Volunteer alum Jodi Lipson speaks of her Globe Aware experiences with her family, and find out how you can book your meaningful volunteer vacation.
How to Volunteer While Traveling With Your Kids
Looking for meaningful travel? Volunteering lets you give back and grow as a family.
BY KEN BUDD JULY 15, 2021 The Voluntourist
When Jodi Lipson’s daughter was seven, the duo embarked on a mommy-daughter adventure — and no, they didn’t travel to Disneyland. For one week, the pair did maintenance work at a hostel in Peru and helped local schoolchildren learn English. They soon worked on three more projects with volunteer organization Globe Aware in Guatemala, Cambodia, and Costa Rica. The experiences, said Lipson, who works in book publishing in D.C., have expanded the worldview of her now 13-year-old daughter.
On November 9 it was announced that one of the candidates for a Covid-19 vaccine, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, was over 90% in preventing volunteers from contracting the virus. This is great news for Globe Aware, our communities & volunteers, and look forward to safe travels in 2021 for everyone.
How a Covid-19 vaccine could change travel for good
Julia Buckley CNN 16th November 2020
It was the good news that gave the world hope.
On November 9 it was announced that one of the candidates for a Covid-19 vaccine, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, was over 90% effective in preventing volunteers from contracting the virus.
The beleaguered travel industry immediately got a boost, with airline and cruise company share prices rallying, and tour operators seeing upticks in searches and bookings for 2021. Finally, it feels as if vacations might be in our future.
But will travel post-vaccine go back to how things were, or has your vacation been irrevocably changed?
For starters, it’ll be a while before we know the answer to that, says travel specialist Dr. Felicity Nicholson, lead doctor at Trailfinders Travel Clinic in the UK.
“I think it’s just a matter of time before things come back to some degree of normality, but it’ll take quite a long time,” she says.
“At the moment, travel is way down the pecking order of vaccination.” She says that countries will first be looking to vaccinate the vulnerable, then healthworkers and keyworkers, before making inroads into the general population. That’s not to mention the practical issues around the transportation and storage of the Pfizer vaccination, meaning that if that’s the one that wins the race, it could take even longer to distribute.
“We should be encouraged but understand it’s unlikely to be as rapid as governments are suggesting,” she says.
“If they can find a way to transport it properly (it needs to be stored at minus 70 C, or minus 94 F), it could be early next year before things start to get going. Countries whose economies are based on tourism will be desperate to get people back and moving, but most people (in the travel industry) aren’t hopeful that things will really pick up until the fall of 2021.”
And don’t assume that once a vaccination program starts rolling out, you can jump on the next plane, whether or not you’ve had it. Nicholson reckons that proof of vaccination might become advisory, or even mandatory, for destinations.
An international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis (ICVP) — which travelers must carry to enter certain countries which mandate a yellow fever vaccination, or to exit those with high polio risk — could be the next addition to your travel kit.
“I think we’ll have a formal certificate, either online or on paper, showing that you’ve been vaccinated at a recognized, accredited clinic, as we do for yellow fever,” she says.
“It’ll be the destination demanding it — and that could be everyone.
“Most countries where there’s a vulnerable or older population will certainly be demanding proof because we know how devastating the disease can be.”
Making up for lost time
So, you’ve had your jab, and are carrying your certificate — what next?
Well, you might be off on the trip of a lifetime, according to tour operators.
John Bevan, CEO of Dnata Travel Group, which owns brands Travelbag, Travel Republic and Netflights as well as trade brand Gold Medal, says that there’s been a noticeable uptick in bookings since news of the vaccine was announced.
And of those who can afford to go abroad next year, many are splashing out, he says, with the average booking value increasing by about 20% this week, compared to pre-Covid times. “People didn’t get a vacation this year, so they’re treating themselves. They’re booking higher category rooms, and we’re seeing more family groups, too,” he says. Netflights just took a booking for a group of 19 people to go to Dubai for Easter 2021.
Tom Marchant, co-founder of luxury tour operator Black Tomato, agrees.
“People have desperately missed the chance to travel, and want something to look forward to,” he says. “They’re saying, ‘That first trip, I’m going to make it special’.”
The demand for something out of the ordinary is so strong that in October the company launched a new lineup of once-in-a-lifetime trips, Journeys to Come — anything from seeing the solar eclipse in Patagonia to swimming with whales under the midnight sun in Iceland. “We wanted to create something to make people say, ‘That’ll get me through these challenging times’,” he says.
Winning destinations
Interestingly, in what he thinks might be a “Biden bounce,” Bevan says his brands have seen a triple-digit growth in trips to the US for next year, from May onwards. The Maldives and the UAE are other popular destinations for Europeans wanting to escape next year — he earmarks Dubai in particular as a destination that’s working hard to get tourists safely back, and also predicts the Caribbean will do very well.
However, he thinks Australia and New Zealand will be off-limits until the last quarter of 2021.
Marchant says his clients are starting to look towards Asia — although he thinks that the typical country-hopping trip through Southeast Asia will be off the cards for a while, because of the bureaucracy of testing and certificates at every border or on every flight.
“Instead of hopping around, I think people will just go to a couple of places and really immerse themselves, and I think that’s really positive,” he says. “There’ll be a shift in how people enjoy places — it won’t be just box-ticking anymore.”
For the same reason, he thinks that multiple weekend breaks will be replaced by longer, two-week trips.
