During my semester in Milan, I enrolled in two social psychology courses that afforded me an in-depth education of the social justice system of the country. I visited a number of political and non-profit agencies and studied some of the conflicts the social system of Italy faces today.
A popular topic of social conflict I studied in Italy is illegal immigration. Italy’s legal policies against illegal immigration have historically been perceived as quite lenient.
We were thrilled to receive the release announcing volunteer, Ken Budd’s upcoming memoir! The Voluntourist chronicles Ken’s journey of personal discovery through his involvement short-term volunteer projects in New Orleans, Costa Rica, China, Ecuador, Kenya, and a VFP partner project in Bethlehem City, in 2009. THE VOLUNTOURIST: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem, goes on sale tomorrow, May 8th.
This semester in my international business class, I was lucky enough to hear James Kofi Annan speak about his organization called Challenging Heights. James, a survivor of child slavery, started Challenging Heights in Ghana to help educate children who have been rescued from slavery or any form of child labor. Child slavery is a major issue in Ghana and other parts of the world. The resolution of this problem requires a vast amount of resources, including the means to educate the world on what is happening and what needs to be done to help. James is helping the cause by educating people on the culture in Ghana and what caused the problem to happen. By understanding the underlying problem, people like myself realize this is a slow process that requires participation from people around the world, the families in Ghana, and even the children themselves.
Top Provider: With a minimum of 20 reviews across all programs and average overall over 90%, VFP has qualified for GoOverseas’ #1 badge!
This 3-week work camp helped open my eyes to the need in the Developing world. I was inspired and challenged daily during my volunteer trip. I gained an understanding of the needs of a different type of at-risk population. I was humbled by these Kenyan women; their struggles and accomplishments. Not a day goes by I don’t think of the work I did and how this small Kenyan village changed my life…
I am often asked how I can afford to travel for such long stints of time while having such meaningful experiences abroad AND while not spending ridiculous amounts of money. My answer is this: Volunteers For Peace…I find that the volunteer projects reach past cross-cultural exchange and delve into solving pressing problems in this world; VFP grasps ‘the big picture.’
This week we have seen hundreds of new and exciting projects posted to our Volunteer Project List. Currently, our list is at just over 1,200 projects in 56 countries, and we expect the number of projects to double by the end of next week! With so many options, it may be hard to know where to start looking. Below, our Top Picks for this week list unique projects that may be of interest to you…
Why let the price of a project keep you from making a difference through volunteering? Here are some ideas to fundraise for your trip:
*Contact Rotary International: Many Rotary Club chapters will support your international experience if you contact them and give a short presentation before and after your volunteer project. Find a Rotary Club near you and give it a shot!
High airline prices got you down? Consider the following options for affordable volunteer projects!
1. USA – Volunteers For Peace is hosting over 30 2-3 week volunteer projects around the country. Most volunteers will be international but there’s room for Americans as well! It’s great way to have an international experience without ever leaving the country and to give back to local communities.
3. Haiti – Volunteers For Peace is teaming up with CODEHA, a local community organization in rural La Vallee de Jacmel, Haiti to organize a day camp for 1000 Haitian youth! This is a tangible way to have a direct impact on the lives of Haitians still dealing with a country in recovery after the devastating earthquake of 2010.
Did you know that you can purchase humanitarian airfare based on the volunteer work you’ll be doing? Humanitarian airfare is a good option to consider because they usually come with many benefits. Benefits include the ability to cancel the ticket with a small penalty verses having a non-refundable ticket. Also, change penalties are permissible at a reduced cost and additional baggage allowances on some carriers allow for greater savings. Finally, unlike a traditional published airfare, humanitarian airfares do NOT need to be purchased within 24 hours.
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Telephone: 802-540-3060 | Email: infoREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vfp.org
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