A 10 Step Guide for Planning to Volunteer Abroad

What is the organisation looking to achieve and what values will they follow to get there?

Every charity has a mission, something they feel passionate about and want to contribute towards. The projects they run should align with their mission and, more importantly, your own personal values. It is important to agree with an organisation’s ethics and know what they are trying to achieve and how they intend to achieve it, to ensure that you have an idea of long-term goals that your work is contributing toward. Furthermore, it is important to feel passionate about the organisation’s work, if you believe in the work that you are doing, you will get so much more out of it – both in terms of your impact and your personal and professional development.
Chat to the organisation’s staff about their mission and definitely ask questions if you are not 100% certain of their aims and objectives.

At Tenteleni our values are centred on our mission, to develop the skills and employability of our own volunteers and the national volunteers we work alongside. We work with local partners to achieve this mission, and our focus on community partnership working ensures our projects reflect the needs of the community and have a sustainable impact on the communities that we volunteer in.

What will I actually be doing on project? How have previous volunteers made a difference?

Organisations offer a range of different volunteer roles. You could be helping build water sanitation units, teaching or working in environmental conservation. It’s really important to do your research: projects vary in length and you want to ensure that what you will be doing on a daily basis not only fits and develops your own skills, but will have the most positive impact in the community. Take some time to think about your own strengths and skills; question what kind of role you would best suit and will have the greatest sustainable impact. Check the organisation's website to see what their volunteer role involves and make sure to read past volunteers’ testimonials to see if it is true to reality.

At Tenteleni we run education focused projects. Our volunteer role predominantly supports educators in core subjects in the classroom as well as facilitating extra-curricular activities. However, there is much more to it! Read about our volunteer role on our website: http://tenteleni.org/what-we-offer/project-volunteer-role/

Does the organisation work with local organisations in their project country?

Partnerships both within the countries an organisation works in and the UK are a fantastic way to increase the organisation’s knowledge and skills. By working with local people, an organisation is better able to assess the needs of the community and the contribution their projects can make. Partnerships enable the sharing of skills, local knowledge, culture, and volunteering best practice. When running volunteering projects abroad, partnerships are perhaps even more important due to the diverse nature of the community and its culture. Long-standing partnerships reflect the reputation of an organisation in a community and shows that an organisation values its partners, recognising their importance in running sustainable projects.

At Tenteleni we return to the same communities year upon year to work alongside our long-standing partners. Our partners are crucial to the smooth running of our projects and every year they bring a wealth of new knowledge that allows us to assess the workings of our projects and develop them for the better. We work with a mixture of schools, youth organisations, NGO’s and governmental bodies. Meet our partners: http://www.buzzfeed.com/tenteleni/meet-our-partners-uanc

Does the organisation work with local volunteers?

Similar to partnerships, organisations can develop a wealth of knowledge by working with local volunteers. International development organisations have a responsibility to contribute to the development of the people living within the communities that they work in, as well as their own UK volunteers. By working with local volunteers, organisations can increase skill development, enhance cultural exchange and encourage community integration. It’s also extremely enjoyable working alongside local volunteers, and they often have important inside knowledge that can prove invaluable to UK volunteers, as well as being able to teach them a few tricks including the local slang!

At Tenteleni our Volunteer Partnership Programme partners local national volunteers with UK volunteers. National volunteers and Tenteleni volunteers usually work together in placement schools, but can also collaborate to run one-off events in the community, or work together in our non-formal placements. Past volunteers have stated that this is the most enjoyable part of their volunteering experience, enhancing their knowledge of the local culture and building friendships that have continued beyond the project. Read more about VPP on our webpage: http://tenteleni.org/our-partners/

Will the organisation fully prepare you before you go away on project?

All volunteers should feel prepared and excited to get stuck into their volunteer role – comprehensive training is crucial to this! It is the responsibility of each organisation to ensure they provide quality training to all their volunteers, whether from the UK or their partnering countries. Training is not only for pre-departure; it should be continued throughout the project. It should also facilitate skill-tracking: enabling volunteers to set, monitor and work toward their own personal goals and objectives throughout the length of the project.

Before applying check the website and question the organisation on the length and content of their training. This should include not only fun icebreakers and top tips but clearly outline project rules, healthy and safety practices and safeguarding policies. Read volunteer testimonials to see whether training was provided and if it was practical, relevant and prepared them for project.