Bucket list safaris
However, it’s not all plain sailing yet. According to Nigel Vere Nicoll, president of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), the trade body for travel to sub-Saharan Africa, the biggest problem with travel in 2021 won’t have anything to do with a vaccine — it’ll be to do with flight availability.
This is particularly the case for this part of the continent, which has just three main international hubs: Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Johannesburg. South African Airways, based at the latter, are currently not flying, while Kenya Airways is hoping for a cash injection from the government. Ethiopian Airlines, however, is expanding.
“From there, you have to get an extra flight and domestic airlines have cut back,” says Vere Nicoll. “And airlines won’t increase flights unless they’re sure there’s enough business. It’ll take time but we have to support them.
“The vaccine is a very, very exciting step — the first brick in rebuilding everything — but I can’t see it rolling out until the middle of next year.” For what it’s worth, he doesn’t think African countries — which have emerged relatively unscathed by the pandemic — will mandate the vaccine for travelers.
Safari destinations have been particularly hard hit by the collapse of tourism, with poaching on the rise in national parks, and economic devastation for those working in lodges.
And “grossly unfair” travel bans from the likes of the UK government — who impose a two-week quarantine on travelers coming from any African country, most of which have seen under 1,000 deaths from the virus, compared to the UK’s 50,000 — haven’t helped.
And yet, Vere Nicoll says that the future could be bright for those looking for the holiday of a lifetime. “The Great Migration was better this year than it has been for years, and there are great initiatives going on — people have used this time to get tourism ready for when we come.” And, of course, a safari trip is largely outdoors.
Champing at the bit to get to Europe
Are there any destinations which have been so marred by the virus that we won’t want to go there for a while?
Despite the US heading up the league table of Covid-19 deaths, from John Bevan’s data it appears that visitors are keen to get there — he thinks that could be optimism regarding the Biden administration’s pledge to curb the virus.
But he warns that Europe, which has been in the center of the pandemic, may not be so attractive to travelers from countries who’ve controlled it better.
However, Tom Jenkins, CEO of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), disagrees.
“The response to being told you can’t do something is to want to do it, so if you’ve not been to Europe for a year, you’ll want to go to Europe,” he says.
“You’ll never see it this empty, you’ll never see prices this competitive, you’ll never have this experience again. There’s real latent demand.”
He says that tour operators are already looking at a relatively good year, with plenty of trips postponed from 2020 to 2021, and search engine data showing big interest in travel to Europe from other continents.
And with numbers not expected to recover until 2022, the continent will be emptier than it has been in many of our lifetimes.
However, he warns that “there’s no momentum in the market” — nobody traveling to Europe and inspiring people to follow them. Post-vaccine, it’ll all hinge on the airlines to lay on flights, and the destinations making sure they’re ready to go. “Cities bounce back fairly quickly but it may not be that straightforward,” he says.
Touchless travel
Even with a potential vaccine, John Bevan thinks that the travel experience itself will have changed — particularly at the airport, where he thinks airlines will move to a largely touchless experience.
On board, he thinks the Covid-induced rule of deplaning row by row will continue — and that’s a great thing.
“I flew on EasyJet to Greece in August and it was immaculate — they made us stay seated till the row in front had got off, and there wasn’t that horrendous bunfight. It was so calming,” he says.
And at the other end, he thinks the restrictions on buffets, with staff doling out the food, will stay “till people feel more comfortable.” Ditto keeping our personal space — “I think we’ll be more careful for a long time,” he says. “I can’t see us hugging or shaking hands with people we don’t know for quite a while.”
Flexibility is here to stay
One good thing to come out of the pandemic? Flexibility. Many deals on offer for 2021 are fully flexible, and it looks like that will continue, at least in the short to medium term.
“The industry has handled the refunds (from earlier in the pandemic) with various degrees of effectiveness, and I think the consumer is going to be far more mindful of what they’re booking and what they expect,” says Tom Marchant.
“Suppliers should be able to offer flexibility, and the customer will expect transparency.”
Under a new policy, Black Tomato is offering a full refund up to 30 days before departure on most new bookings — and although Marchant won’t be drawn on how long that’ll last, he says, “I don’t see it as a flash in the pan.”
Bevan agrees, and reckons flexibility is how the industry will recover. For the traveler, he says, the flexibility that airlines are currently offering means that there’s “not a huge amount of risk” for those wanting to book. His only caveat — he advises would-be travelers to book as soon as they see a deal with flexible terms, because airline capacity will still be low in 2021.
A wakeup call for us all
Other upsides might emerge from the pandemic, too.
Dr. Nicholson thinks that the resources poured into the vaccine effort will benefit the fight against other diseases — and predicts better vaccinations for viruses including Ebola.
And she thinks travelers’ own attitudes towards health while on the road will improve.
“People are much more aware of infectious diseases now,” she says, adding that, before the pandemic, the number of travelers who booked a pre-trip consultation was pretty low. “Before, they might have gone abroad without consulting anyone. (If the vaccine is mandatory) they’ll have to come in for a consultation and we can talk to them about other risks in that destination.
“In western countries, we tend to be cavalier, but perhaps people will respect how serious viruses can be now.
“Everyone’s had a wake-up call and learned about virology, and that can only help.”
Volunteer vacations or " voluntourism' are exactly what they sound like; individuals spend anywhere from a few days to a couple of months working on social and environmental projects.
