Volunteering Overseas

One of the ways in which many of us spend this gap year is to do voluntary work overseas, in which there is a large and ever-expanding range of opportunities. In fact, with some organisations there is the chance to spend up to two years on a project, whilst we can also do as little as five weeks or so.

So there is a wide range of opportunity to do all kinds of projects and, basically, for as long as we wish to do them. They provide us with the chance to do something different and to have an adventure before we settle down to retirement. It is, of course, also an opportunity to make a difference to people's lives.

Most of us probably remember VSO, Voluntary Service Overseas, from when we were young. They are still going strong and their upper age limit for volunteering is 70. You can volunteer for periods of a few weeks up to two years, so have a look at their website and see which vacancies are available.

In our youth, they were one of the very few organisations through which we could volunteer abroad. Now there are many more and some of them are listed below:

• www.gapsforgrumpies.com This organisation provides the over 40s with the opportunity to do five-week community development projects with 'similarly grumpy middle-aged/older people' in one of five countries – Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru or Fiji. You can then stay on for a two to three week holiday/safari/adventure in that country. To find out more, ring 07983 580844.
• The Global Volunteer Network (GVN) offers volunteer service opportunities in community projects. Volunteers support the work of local communiuty organisations in developing countries throughout the world. There are currently projects in 21 countries. GVN believes that local communities are in the best position to determine their own needs and the volunteers help them to achieve their goals. Some projects have an age limit of 65 but GVN has placed people well into their 70s. Take a look at the website for a list of their programmes and more details.
• www.mondochallenge.org This organisation organises projects for between one and six months in Africa, Asia and South America. They are community-based, which means that you live and work alongside local people.
• www.realgap..co.uk You can volunteer in many countries through the world with realgap in community, conservation or wildlife projects. Some of them are very exciting so if you're looking for something different, have a look.
• Global Vision is another organisation with exciting projects in many different countries ranging from a few weeks to much longer opportunities. There are opportunities for such diverse things as marine conservation to teaching English.
• Openmind Projects offer opportunities for all ages to do projects in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Nepal on a wide range of different projects including wildlife, teaching, conservation and many others.

If you're unsure about the credentials of some organisations and you want to be sure that you are volunteering for a reputable organisation, take a look at www.ethicalvolunteering.org. This site will tell you what to look for when you are assessing a voluntary organisation that is offering opportunities overseas.

There are also lots of books available if you want to read about volunteering overseas. Go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/ and search for Voluntary Work in Books and you will see a wide range. There is a link to one of them above - just click on the book cover.

More and more of us are now participating in opportunities to do voluntary work overseas. It can be challenging but it can also be a lot of fun and an ideal way to see parts of the world that we may not otherwise get the chance to see. Have a look at some of the links above and see if there is something that tempt you.

Go to the links in the box to get further information on voluntary work in retirement.

Visit our Pre-retirement Courses section here on laterlife or our dedicated Retirement Courses site