the eyes of Western employers.
Select the country where you want to go, browse through the list of hosts. Pay attention to the duties of the volunteer and living conditions. As a rule, is a 5-day stay in 4-5 hours, but there are exceptions, for example, sometimes must pay for meals, or tent camping. Write at least 7-10 applications for volunteering in your chosen country. Often the hosts do not meet — for example, no access to the Internet. Before you contact host, read reviews left by previous volunteers. Sometimes short-sighted the owners of the hostels and farms use the volunteer sites to find free labor, and they do not care about “cultural exchanges”. The volunteer is responsible for visas (regular tourist) and pays for the flight.
Your desire can bring even in Africa
UKRAINE: TRAVEL FROM THE U.S. FOR SOUP
You need to be ready to difficulties, especially at the initial stage of this journey. Kremenchugsky Alena Belous first experience volunteering through workaway came out not very good. “This is a hostel in Vietnam, located in the province of Ha Zan. There is magnificent mountain scenery, — says the Ukrainian, who teaches English in this country. — The description says: you will need a couple of hours a day to help with tourists on resale
not to make tea. Think: “Bad”, and we went with a friend”.
Further, says Alena, started all how the fairy tale “Cinderella”. “7 am, we had to Wake up at the doorstep already stood the Manager with a list of tasks, — says Alyona. — We were preparing for tourists Breakfast, washed dishes, cleaned room… And it’s only the first day! Remember, sat down to rest for a moment, immediately appeared as the Manager shouting: “Hey, Yu! Go!”, like, still need to do this and that. We were in shock!”. On the second day of “volunteering” they presented a list of nine items.
“The Manager dashed us 8-hour day with the words: “You have to work, because they give you a room and food”, which I did not eat. I’m a vegetarian myself and cook, continues to recall Alain. — The schedule was this: 7:00 am-12:00 — we plow, then till 14:00 — lunch, then again harnessed, and tonight — only “posudku wash”. On the site, it was stated to — day no more than five hours. In response, the Manager says: “We’re one family?!”.
The girls were so discouraged that evening gathered and moved to another hostel — not volunteers, and relax. “If we stayed, it is unlikely that we would have the opportunity to explore the surrounding mountains. And so rented a motorbike and go!” — says Alyona.
The list of assistants. There, staffed by volunteers, can often be found such a list
UKRAINE. There are volunteer sites and hosts-the Ukrainians. Farmers
or ordinary family calling to visit English-speaking travelers for language practice, or those who are important and interesting cultural exchange. American John Cilo last year spent all of August in the village in the Chernihiv region. “Awesome,” “great,” “fine,” John sounded obscene amount of nice words, describing “Today” your volunteer experience in our country. We are talking about the ecovillage Obirok under Baturina, which has about 30 houses in the three hamlets. In Abirke creative life boils-boils: there are constantly festivals, master classes, film screenings…
“I can’t call it a typical volunteering, to which I am accustomed, for example, in hostels, where I had a clear schedule and responsibilities,” says 21-year-old John, who, despite his age, has already worked as a volunteer at the football Academy in Ghana, in hostels Israel and Thailand and is now on an organic farm in Cambodia.
“On the farm Obirok I felt like a family, nobody tells me what to do, but I always found a use and tried to be helpful — continues American. — Followed the water, cleared dead trees from the bark to the fire, entertained everyone playing the ukulele. Helped in the kitchen. We needed vegetables, so I was digging in the garden or rode a Bicycle to the market. Oh, the market! The whole adventure! The locals do not speak English, and we with other volunteers, learned a few Ukrainian words to bargain. Came Ukrainians from different parts of the country, and in dealing with them I discovered the Ukraine and its history, I met painters, carpenters, cooks, artists… And fell in love with Ukrainians all the showers! And loved the soup,” says the American.
He was so delighted at the ecovillage that he plans to return this summer.
To us from the USA. John Gili was so pleased that he returned to Ukraine this year
GREECE: PARADISE LOST IN A HISTORIC VILLA
“Little Paradise lost” — so the inhabitant of Kiev Ksenia Zivan described his first volunteering found by workaway. In October last year, she and her husband had decided to hide from the ruthless Ukrainian cold in Sunny Greece. In the passport they had the annual “Schengen”, and in the soul — the desire for something new. “It all happened very quickly. On Wednesday, we wrote to the host, on Thursday received an approving response, on the same day, got tickets, and cheap, for 50 € and after a couple of days were spot on. It was lost in the mountains 5 th the town of Megalopolis in the Peloponnese,” says Ksenia.
The history of Greek, who was invited to Kiev to itself, similar to the scenario. Simple guy Alex lived in Athens, working, sometimes traveling and suddenly, his head falls off the legacy of the ancient villas and a small hotel somewhere in the mountain town. After the capital to live in the province Alex was bored, so he began to host workaway volunteers. Of course, it’s much more fun and use more, because where one is the farm news: the yard was overgrown with blackberries, the Villa was dilapidated and needed repairing, the desolated garden of the hotel need help. In General, the work for everyone.
“I started home cooking for all the volunteers, went to the market, cleaned, — says Ksenia. — Then helped the hotel: monitor the cleanliness in the lobby, preparing rooms for new customers. Although the hotel almost was not —
tel with 10 rooms were filled only on weekends and on holidays. And her husband early in the morning was closely involved in their work online (weblink online store), and then helped me in the garden or a hotel.”
Ksenia says: work was not difficult, on the contrary, interesting. And the company pleasant. At different times lived in the Villa from 8 to 14 volunteers, but there was room for all. “With all the guys was very interesting — they’re from the us, Belgium, UK, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Holland, Mexico, France… it was something to debate! — smiles Ukrainian. We lived like one big family together for Breakfast, lunch and dinner at a huge table in the yard, throw parties, go on picnics. Nearby — forests, fields, mountains… I learned to cook Greek dishes, improved my English skills, found new friends.”
However, the sea had managed to get out only once a month and a half, although it is located in 45 km from Megalopolis. “I then took an extra day off during the week, because the volunteers worked weekdays and weekend buses do not go”, — says Kseniya. Even though it is the first volunteer experience with the couple, but they travel for a long time — a year ago, for example, they traveled by hitchhiking nine countries of Europe, and now live in Bali.
New friends of Xenia from around the world
