For many of us, finding time between work, home, family and social commitments to ‘do good' is nigh on impossible. No matter how high up it features on your list of priorities, somehow another year passes and your great payback to the community goes unrealised. Luckily for us, with the voluntourism industry growing exponentially, we can now squeeze a year's worth of good deeds into one little holiday.
The great thing is that voluntourism is not synonymous with martyrdom - you are not expected to cash in your hard-earned escape for a week of miserable, depressing chores in a miserable, depressing place; these days, whatever type of holiday, or whichever destination you have your heart set on, it's guaranteed that there'll be an opportunity to slip in a spot of vounteering while you're there.
This is especially true for us UAE dwellers, as we are surrounded on all sides by exciting, interesting countries - many of which are calling out for people to come and lend a helping hand.
Before you book your next holiday, check out our pick of the top three voluntourism opportunities, all less than four hours flight time away.
A real voluntourism experience
Aquarius' Louisa Wilkins spent five days in Palestine - three days of which were spent helping out at summer camps for underprivileged children through the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund.
"I sat quietly, mesmerised by the young woman speaking loudly in front of me. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but it didn't matter. She was 16 years old, blind, from a small village in the Palestinian West Bank, reading from a sheet of Braille a poem she had written herself. Around her sat a class of pre-teen boys who all listened intently - and the passion emanating from her was evident. It was one of those experiences that makes you feel like your memory is being pin-tacked to that moment in time. You know you're witnessing something unique and you hope you'll never forget it.
"Four weeks earlier, I had received an email from the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) spreading the word about its summer camps, which were in need of volunteers. Already a big fan of the PCRF and its incredible work, which focuses on improving the lives of Palestinian children living below the poverty line or living in refugee camps or without adequate medical care, this seemed like a great opportunity to explore somewhere new while doing something productive and worthwhile. When it became clear that they were not only looking for volunteers at their camps in Jordan and Lebanon, but also for summer camps in the West Bank, it was an opportunity that simply could not be passed up.
"So in the third week of July, a good friend and I flew to Amman in Jordan with two duffel bags of baggy, light-weight clothes and two suitcases of toys. We had been inundated with well-meant warnings, but after speaking to various people who had recently travelled to the West Bank for different reasons (two people to volunteer, two people to study), we felt comfortable and secure that the charity would not put us in a situation it felt was dangerous.
"I am not exactly sure what we were expecting, but the reality was so much more emotionally intense and moving than we could have imagined. During three days of voluntary work in different PCRF summer camps around the Nablus region of Palestine, we were mobbed by hundreds of happy, smiley, lovely, curious children and young adults, all of whom were unabashedly grateful for the opportunity. In comparison with the marble hallways of schools here in the UAE, the schools we spent time in were bare. And yet the volunteers - young men and women from the villages themselves - had the camps buzzing with games of football, painting sessions, music and dance recitals, lessons in Palestinian culture and history, face-painting, arts and crafts, gardening and lots more.
"One of the PCRF's central ideologies is integration of special needs children in to its projects. Each classroom we visited had at least one child with a mental or physical disability - and they were celebrated. In one classroom, 18-year-old Ali, who suffers from multiple physical disabilities, couldn't walk by himself, and couldn't keep his limbs still. And yet he painstakingly forced out the words, "My name is Ali", to us in English before being led to a chair in the centre of the room where he was surrounded by the rest of the boys all dancing and singing along to a popular Arabic song. In Ali's eyes, you could see real happiness.
"The people we met - in the summer camps, in shops, in taxis - were inspiring in their strength and genuine in their warmth. The experience was humbling to say the least. It has left a lasting impression on both of us and we are determined to return for next year's summer camps with the PCRF. As my first voluntourism adventure, I felt that I got so much more out of my holiday than if I had just spent five days as a tourist in Palestine. And it was infinitely more exciting than spending a week bored on a beach."
CULTURE - Working with children in Palestine
Perfect for: Those who feel like they aren't getting an authentic Middle Eastern experience here in the UAE.
The organisation: The Palestinian Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) is a non-profit organisation that offers medical support to children in need across the Arab world. Not only do they arrange for teams of medical experts to visit Palestine, operating on hundreds of children at a time, but, if necessary, they arrange for children to be flown with a member of their family to a country that has the specialist care they need. At the moment, for example, there are five children, aged between 19 months and 15 years, from Palestine, who are being hosted by families in the UAE for three months while they undergo medical treatment. As well as providing medical assistance, the PCRF also runs summer camps and aid distribution campaigns every year.
The work: The PCRF use volunteers at its summer camps, where you help out with activities and outings for the children, and on its aid-delivering missions, which might see you travelling to remote towns and villages giving out wheelchairs, or other medical provisions.
