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AIDE's
volunteer programs give you the opportunity to not only travel
to a new country, but experience the real life and the spirit
of your chosen destination. These programs are the perfect
way to live like a true member of the community and to fully
integrate into a new culture. Get inside the country, get
involved in the life and get more from your trip.
Why
do you pay to volunteer?
Most short-term volunteer abroad programs do entail a program
fee. This fee covers the expense of operating the program,
although many volunteers are surprised to find out that they
will have to pay a fee to offer their service as a volunteer
in a foreign country.
At
AIDE, we believe that it is important for a volunteer to know
where their program fee goes, and why it is necessary for
the sustainability and continuation of the program. One of
the first things to think about is the service that an organization
like AIDE provides: our service is our support. There are
now a plethora of options available to travel abroad and participate
in a volunteer program, with a large range of price tags attached,
so how does one go about choosing which program is the best
option? This is something that an individual can determine
only through careful research. While we can not speak for
all organizations out there that offer similar volunteer programs,
we would hope that they are sincere in the services they offer
and make a great effort to provide the best experience possible
to volunteers. It is important to remember that a low fee
does not guarantee the quality of the project or the support
you will receive from the host organization. AIDE staff members
pride themselves on the personal support offered to all of
our volunteers, this is what we are here for!
Here are some things to keep in mind when wondering why international
programs charge volunteers a fee:
The overseas NGOs, not for profit organizations and other
projects that you might volunteer with often have very limited
resources. They will not have the ability to offer financial
assistance with your trip, including the costs of your flight,
transportation, accommodation, food, and daily living expenses.
Their staff is also very focused on the project itself, and
will not have the resources or the time to devote to answering
inquiries and coordinating logistics for volunteers to arrive
to their destination at several different times of the year.
The process of preparing volunteers for their trip, organizing
host family stay with a food allowance, and training volunteers
once they arrive is not easy nor inexpensive.
* AIDE provides a minimum donation to each volunteer
project, which is very helpful to the project as they are
always in need of additional funding.
*
It takes a significant amount of time and resources to locate
and identify the best possible local host organizations abroad,
as well as working with them to develop and support volunteer
programs.
*
Other indirect costs go into the process of developing solid,
well-functioning programs abroad. This includes anything from
overhead costs, developing materials and literature to help
prepare volunteers for the program, to answering phones, sending
mailings and emails, developing website content, and providing
an intensive interview and orientation to a volunteer before
departure.
*
Additional services such travel medical insurance and 24-hour
assistance adds to the cost of a program
All
of the AIDE team members hope that this explanation will provide
a great deal of insight into the necessity of a program fee,
and will help our volunteers realize that these fees are in
place for a good reason. We really believe that our service
is our support, which offers peace of mind to both parents
and volunteers alike. |
