Hi everybody, did you made a social year / month abroad? I mean you work there in a honorary capacity (without earning money)?? There are certain advantages - you gain on experience, learn different people, culture, improve your speaking skills.
I have to take praktice abroad. So I sent my application to some organisations and found out, that it kosts a lot of money. So I can´t afford it. I find it is rediculous - you want to make something good and are not able to pay for that...
What do you think about it? Have you made something like that? Or can you give some advise?
Thank you for your attention and affords!
Replies
Hello Alena,
Yes, i worked in foreign countries as a volonteer nurse more than once. In fact, i studied to be a nurse with that goal in my mind. But you are right, to work as a volonteer usualy costs a lot of money. For those who wish to give some of their time to work as a volonteer abroad, i can understand that it may seem shocking to be asked for fees as you will give all your time for free !
Most volonteers have to pay their travel expenses and they also have to pay fees for their stay in the organisation where they will stay. At first, i had no idea why i should pay to work as a volonteer who gives all my time. But i understood later on. Many people want to work as a volonteer to make a change in teir life, they need to go away from their daily life an they decide just to go abroad, to help with street children, to take care of unable people, or simply for the environment. Most of the organisations who, in the past, accepted volonteers without asking some fees had often troubles with volonteers who could not get adapted to the work or to the volonteers' life. Many of them left without being embarrassed to leave the organisation, which had then problems of organisation. That's why since a few years now, most of them are asking for fees. When someone has to pay for something, he/she thinks twice before getting engaged. So, ever since those organisations asked for fees, they all noticed that they have less volonteers (of course) but the ones who decide to volonteer are much more motivated to stay.
I don't know if my answer will satisfy you but that all i can say.
Hello forget-me-not,
thank you very much for your detailed information!I see that what I have read about is true...
I am trying to understand the organisations. But if the things are as they are, why don´t they pay the money back if everything was ok???
It looks very much as a commerce - they earn money while other people work for free.
I think that there must be some other way!
What do you want to study? English?