Would you rather spend your annual two weeks of vacation sipping sangrias on a tropical beach or building greenhouses in the mountains? Would you opt to spend your time on a luxurious Caribbean cruise or teaching school kids in a remote area? Today more and more people are signing up for the latter options, in line with a rapidly burgeoning tourism trend known as volunteer vacations.
Volunteer vacations or " voluntourism' are exactly what they sound like; individuals spend anywhere from a few days to a couple of months working on social and environmental projects.
These can include building houses, bathrooms, and other amenities, teaching children as well as the underprivileged important skills, studying the environment or animals and even typing up data; an exercise which may seem dangerously close to your regular job.
Why are more and more people choosing to spend their vacations working, rather than indulging in some well-deserved relaxation? Perhaps society is developing a stronger social conscience; in a world where celebrities are quick to pledge themselves to causes, and educational boards demand their students get involved with social work, several individuals prefer spending their free time improving the lives of others to make a difference.
Aside from the feel good factor, volunteer vacations are the perfect way to experience a particular place in an entirely unique way. Travelling in the 21st century is no longer about following a structured itinerary that takes you through all the regular tourist traps in a city. Today, travelling is more about authentic experiences " volunteering vacations allow travelers to interact with locals in an organic way teaching them more about their culture than any regular resort stay would. While travelling is always an opportunity to broaden your horizons, volunteer vacations will introduce you to entirely new approaches to life and ways of living.
When it comes to ways of living, be prepared to rough it out should you decide to take a volunteer vacation. As most organisations which take volunteers for short amounts of times are non-profit groups, they' ll offer humble digs which one may have to share with other volunteers. Food is typically simple, and while most volunteers do get leisure time, the work can be tough and challenging. Additionally, most volunteers are required to pay the organisation for the chance to volunteer; the payments are used for boarding, supplies and sometimes partially as a donation to the cause.
Despite these considerations, people across the world " especially the youth " are getting on board with the concept. There are various organisations to look to if you' d like to explore the idea of volunteer vacations yourself; WWWOOF India, for instance, aims to improve the practice of organic farming in India while Dakshinayan in Jharkhand asks volunteers to teach health education as well as basic Maths and English skills to the local population.
If you’re looking to volunteer overseas, Projects Abroad is a platform for a variety of organizations which require volunteers in countries like Italy, Romania, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, Morocco and Fiji. Global Aware is another international organization which offers international programs as well information about volunteer vacations.
These organisations are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to commit to their cause; if it seems up your street, there' s no nobler way to spend your days off. Tags Caribbean cruise vacation
Writing for Huffington Post, Mark Horoszowski, co-founder of MovingWorlds.org, a global platform connecting people who want to volunteer their skills with social impact organizations around the world, examines how volunteer travel and corporate volunteering can benefit companies.
World-Positive Leadership Development Programs
What is one thing that the Kenyan Red Cross and Microsoft have common? A lack of access to the expertise and skills needed to grow and make a bigger impact.
In both cases, this “talent gap” is slowing progress. Research proves that major companies, like Microsoft, have a lack of quality, globally-minded leaders AND that they recognize this as one of their biggest challenges. In the case of the Kenyan Red Cross, and other social impact organizations working to address last mile challenges around the world, the impact is more severe: nothing happens. This is especially alarming as these local organizations have the greatest potential to make an impact and create jobs, up to 80% in some economies. In fact, organizations like the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs and the World Economic Forum share that this “talent gap” is one of the leading barriers to progress.
Social impact organizations suffer from a lack of access to skills. Here are just a few examples of common needs:
An accounting system before applying for investment capital or grants
An improved operations and supply chain plan to lower costs
A go-to-market launch plan for new products and startups
Photography, videography, design, and messaging to develop new business development collateral
An improved IT system to track healthcare data and trends of patients in remote areas
An information distribution system to provide relevant data to rural farmers
While the challenges facing Microsoft and Kenyan Red Cross seem almost impossible to link, there is actually a powerful connection that can greatly benefit both parties: When employees from multinational corporations volunteer their skills with social impact organizations, they develop skills and learn new insights that can benefit their company. In the process, they help tackle major challenges that help smaller organizations get ahead.
International Corporate Volunteering (ICV) programs that do this continue to demonstrate a positive impact for all parties. People grow as global leaders, corporations benefit by developing higher performing people, and field organizations grow faster. In a previous article on Huffington Post, Alice Korngold shared that these programs can actually deliver bottom-line benefits to multinational companies.
These types of “World-Positive Leadership Development Programs” are just gaining traction. We’re helping people engage on these on their own and through established corporate volunteering programs. To help people that want to pilot programs like this at their own company, we’ve released a free checklist to help guide you.
Surprisingly, it’s not that difficult to launch an international volunteer program. One program we support was started by two passionate individuals with just two years of work experience. Here are some simple steps you can follow to implement a program at your company:
1. Research Your Business Priorities
Look for bright spots within your organization that might benefit from international volunteering. Business units like leadership development, recruiting, marketing, employee engagement, product and innovation teams are a great place to start as they are looking to create outcomes that programs like this can support.
2. Network and Find Support
Look for a partner and/or team to join you in launching a program. Search within volunteer and travel-based networks at your company. Schedule regular meeting to discuss how you can best design a program within the walls of your company.
