Something that I think is extremely important in regards to non profit and volunteering, although perhaps a bit off topic, is choosing when to travel and who to do it with.
I warn you, this is a long post but has a wealth of advice and tips I have learned from my previous and current experiences in travelling and more importantly, picking where to go
Whether it is nationally for a conferene or internationally for a mission or internship I cannot express enough how important it is to research ALOT. I consider myself a fairly confident traveller and a smart one too. I have traveller to conferences as a youth, I have volunteered in Japan, and lived in europe twice. I am not afraid of every little shadow nor do I flit around unaware of my surroundings. I don't want this entry to come across as telling you don't travel or that the world is a scary place but there are a lot of things to consider, some of these things I have recently realized myself but am glad I stuck to my guns with many things.
As you have heard me say, I am extremely picky and apprehensive with my decisions in terms of who I put my time and effort into. Even in picking to do this course I drove three hours to meet my potential teacher to grill them and say "why should i pick you?". Maybe that seems extreme to some but when my future, or savings, and career are at stake I want to know every single detail I can. I think this is especially important as someone who considers herself a realist but is probably more of a pessimist. I mean come on the glass depends if you only filled it halfway or it was filled and you emptied half. See? Nothing is black or white with me!
Sorry, back to the point!
1. Figure out what you want to do - Most importantly when starting to look I think you have to know WHY you want to travel and WHAT you want to do. Is this a leisurely trip or is it part of your educational internship? It is extremely overwhelming trying to find organizations especially when you don't have a focus so first.
2. Research organizations and programs - A good start is looking into locally(Canadian) run groups. Are there opportunities to go with a group from your area? Do you know someone who has done this type of travel before? If so, utilize their minds! The best way to learn is from asking others who have done what you want to do. Go to your local school if you aren't a student and talk to the International Studies program head or students and get more information.
If you know where you want to go(Asia, Europe, Africa) then maybe talk to someone who is from that area and get some advice on which regions or countries they suggest and even organizations to look into.
Good things to find out are what you have to pay for. Do you pay for food, lodging, flights, insurance, are there additional volunteer fees?
3. Research more!
Search the places they are looking at sending you to. Our class was offered an internship in a remote town and I happened to have a coworker from the same country so I asked him about it.. He promptly responded "This is a bad place don't go there" which I replied by laughing and telling him he is hilarious. "No really do not go there this is a terrorist place". He wasn't kidding so I looked further into it and realized the Canadian Travel advisory said to avoid that area because of insurgency.
*Face Palm*
Now that me interject another thought here. My coworker was not feeding into the fear the media can cause but rather being honest about his own country that hey! That is a stupid place to go!
For me it is extremely important that an organization I am going with is aware of where they should and should not be sending people, especially people who are not experienced in this sort of travel. For me it was a red flag and unfortunately for them I would not recommend anyone travel with them. Harsh, maybe but better safe than sorry
4. Be culturally and politically aware
OH boy I cannot express this enough, especially if you are wanting to travel for leisure opposed to for internship/work experience. For me choosing travel to Africa really makes sense because I am trying to work in this specific field and in Africa so for me it is important to get some experience to find out what it is really like. Just taking a leisurely trip to Africa is perhaps not the smartest, depending where you go and whom you go with.
Your new best friend should be http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories and other various government travel sites. There are websites that list current security concerns etc and that is very important to look into before you book any trip.
Watch the news, read the paper.. Make sure you know what is going on in the world. Not to scare you but so that you are prepared. Talk to people you know who have been to those countries or are from those countries. Research the culture, especially as a female traveller! You need to be aware as a man or a woman what is acceptable. In japan you bow lower to an elder and more times, you do not wear you shoes in the house, sometimes women are not involved in business. Probaby good things to know.
Muslim countries you need to dress modestly, you shouldn't walk alone at night in africa. Nairobi has a HIGH rate of robbery and car jackings. India you should have a male companion and wear appropriate clothes.
This to me is basic common sense information yet many people go travel and are shocked when they discover these things. It doesn't matter how "safe" you think a country is or how "smart" you are, you should always go the extra mile to learn what you are getting yourself into.
5. Go with your gut!
Above all, no matter what anyone else tells you about something.. Go with your instinct. If you have an off feeling about a place or program, or you are uncomfortable then don't do it! If you need more information, ask for it. If they can't or won't give it, maybe that is all you need to know, or not know.
Any comments or travel advice, let me know!
Safe Travels!
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