At Tenteleni, after volunteers are selected we hold training weekends for everyone before departure. This is a great opportunity for volunteers to meet their teams, and the other members of the organisation, whilst taking part in a range of sessions to prepare them for their experience. The first week of project is set aside purely for training, allowing the team of UK and national volunteers to integrate. Sessions are run by the Project Coordinators, local partners and volunteers themselves. There are also a mid-project training weekend and evaluation sessions at the end of the project.

Where will I be volunteering, how long for and where will I be living?

The structure of volunteering projects vary, from the length of the project to the volunteer role, accommodation and timetable. It’s important to read as much as you can about the projects to ensure there is a structure to your role. Does the project work in the same placement 5 days a week? Is the project split in two, working in one placement/community for x number of weeks or another project/community for x number of weeks? Where will you be staying? Homestays are a fantastic way to fully integrate into the community. Living with a local family you are able to better learn the culture and language. Some projects may only include two weeks volunteering and 6 weeks travelling. Knowing how the project works will allow you to assess whether your role will be able to have a sustainable impact.

At Tenteleni we run five projects in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. All our projects are 8 weeks long and run throughout the summer, July-September. All our volunteers live in homestays and volunteer in the local community. Read more on our website: http://tenteleni.org/our-projects/

How is your money being spent?

Many international volunteering programs can be expensive and you have a right to know how your fee is being spent. Make sure you know what the cost actually includes: many project fees do not include flights, visas, vaccinations and spending money. Others take a percentage for administration fees, and ‘organisational costs.’ Hence, it’s important to know what will be covered so you can plan accordingly. It’s equally important to know how this money needs to be raised. Some organisations ask for the fee to be raised solely through fundraising, whilst others do not state a preference. Fundraising is a fantastic way to launch your volunteering experience at home, developing your communication, team and organisational skills even before you go on project.

At Tenteleni, we are entirely made up of volunteers – from our Volunteers and Project Coordinators on our projects in Africa, to the Committee who drive the charity and the Board of Trustees. This means the money you pay goes purely towards your project costs – no hidden ‘organisational costs’. We do everything possible to ensure we run affordable projects while ensuring a fair deal for the stakeholders in our project countries. Our project fee is calculated each year and divided equally between all the volunteers we recruit, meaning our project fee is the same regardless of which project a volunteer chooses to participate in.

How does the organisation work with the local community?

Voluntary projects abroad are established to meet the needs of the local community. It’s a two-way relationship: the program should be created and run with the community’s input. With short-term volunteering projects it is essential to make sure a programme involves the local community, as often it is the community who will continue the work once volunteers leave. Working with local partners and volunteers, staying in homestays, eating local food, learning the language and taking part in traditional cultural events all aid community integration – and you’ll have great fun doing them!

Can you contact past volunteers to hear about their previous experiences?

You may have thoroughly researched your organisation, scouring through their website, investigating their aims and values and deciphering the structures of the projects to assess the skills you could bring to the volunteer role. It all looks suited to you - and the best way to ensure this is the right organisation for you is to read the stories of past volunteers. Check the organisations website to see if they have a section of testimonies from previous volunteers and make sure to read through a number of different experiences. You can also ask the organisation if you can get in touch with past volunteers.

For more information on what our alumni have said about Tenteleni take a look at our webpage: http://tenteleni.org/our-impact/volunteer-testimonials/

What happens when I leave?

The most common criticism of volunteering abroad is that it has no long-term effect. That volunteers come for a set time period, carry out their projects and then leave having put no long-term development plan in place. Hence, it is crucial to know that the organisation you are working with has a post-project plan. For larger organisations this is not always a necessity as they work in their project countries all year round and have permanent staff on the ground who continue the facilitation of their projects and partners. Smaller organisations may only have one project each year in a community and have different working methods in place to ensure that when they leave development continues.

Frequent communication with partners throughout the year and a good project evaluation process are really important. Collecting as much information whilst in the project country, including feedback from partners, the community and volunteers allows an organisation to assess the work their volunteers have completed and continue to work with partners once the project is over to develop their projects impact. Make sure to ask an organisation what they have in place after your project ends.

The deadline for applications to volunteer in 2016 with Tenteleni is Tuesday 1st March at midnight. Apply today: http://tenteleni.org/our-projects/apply-now/