3. Create a Business Plan
For a program like this to grow at your company, it has to make an impact for the world and for the company. Clearly document how it will help the company achieve its goals, while also improving conditions around the globe. Tools like this free “business case in a box” can help.
4. Find a Senior Champion
Use your network and business plan to find an internal champion who can provide budget and/or share your plan to senior leaders. The right person at the right level can help get the idea in front of other decision makers to help influence adoption.
5. Sell, sell, sell
Even with a compelling business case it still takes time. Don’t give up, and keep selling until your company has adopted a program. This can be done by continuing to grow grassroots support from your peers, while also continuing to pitch to senior leaders.
6. Start small
If you can’t convince your company to start a big pilot, that’s OK. You can still independently by asking your boss for time off to volunteer, and then use that to start building the case for a more formal program.
With all the buzz around the benefits of volunteering and the well-documented needs of organizations that need skilled volunteers, the time is ripe to launch a program at your company that builds better leaders, while building a better world.
Mark Horoszowski, writing for Devex Impact, a global initiative by Devex and USAID in partnership with top international organizations and private industry leaders, examines how an international corporate volunteering program can help a business grow into new, growing markets and assist in staff recruitment and retention.
Why your company needs an international corporate volunteering program
By Mark Horoszowski
06 February 2015
The current state of the global economy shows that businesses have immense opportunity ' not only by expanding into booming markets, but also by helping develop the economic potential of underdeveloped markets.
It was evident at the 2015 World Economic Forum, where "the stars of the show were from the private sector … people and business are stepping in where government is failing," according to Richard Edelman, the president and CEO of Edelman.
One of the ways that companies are stepping up is by bringing the skills of their employees to bear through corporate volunteering programs.
A great example of this is Microsoft' s presence in 17 countries across Africa with its 4Afrika initiative. By helping develop skills, increasing access to technology and supporting innovation, the tech giant is working towards its goal to empower every African to turn their ideas into a reality, which in turn can help their community, their country or even the continent at large.
Originally, 4Afrika focused on hosting educational events for students and entrepreneurs, funding startups, and providing technology grants. But as the program grew, Microsoft realized it had more to offer than cash and products. In 2014 the company started to contribute its most valued asset ' its people ' to volunteer their skills with nonprofits, startups, schools, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
In doing so, the 4Afrika program has demonstrated that an effective skills-based volunteering engagement ' we call it experteering ' can accelerate the progress of local organizations, can help increase the economic opportunity within a country, and can provide an invaluable learning experience to the volunteer. Microsoft is not alone in this realization.
There are three well-documented forces that highlight why corporations should embrace international corporate volunteering programs, and help explain why the programs are growing at a rate of 150 percent:
1. How corporations benefit from international corporate volunteering.
The stated benefits of international corporate volunteering programs can be traced all the way to the bottom line. While early benefits of these ICV programs tout recruiting and retention benefits, new research shows that is only the tip of the iceberg.
Recruiting and Retention
Indeed, the recruiting and retention benefits are massive. Considering the cost of replacing an employee can be equal to 150 percent of their salary, more should definitely be done to retain top employees. Research by Points of Light showed that 90 percent of its companies saw a drop in turnover after implementing skills-based volunteer programs. Benefit Group reported that its turnover dropped from 22 percent to 7 percent after implementing its ICV program.
Leadership Development
According to recent research by The Conference Board of CEOs, a lack of globally-minded leaders is a leading concern for CEOs. Corporations have responded by increasing their investment in leadership development by as much as 15 percent year-over-year. Increasingly, leadership development programs are looking to experiential programs that provide true growth opportunities.
A great research summary by McKinsey explains why experience is so important: "Even after very basic training sessions, adults typically retain just 10 percent of what they hear in classroom lectures, versus nearly two-thirds when they learn by doing."
More than any other benefit, leadership development is recognized as a primary outcome of every report we' ve seen on ICV programs.
Performance and Engagement
In a program that we supported for Microsoft, both the participants and their managers shared that the program noticeably improved leadership-related skills, and 100 percent of the managers would permit other team members to participate. A little time away from the job doing relevant and meaningful work appeared to result in employees returning more engaged and higher-performing.
Additional research from George Washington University found that beyond "stimulating new insights," international corporate volunteer "programs are a better investment than businesses school leadership programs, both in terms of cost and diversity of learning."
Indeed, companies should give their employees time to travel and volunteer, and pay them to do it.
Innovation
While slightly more challenging to measure, program managers of ICV programs state innovation as one of the leading reasons to justify its expense. Not only does volunteering in geographic areas of strategic interest provide unique insights that can' t be taught in a textbook, it also provides unique customer insight, which can lead to new product and marketing developments. In addition it fosters engagement, which is proven to improve on-the-job performance.
According to RealizedWorth: "For companies where employees were more engaged than not, their profitability jumped by 16 percent, general productivity was 18 percent higher than other companies, customer loyalty was 12 percent higher, and quality increased by 60 percent."
2. Why employees demand international volunteering opportunities.
Beyond the obvious desire to see the world, international exposure is a right of passage for up and coming business leaders. Harvard Business Review consistently writes about the value of international experiences for business leaders. In fact, of employees aged 25-34, more than 5 percent plan to relocate overseas to gain international exposure. In a recent article on the Society of Human Resource Management titled "Developing 21st Century Global Leaders in 2015," the SHRM foundation was quoted saying, "to be effective, the leaders of tomorrow must be able to collaborate while navigating cultural, regional and political differences."
