Volunteer in a Community Garden in Colombia

Medellin, the capital city of Colombia’s Antioquia province, is sometimes called the “City of Eternal Spring” and is known for its flower-growing and festivals. The city is also famous for its friendly people and natural beauty. On this trip, volunteers will help local organizations transform neglected areas of Medellin into gardens to produce fruits, vegetables, and herbs, all of which will later be shared with the local community to help families live healthier lifestyles. Additionally, they assist in landscaping and producing organic fertilizers, as well as supporting environmental workshops, marketing, and fundraising. Other projects include painting, clearing areas for the creation of new gardens, and assisting staff with workshops to present to educational institutions. Volunteers will work up to seven hours a day in the community gardens and will also have ample time to enjoy the gorgeous city of Medellin. This is a minimum 1-week and maximum 24-week trip offered by International Volunteer HQ. IVHQ is a leading volunteer travel organization, offering sustainable and community-oriented experiences all around the globe. This trip costs $345 for one week and $4,712 for 12 weeks.

IVHQ is a volunteer travel company with 338 projects in 50 countries, rated #1 Volunteer Travel Company by Go Overseas for 7 years in a row. It is a cost-effective option with some programs as low as $20 per day with accommodation and meals included. They are a Certified B Corporation, 100% carbon neutral, and every project aligns with a UN Sustainable Development Goal.

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Fight Poverty in India’s ‘Pink City’

India’s “Pink City” of Jaipur is named for its bright building facades dating back to the early 1700s. The city has since become Rajasthan state’s cultural and economic hub. Unfortunately, Jaipur also hosts a large number of impoverished residents whose basic needs remain largely unmet. On this trip, volunteers will help rescued child laborers and disadvantaged children by providing support at schools and day care centers. Participants will also work to improve educational facilities by refurbishing the existing structures. All projects are focused on increasing the quality of life for Jaipur’s disadvantaged communities. During spare time, volunteers can explore Jaipur’s bazaar, take an elephant ride at the nearby Amer Fort, visit a traditional carpet factory or eat with a local family. Volunteers can look forward to enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of India while bettering the quality of life for those in need. This one-week trip costs $1,557.

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Globe Aware

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Improve Community Needs in the Heart of Ghana

Head to Ghana and lend a hand in Ho, a region still heavily dependent on international aid. Volunteers will spend a week getting to know locals along with providing community support and helping with educational needs. Community support projects range from building wells to helping ease the severity of the area’s dry seasons. Education projects include building and improving schools, spreading awareness of health education and teaching English. When not at work, enrollees can experience facets of the Ghanaian lifestyle through African dancing and drumming lessons, visits to local markets, soccer games and sessions on kente weaving. There is a planned excursion to West Africa’s largest waterfall as well as to nearby monkey sanctuaries. This is a one-week trip that costs $1,467.

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Globe Aware

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Volunteer to Help Rebuild Cambodia

Cambodia has a long, violent history of war and genocide, but since the mid-90’s, peace has come to the country and is a safe place to visit.  The years of war, however, left a lasting impact on the Cambodian people, leaving most of them in extreme poverty and with a countryside strewn with unexploded landmines.  As a volunteer time will be spent in Siem Reap, near the famous Angkor Wat temples, helping with a variety of projects—from teaching English at the Buddhism Association School to distributing wheelchairs to the Cambodians who are left injured by the leftover mines.  Upon arrival on this trip, volunteers will receive a set itinerary that will include different projects to participate in, depending on the need for volunteers at the time.  During downtime, volunteers can explore the Angkor Wat temples and the floating village on the Tonle Sap Lake, or simply wander the streets of Siem Reap. 

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Be A Clean Water Courier

Waves for Water (W4W) provides clean water solutions worldwide through projects funded by the “Clean Water Courier” program. Operating across dozens of countries, W4W’s mission is to provide access to clean water to every single person who needs it.  The nonprofit’s philosophy is to empower people to take initiative, step outside their comfort zones and create unique personal experiences. W4W was born out of a love for discovery, travel and adventure and the group wants its volunteer model to similarly encourage and empower individuals during their trips.

For prospective travelers, Waves for Water has teamed up with surf company Hurley to develop an independent volunteer program called Clean Water Couriers. It is not a traditional volunteer model, but more of a do-it-yourself method meant to be utilized by travelers who want to make a positive contribution to local communities. Each person creates their own travel experience and then crowdfunds on the site to buy water filters to distribute while on their trip. W4W provides the online platform and serves as a resource for information about the filtration systems and how participants may donate them on the ground. Travelers can make a huge difference in the lives of people and communities in distress by packing a few water filters for their trips. The filters are compact and easy to use and can provide up to 100 people with clean water for up to five years. They cost $25 to $50 each.

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Waves for Water

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Join the Hurricane Maria Clean up Cause in Puerto Rico

Sept. 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria tore through the island of Puerto Rico, devastating the community and taking more than 500 lives. The Category 5 storm destroyed agriculture and infrastructure such as power grids and phone lines, leaving mass destruction for the population to rebuild. The island is still working to rebuild and recover from the effects of Maria, and volunteers on this project can help. Based in Yauco, 80 miles from the capital city of San Juan, volunteers work with local initiatives to rebuild and restore the roofs of more than 1,500 homes impacted by the storm. This restoration project is a grassroots effort, and local leaders work with volunteers to develop  the skills needed to complete these construction projects. 

Yauco is a small town stretching from the cobblestone streets of the inland downtown to the shores of the Caribbean Sea. After work is done for the day, volunteers will explore local beaches, markets and restaurants and can enjoy a cup of Yauco’s coffee, one of the area's major exports. This week-long trip will cost volunteers $1,557. 

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GLOBE AWARE 

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Volunteer With Marine Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef, located just off the coast of Queensland, Australia is considered to be one of the most diverse and spectacular marine features in the world. However, the Great Barrier Reef is also under immense threat. Climate change is threatening the future of the reef, and all the species that call it home. Yet, there is still a lot that humans can do to protect this pristine underwater environment. This volunteer opportunity brings travelers to Cairns in the north of Queensland. Once there, volunteers begin their marine conservation project where they will collect data on the reef, gather marine debris and help rehabilitate sea turtles. All these efforts contribute to research on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as help to protect Earth’s great wonders. 

This volunteer opportunity is offered by International Volunteer HQ. Packages are offered at either 1 or 2 weeks of volunteering, with one week costing $1,010 per person. Volunteers must be adept at swimming in the ocean. International Volunteer HQ focuses on providing volunteer travel opportunities around the world by partnering with local community organizations focused on long-term positive impacts.  

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