Results of an independent two year study into the personal impact of volunteering overseas have far reaching implications for voluntourism, the largest growth area in youth travel and responsible tourism.
Volunteers from a variety of countries, including the UK and USA, booked their experience with AVIVA, a Cape Town based organisation that specialises in coordinating wildlife and community volunteer projects in South Africa.
Researcher Zoë Alexander commented, “The international volunteering experience significantly benefits AVIVA volunteers. Once they return home, they are calmer, happier and more positive, more assertive, adventurous and confident, and certainly more in touch with their feelings than they were before their trip.”
According to AVIVA Director Ed Scott, many volunteers sign up for projects without thinking about what they will gain personally from the experience, but there is no doubt that self-growth, new-found confidence and new friends can be ranked amongst the many benefits that volunteers take home.
“When volunteering at organizations such as the SANCCOB rehabilitation centre in Cape Town,’ says Ed, “volunteers have the added benefit of working hands-on with African penguins and a rare chance to do meaningful work towards saving a species in danger of extinction.”
One volunteer remarked “My confidence has grown dramatically and I take up every single opportunity now”, while another summed up her experience by saying “I proved to myself what I am capable of, going to another country to do something worthwhile.”
Another AVIVA volunteer from Ireland recently stated that “Volunteering abroad has definitely been the best time of my life. Living and working abroad has helped me develop personally and professionally. I know I have become a more confident and caring person and finally know what career I want to go into.”