Beyond global experience, skilled-volunteering also acts as a tool to recruit top talent. According to research published by Net Impact, an average of 75 to 80 percent of respondents prefer to work for a company known for its social responsibility, 53 percent of working professionals state that the ability to make an impact is essential to on-the-job happiness.
Perhaps more telling was that 35 percent of students would take a pay cut to work at a company committed to CSR and 78 percent said money "was less important to them than personal fulfillment."
3. How skills-based volunteering is building a better world.
According to the World Economic Forum, one of the leading barriers to progress is a "lack of access to quality talent". This "skills gap" is becoming so large, that in some places like Brazil and India, it is being considered the leading barrier to progress.
In a recent campaign we participated in with Devex, Peace Corps and other leading global development organizations called #DoingMore, participants shared stories about how skills-based volunteering was:
Essential to building skills of change-makers, like the MySkills4Afrika program which used volunteers to teach program management best-practices to startups and social enterprises working out of iHUB.
Solving complex technical, creative, and/or business problems facing organizations, like the Microsoft Leaders in Action program which consulted with Kenya Red Cross to optimize its use of existing technology as a way to improve operations and measure impact.
Addressing systemic issues by connecting skilled-volunteers not only to small, resource-strapped organizations, but also to international NGOs and even governmental institutions.
Accelerating projects that lack human capital by bringing in skilled volunteers for very specific tasks.
Empowering job creators by connecting skilled-volunteers to the most under-resourced organizations that also have the most potential to create jobs and end poverty.
Perhaps more than any business activity other than core operations, international corporate volunteering programs have massive potential to create positive business outcomes, positive personnel outcomes, and positive global development outcomes.
Writer George Rush has appeared in Conde NastTraveler, Travel + Leisure, Departures, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire and other magazines. To better connect with his young son, Eamon, George embarked on a number of trips throughout the world, seeking adventure and new experiences:
How Traveling the World with My Son Brought Us Closer
George Rush
June 13, 2014
(All photos courtesy of George Rush)
My dad took our family on typical vacations when I was growing up " Gettysburg, Williamsburg, the Wisconsin Dells. We stopped for clamwiches at Howard Johnson' s. It wasn' t until I was in my 30s that I left the United States.
When I finally procured a passport, I lit out with friends on a three-month trip around the world. We were in Kashmir, riding horses through the Himalayan foothills, when we crossed paths with an American couple and their two children. I found it incredible that these kids were experiencing such an ethereal place. Then and there, I said to myself, "If I ever have a kid, he or she is coming with me!"
My son, Eamon, was 1 year old when he got his passport. He picked up his first few immigration stamps in Europe and the Caribbean. Later, my wife, Joanna, and I, who are both journalists, started taking him farther afield " to Tunisia and Indonesia.
Eamon, 10, in Ghana.
One year, I got an assignment in Ghana. Joanna couldn' t break away from work. I asked Eamon, then 10, if he wanted to go. He said, "Sure," though he later claimed he thought I' d said, "We' re gonna go on a vacation!"
I wanted to push the boundaries this time. So, besides touring the West African nation, we volunteered with Globe Aware, an organization that helps build schools. Eamon had never been a big chore-doer. But, in Ghana, he carried lumber, mixed cement, and sawed iron rods. He played soccer with village kids and showed them American football. He went to a voodoo ceremony, where, he likes to recall, I got a little carried away with the trance drumming and ritual libations. It was his longest time away from his mom. But he came home with some stories " like the day he scared a toddler who' d never seen a white boy.
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Eamon was 13 when he and I went to Madagascar. His cement-mixing skills came in handy on another school construction site, this one run by Azafady, a pioneering NGO. He also helped take a census of frogs on an island crawling with lemurs, chameleons, and other species found nowhere else on earth. His main project was getting me to grow a beard. I didn' t want to grow a beard, but he seemed to think it was something dads did in the wild. He also insisted on naming my beard "Sebastian." He asked Malagasy strangers if they wanted to touch Sebastian. Thankfully, most declined.
Last summer, we headed to Ecuador. By then, the burbling " tween I' d brought to Ghana had turned into a supremely cool 15-year-old who spoke to us sporadically. But, once we' d left the States, once he couldn' t text his friends and he' d run through all the movies he' d downloaded, he had no one left to talk to but me. We fell into our routines: gags with sleep masks and neck pillows, inside jokes about invasive worms, Eamon goading me to grow another beard. Again, we volunteered.
The terrific VenaEcuador program arranged for us to live with families while we tutored students in the Galapagos. We met some more astonishing creatures: Darwin' s finches, slag heaps of iguanas, the blue-footed booby. The trip was infused with more adrenalin " rafting, scuba-diving, mountain-biking, volcano-climbing. I tried to keep up. Fortunately, I now had someone who could help pull into the boat or through the hole in a cave.
It' s funny how you sometimes have to go far away to get closer. Eamon now appreciates more of what he sees around him. But there' s never a bad age for a kid to discover the world' s wonders and sorrows, and feel what it' s like to be an outsider. This summer, we' re due to volunteer in Kenya with the anti-poaching foundation, Big Life. Now Eamon is the one who can grow the beard. My only question: what will I name it?
George Rush has written for the Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Departures, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and Esquire, among other magazines. His new book is, Scandal: A Manual.
