Why Choose A Volunteering Gap Year?

Volunteering overseas as opposed to backpacking, has become a popular choice among young people planning a gap year, but why?
By: Katie Davies
 
April 20, 2010 - PRLog -- Volunteering overseas as opposed to backpacking, has become a popular choice among young people planning a gap year, but why?  Many young people believe that volunteering overseas provides the best opportunity to  experience a different culture at the same time as learning new skills that will be vital for their future careers, according to a survey carried out by Lattitude Global Volunteering.

The not-for-profit youth and educational development charity asked over 2000 people aged 15 to 24 why they might volunteer overseas during a gap year and almost 20% said they believed it would be a great opportunity to experience a different culture.

Lattitude Global Volunteering provides volunteering placements in 20 countries worldwide.  Volunteers have a range of possible cultures to experience, varying from placements in developed countries such as Australia, Canada or New Zealand to those offering the chance to discover more diverse cultures that they may have had little or no previous experience of (and where English is not widely spoken), such as in Malawi, Japan, Fiji or China.  

“Rather than simply travelling through countries as backpackers, Lattitude volunteers become immersed in a culture as they live and work within a community, for up to a year” explains Linden Baxter of Lattitude Global Volunteering.  “They are able to fully experience the host culture, take part in daily life and become completely integrated as they become an important part of that community, and more often than not they build lasting relationships with their hosts and make friends for life.  Volunteering overseas with Lattitude provides the ideal opportunity to thoroughly experience a different culture”.
Linda Bloomfield volunteered in South Africa with Lattitude in 2009, “When I applied to Lattitude I had no real idea of what I wanted to study at university and hoped that the volunteering would help me to make up my mind,” she says. “Teaching in South Africa and living in the remote village of Ingwavuma opened my eyes to the Zulu culture and gave me a real passion for Africa.  

“I’m now studying Theatre at university and will return to Africa after I graduate to open a Theatre programme for disadvantaged children.  I sponsor a little girl at the school I taught at, where 80% of the kids were HIV positive, and I get letters and drawings every week from my classes.  I can’t wait to go back to South Africa to visit them next year.”

Many of the other popular reasons to volunteer overseas with Lattitude were more education and career focused, with 16% of the young people surveyed hoping the experience would help them learn new skills and 14% seeing volunteering during their gap year as good work experience to prepare for their careers.

Like Linda, 14% of people wanted to give something back, recognising how important their volunteering work is to their hosts and 11% were seeking to become more independent and mature during their gap year.  

“Volunteering overseas creates the opportunity to develop valuable life skills such as independence, initiative, leadership and teamwork, as well as more specific vocational skills, depending on the placement type, such as teaching, caring, environmental work or medicine” adds Linden.  “Our interview process allows us to match volunteers to their ideal placement, based on their skills and interests, which helps to ensure that the volunteers and their host communities both benefit from the experience”.

“This research shows that many teenagers are motivated and concerned about doing something worthwhile that may also help them to develop their careers” says Linden.  “Young people are not often recognised for having drive and passion, particularly for worthwhile causes, but this survey shows that they should be.  There are some amazing young people out there.”

Other reasons that young people gave for choosing a Lattitude Global Volunteering gap year included improving their CV (10%), learning about themselves (9%) and helping them to decide upon a career (8%).

Lattitude Global Volunteering was established in 1972, and provides international volunteering opportunities for 17-25 year olds.  To find out more about the work of Lattitude Global Volunteering, overseas and in the UK, or to apply for a placement, visit www.lattitude.org.uk.

-Ends-
Words: 685
Notes to editors:

1.
For further information, pictures and interviews, please contact Jude Mitcham on 01903 207408 or jude@molokini.co.uk  We are able to offer spokespeople from the charity, as well as returned volunteers and parents.  We also have a large selection of photographs and written case-studies submitted by young volunteers on placements around the world.



2.
Lattitude Global Volunteering (Lattitude) is a charity specialising in volunteering for 17 – 25 year olds. We provide unique experiences of voluntary work placements for young people from around the world.

3.
Lattitude has a global network of placements that spans 20 countries and includes projects in conservation, caring, community, camps and outdoor, medical, sports coaching, teaching, and language assisting. Current destinations include Canada, Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Ghana, Ireland, Malawi, Poland, Tanzania, South Africa, Australia, China, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, UK, Vietnam, Vanuatu and India.

4.
Lattitude Global Volunteering is a UK registered international youth development charity (No. 272761), a company limited by guarantee (No. 01289296), a founder member of the Year Out Group, a member of BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development) and a member of the Foreign Office “Know Before You Go” campaign

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For further information, pictures and interviews, please contact Jude Mitcham on 01903 207408 or jude@molokini.co.uk We are able to offer spokespeople from the charity, as well as returned volunteers and parents. We also have a large selection of photographs and written case-studies submitted by young volunteers on placements around the world.
End
Source:Katie Davies
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Tags:Gap Year, Travel, Volunteering
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