The cost: You need to cover your travel costs to Palestine - the best way is to fly to Amman, Jordan, and travel by car to the border, where you can cross and get a taxi or bus to whichever town you are based. The PCRF teams will arrange an itinerary for you, to fit into whatever time frame you give them, as well as help with arranging accommodation - staying with host families, at youth hostels, or guesthouses. The PCRF advises planning for a budget of about Dh300 per day. However, thanks to the generous Palestinian hospitality, you will probably find yourself hard pressed to spend it.
While you are there: There's tonnes to do, from city tours and trips to nearby villages or souks, to tours of refugee camps, and cultural excursions. This country, which has been off the tourist map for years, is bursting with interesting people, colourful stories and a gracious, hospitable culture.
Sign up: For details, visit www.pcrf.net There are many UAE-based PCRF volunteers who are on hand to meet you and advise on travel, logistics and anything else you may need to know.
NATURE - Working at an elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka
Perfect for: Nature and wildlife enthusiasts
The organisation: Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in the Kegalle District of Sri Lanka has been taking in elephants orphaned by hunting and deforestation for more than 30 years. It now has more than 70 elephants and although it is financed by the Sri Lankan government, it relies heavily on entrance fees from tourists to pay for the mahouts (elephant care givers and drivers) and the 14,000 kilos of food the animals need every day. Luckily, Pinnawala is one of the country's top tourist attractions and it gets close to 50,000 visitors each month.
The work: Volunteers are needed to help with bathing the elephants twice a day, keeping their enclosures clean, feeding the animals, caring for the babies, and much more.
The cost: Voluntourism company Volunteering Solutions will arrange a week's accommodation lodging with a host family, including three meals a day, for Dh2,000. This cost includes airport transfer as well as travel and medical insurance. The longer you stay, the cheaper it gets per week. You will also need to pay for your flight - flydubai, Air Arabia and Mihin Lanka all fly regularly and direct from the UAE to Sri Lanka.
While you are there: Sri Lanka is the perfect place for nature-lovers to gorge on living, breathing ecosystems. This beautiful country offers everything from coral reef beaches and tropical jungles, to tea plantations, waterfalls and mountains. For a truly inspiring adventure, combine your volunteering stint with a trip to Adam's Peak, a mountain in the centre of the country with a temple at the top, which is popular with pilgrims and trekkers alike.
People often begin the climb at nightfall so that they can reach the temple while it's still dark and watch the sun's rays creep over the hills at dawn - magnificent!
Sign up: To find out more info about volunteering at Pinnawala or to book, vist www.volunteeringsolutions.com Their working week starts on a Monday.
ACTION- Working on community development projects in Nepal
Perfect for: Active types who want to put their fitness to good use.
The organisation: Volunteer Aid in Nepal is a non-profit, non-government organisation which, in addition to community development projects, offers voluntourists the chance to undertake a number of worthwhile projects, from teaching English to Buddhist monks, to teaching IT to children. You can also help in orphanages, work on organic farms, help with research projects and lend a helping hand with medical programmes. Its motto is ‘Think globally, act locally', and it has a target of engaging 700 volunteers per year on its projects.
The work: As part of the community development project team, you could be building anything, from a school or library, to a block of communal bathrooms, a library, or anything else the community needs. Prior knowledge or experience of building or DIY will definitely help, but there are also opportunities for those without construction experience to help with the decorating side of the projects.
The cost: After a registration fee of Dh500, prices for programmes start at Dh850 per week, which includes airport transfers within Nepal, accommodation, meals, and a sightseeing tour of Kathmandu. In addition, you need to pay for your own flight - Etihad, flydubai and Royal Nepal Airlines all fly to Nepal.
While you are there: Where better for an action-hungry, culture-thirsty traveller to end up than the Himalayas? Not only can you trek and climb yourself into a fitness frenzy, but you can get a thrill from a number of action-packed experiences, including white water rafting, paragliding, bungee jumping, downhill mountain biking, and pretty much any other adrenaline-fuelled pursuit you can think of. All activities are available throughout the year.
Sign up: Visit www.volunteeraidnepal.org to find out about upcoming community development projects.
And more...
If you need more inspiration, check out some more fab voluntourism opportunities:
>> The Great Orangutan Project: Offer your time for the conservation and protection of these cute ginger primates. Visit www.orangutanproject.com.
>> Tsunami Volunteering: An 11-day trip which includes five days of volunteering, where you will help women who were widowed by the tsunami to make soap and other items, play with the children, help with a beach clean-up, plant seedlings and more while staying with host families. The rest of the trip is spent doing typical Thai holiday activities, such as elephant parks, snorkelling and island hopping. Visit www.godifferently.com.
>> Rainforest Alliance: Spend three days of an eco-luxury trip to Costa Rica returning rehabilitated animals into their natural habitat. Visit www.handsupholidays.com.