A former school principal and business executive look abroad for adventure and volunteer opportunities. They find their calling overseas working with communities in Africa and Eastern Europe:
LI volunteers share their hearts, experience abroad
Published: April 4, 2014 8:56 AM By CARA S. TRAGER Special to Newsday
For Helen Boxwill, it was as simple as this: Retire? YES. Rest and relax? NO! So, in 2003, after a 23-year career in education, including three years as principal of Southdown Primary School in Huntington, Boxwill answered an ad for volunteer teachers in Africa. Nine months later, Boxwill landed in a remote Ethiopian village called Hosanna. It has since become her home away from home, she said. Boxwill, 68, a divorced Huntington Station resident with three grown children, returns at least once a year, staying three weeks to 12 months, while pursuing different projects. During her time there, she said, she has developed a community library in Hosanna; expanded and refurbished a school in Tetema, a community 25 miles from Hosanna; and instructed college faculty on training new teachers. h2Empower, a nonprofit she established in 2006, provides financial contributions for her projects, and Long Islanders, including schoolchildren and her church’s members, have supplied books and other materials. “I have found my purpose in life,” said Boxwill during a Skype interview from Ethiopia. “Everything I’ve learned or done professionally, I can apply in a place where my experience can make a difference.” For some Long Islanders, retirement, sabbaticals or vacations are an opportunity to volunteer, pursue an interest or travel to distant lands. Some manage to accomplish all three by volunteering overseas. “It gives you the advantage of seeing a new culture and new ways of living and looking at the world and an appreciation that the grass is not greener on the other side or, if it is, it can give a new sense of purpose,” said Jaye Smith, 59, a Sag Harbor executive coach and author of “Reboot Your Life: Energize Your Career & Life by Taking a Break.”
More boomers volunteer
There are no hard statistics on how many boomers volunteer abroad, but the 50-plus crowd has represented a steadily increasing percentage of Peace Corps volunteers since 2006, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Chamberlain. Currently, 8 percent, or 577, of its 7,209 volunteers are 50 or older. With many retired from teaching or running a business or nonprofit, the corps’ older volunteers know how to work with groups and motivate the local population to ensure a project’s continuity, Chamberlain said. And because the organization typically places volunteers in areas where the culture venerates elders, their age is an asset, too, she said. But volunteering can be challenging, experts said. In underdeveloped regions and non-Western countries where volunteers often serve, Internet service can be sporadic and local cuisines may not be compatible with the average gastrointestinal system. In addition, certain prescription medications may not be available, and top-notch medical care may be difficult, if not impossible, to find, experts said. Volunteering overseas also means acclimating to new environments. For instance, in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, where few traffic lights exist, Boxwill said she follows other pedestrians when crossing a street, and during rush hour traffic jams, she forgoes public transportation and walks everywhere. For the adventuresome and altruistic, though, overseas opportunities abound. A Google search for “overseas volunteering opportunities” will generate a lengthy list of nonprofits with programs abroad. The Peace Corps, which generally requires a 27-month commitment, offers assignments in 40 countries, such as teaching English in China. Globe Aware, a nonprofit that develops short-term, international volunteer programs, has projects in 17 countries, including Cambodia, where volunteers assemble and distribute wheelchairs to land mine victims, an official said. Project HOPE has been sending health care professionals throughout the globe to provide medical assistance since 1958, according to its website. Agency policies differ regarding program duration and who picks up the tab for transportation overseas, daily lodging and meals. For example, Globe Aware’s tax-deductible program fee, which covers food, accommodations, medical care and a bilingual coordinator, costs each volunteer $1,100 to $1,500, depending on the project, a spokesman said. Given the commitment that overseas projects often require, Smith suggested that potential volunteers test the waters by participating first in the efforts of a local nonprofit involved with international programs. The local experience can help volunteers become confident and comfortable working with the population the organization serves and determine whether they can add value to its overseas work, she said.
Back to Kenya
Since 2005, Kenyan-born Anne and George Mungai, who live in Baldwin, have volunteered annually for one month in an orphanage and school they founded in Wangige, a suburb about 16 miles from Nairobi. The Caroline Wambui Mungai Children’s Home pays tribute to their daughter, who died nine years ago of lupus. Caroline, then 25, was pursuing a master’s degree in early childhood education and had envisioned starting a school for Kenyan children in need. “We lost our daughter and gained 40 children,” said Anne Mungai, 60. “We are carrying on her dream.” Both parents have doctorates. She is chairwoman of the Curriculum and Instruction Department and director of the Special Education Graduate Program at Adelphi’s Ruth S. Ammon School of Education. George, who is 63, teaches math at a Brooklyn high school. They started the children’s home by donating a four-bedroom house and 31/2 acres they inherited. The site now encompasses nine buildings, including classrooms, dormitories and a dining hall. George designs the classrooms and supervises the construction, keeping track of their progress through photos that are emailed to him. “We are rescuing these children from poverty to destiny, which is our motto, and we want them to be independent and stand on their own,” said George. “And that’s what the kids want, too.” With three daughters, all in their 30s, accompanying them to the orphanage, the Mungais work in the kitchen, read to the children and take them to the doctor, pitching in wherever they are needed. “If they need a hug, I give them a hug,” Anne said. “I feel so gratified and so fulfilled that we are living my daughter’s legacy, multiplied many times over,” George said. “It’s not just what we are doing for one generation, but I believe the children will give back.” Along with organizing fundraisers, receiving financial support from Adelphi students, alumni and her colleagues, many of whom have volunteered at the home, the Mungais contribute part of their salaries to the Caroline Wambui Mungai Foundation, which sustains the facility. “When I go to the orphanage, I think I am going to help, but the children help balance me to see what’s important in life,” said Anne. “When we see the children in good health and the love they feel, it gives us joy.”
Philanthropy and photography
Volunteering has allowed Hollis Rafkin-Sax, 58, to channel a passion for travel overseas and photography into a philanthropic endeavor. In 2008, Rafkin-Sax left the global crisis communications company she helped build. After enrolling at the International Center of Photography in New York City, she completed the yearlong general Studies degree program in 2010. Since then, she has participated in humanitarian missions with various organizations. On each trip, she has gone beyond the group’s activities, taking photos and providing them at no charge to the nonprofits to use in printed materials and websites. “I have always loved photography and wanted to use it in a way I could give back,” said Rafkin-Sax, who is married with two grown sons and has homes in Sag Harbor and Larchmont. In 2012, she spent two weeks in Bosnia, courtesy of a mission organized by the nonprofit Women’s World Banking. While there, she took photos and shared her marketing experience with young women entrepreneurs. And as a participant in a one-year fellowship last year under the aegis of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, an international social service agency, Rafkin-Sax delivered food staples and medicines to the homes of impoverished, elderly men and women in the Ukraine and Hungary. The fellowship also involved a mission to Haiti, where she advised student leaders on entrepreneurship. Wherever she has lent a hand, Rafkin-Sax said, she has not only been moved by the people she helped but also by other volunteers. The committee “changed my whole way of thinking about the world and who the unsung heroes are,” she said. “You go to disaster places, like Haiti, and you see people who have given up their relatively comfortable lives because they want to help, and that’s hugely impressive.”
GO IN WITH YOUR EYES OPEN
Think you might be interested in volunteering overseas? Here are experts’ tips for a positive experience.
Learn about the destination and its year-round climate, which could include drought and rainy seasons, as well as scorching temperatures, by contacting former volunteers and by researching online.
Visit a doctor specializing in travel medicine for vaccinations, medications and health-care advice.
Review the U.S. State Department’s website for travel alerts and warnings about your destination.
Don’t bring expensive or flashy jewelry.
Limit how much cash you carry each day.
Follow the local dress and etiquette code.
Only drink bottled water.
Keep travel documents in a safe place.
Be open to different people and a different culture.
Summer 2013 Reserve Magazine by Clare Curley "Traveling with Purpose: Volunteer Vacations"
Three years ago Kimberly Haley-Coleman and her two young daughters, then 4 and 6, took an unlikely trip. They traveled from Dallas, Texas, to southeast Ghana and immersed themselves in the local culture while building educational facilities for the children there.
Haley-Coleman ' Executive Director of Globe Aware, a nonprofit organization that plans volunteer vacations in Asia, Latin America, Ghana and Romania ' says trips like this have instilled in her daughters a unique cultural awareness. "They don' t take for granted that their way of doing things is necessarily the right way," she adds.
The volunteer travel market, also known as "voluntourism," offers an increasing diversity of niches for such philanthropic-minded travelers. "Volunteer vacations are definitely on more people' s radar," says International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) Executive Director Genevieve Brown. Every year thousands of travelers roll up their sleeves and lend a hand on projects ranging from wildlife conservation in Kenya to assembling wheelchairs for landmine victims in Cambodia.
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about volunteer vacations.
Q: How can I be sure the trip is in my comfort zone?
A: Even if you’re open to stepping out of your comfort zone, it' s important to consider the kind of environment that' s suitable for you. Accommodations vary greatly between programs, from homestays and modest hotels to luxurious, high-end cottages. Decide if you’d be comfortable in rural settings or staying in facilities without running water. "Even if you extensively travel abroad, you' re going to experience culture shock," Brown says.
Organizations should be able to provide ample
information on their trips and might even put you in contact with past participants. Asking these three questions will also help assess the quality of the program:
How are the projects chosen?
How long have you worked in the community?
Why did you choose this particular community?
A well-researched volunteer trip can be as personally fulfilling as it is culturally enlightening. The right combination can be a real adventure.
U.S. Bank is not responsible for and does not guarantee the products, services or performance of its affiliates or third party providers.
Toronto-based freelance journalist Aaron Broverman examines how volunteer vacation opportunities are helping redefine how we view Spring Break.
Spring Break a Chance to Give Back
By Aaron Broverman
Thanks to Joe Francis and movies like The Real Cancun, when people think of Spring Break it’s all about beer, beaches and breasts, but what if it could be about something more?
If you’re not into the typical college vacation scene, the break provides an excellent opportunity to give back, lend a hand and ‘Be the change.’
Volunteering abroad can be an excellent way to make a lasting contribution to an under privileged community, while still kicking it in the sun and sand of exotic locales. Below are just a few of the destinations with a social conscience you may find yourself in during your week away from school.
Start with Your School
Alternative Spring Break [ASB] is a matter of course in the U.S., with close to every college and university offering some kind of international and community exchange program with the focus on lending assistance to communities in need.
Universities in Canada, particularly those in Ontario, such as Carelton, Ryerson and the University of Western Ontario also offer great opportunities. There are also programs offered from Concordia and the University of Winnipeg. Whether it be within the local community or at destinations abroad, the ASB projects change every year.
In 2011, Ryerson students are building a school, teaching students and feeding the homeless in Columbia. Carelton has decided to aid both the local Ottawa community and organizations in Mexico and Guatamala focused on poverty and homelessness. Concordia will be teaching at orphanages in Peru and the Dominican Republic, building houses with Habitat for Huminanity in Louisiana and stocking food banks at home in Montreal. The University of Western Ontario offers the most varied number of locations, including initiatives in Costa Rica, London, ON., Winnipeg, Peru, Dominican Republic, Louisiana and Nicaragua. The University of Manitoba is partnering with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM) to help refugees and new immigrants.
All of these programs run during Reading Week in the last week of February at varying costs from $200 to $800 for the trips within North America and $1,500 to $3,000 for the international trips. These fees cover meals, accommodations and flights. But if you cannot afford them, don’t worry. Financial assistance is available with every ASB project. Also, most of these schools offer a second program in the summer, so if you miss your opportunity during spring break, you can apply for the summer program.
Eligibility requirements vary between each university, but for all of them you must be a student of the schools running the program and students who have already been on the trip are ineligible for a return. However, they can apply for leadership positions on their trip.
Organizations Offering Opportunities
Though the Alternative Spring Break movement is primarily an American one with organizations like Break Away hosting trips with schools exclusively in the U.S. Other non-profits like Free the Children and travel agencies like Globe Aware specialize in volunteer vacations abroad all year. One could simply schedule a trip near their Spring Break respite.
Global Aware destinations include countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, The Caribbean and Eastern Europe, with trips leaving from February to December. They come at a varying cost between $1140 and $2100 U.S. and could be booked by parties of any number — though groups of ten or more from corporate offices, to schools and others, receive a discount.
Though travelers pay for their week-long vacations, Globe Aware’s status as a non-profit organization means the cost of their vacation is a tax deduction. 12% of your expenses go to administrative costs and overhead, while the rest goes to meals, accommodation, on-site travel, donations to the various community projects, your orientation package, volunteer coordination, program development, country manager expenses, community team recruitment, logistical support, medical emergency evacuation, medical insurance and project consultants. Airfare is not covered and is an additional expense. However, Globe Aware will help with finding flights.
Free the Children offers Me to We volunteer vacations for those wanting to give back during the summer in places like Kenya, China, Ecuador, India and along the Arizona-Mexican border.
Trips are available for adults, families, youth and school groups for prices among $2400 and $4995. This covers flight, accommodation, meals, transportation and the cost of the program itself. Free the Children also offers a Joe’s Dream scholarship, named for Joe Opatowski — a former trip leader who was killed in a car accident in 2001, for those young people who don’t have the financial means for the trip.
Beyond these organizations, you can always turn to religion for opportunities to give back through missionary work. Many churches and individuals choose Habitat for Humanity on one of their many builds around the world. Most build trips cost $1,650 for airfare and the rest of the living essentials and insurance, plus another $1,200 for what is known as R&R. These are the cultural activities and tourism that fit between the build days. Only the build – half of the trip cost actually gets a tax receipt — the rest is just a vacation.
OIL SPRINGS — A 17-year-old with a passion for travel and helping others is preparing to volunteer in Africa for eight months.
Josephine Ethier, a Grade 12 student at LCCVI in Petrolia, says she wants to work with homeless children in South Africa and Kenya and help them improve their quality of life.
She leaves in September for Capetown, South Africa to work with a group known as International Volunteer HQ based out of New Zealand.
“I’m always on the lookout for unique volunteer opportunities,” Ethier said. “It’s all about character building for me.”
Last summer, she went to Costa Rica for a week with an organization called Globe Aware. While there, she painted schools and learned about the culture.
“I was testing it out before planning something a lot bigger,” she said. “I learned that I’m interested in other cultures and I want to live in their shoes.
“I’ve volunteered in Oil Springs with a youth group and now I want the opportunity to go other places.”
In Capetown for four months, she’ll assist with sports programs that engage street kids and try to cut down on crime.
In Kenya, the outreach work will involve some house building as well as teaching.
“We’re told we’ll work with kids in the orphanages too,” Ethier said.
“I get an amazing feeling when I know I’ve done something good.”
To participate in the program, Ethier is raising $4,000 for transportation and accommodations. She’ll be billeted while in Africa.
“I’m working 30 hours a week right now and I’ll take another job when I’m finished school,” she said. “But I’m hoping I can get some financial help with this.
In both cases, this “talent gap” is slowing progress. Research proves that major companies, like Microsoft, have a lack of quality, globally-minded leaders AND that they recognize this as one of their biggest challenges. In the case of the Kenyan Red Cross, and other social impact organizations working to address last mile challenges around the world, the impact is more severe: nothing happens. This is especially alarming as these local organizations have the greatest potential to make an impact and create jobs, up to 80% in some economies. In fact, organizations like the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs and the World Economic Forum share that this “talent gap” is one of the leading barriers to progress.
In doing so, the 4Afrika program has demonstrated that an effective skills-based volunteering engagement ' we call it experteering ' can accelerate the progress of local organizations, can help increase the economic opportunity within a country, and can provide an invaluable learning experience to the volunteer. Microsoft is not alone in this realization.
OIL SPRINGS — A 17-year-old with a passion for travel and helping others is preparing to volunteer in Africa for eight months.