Author: Cosmic Volunteers

Idealist Grad School Fair

Philadelphia Idealist Grad Fair 2017

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For our former volunteers and anyone else in the Philadelphia region who might be interested in a graduate school fair with a non-profit and international focus:

The Philadelphia Idealist Grad Fair is on September 26 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM at Temple University. Admission is free.

Learn about admissions requirements and application deadlines for graduate programs in social work, public policy, nonprofit management, international affairs, public interest law, social entrepreneurship, and many more.

Speak with graduate admissions advisors from local, national and international universities
The fair is free and open to anyone considering graduate school.

DETAILS
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT

LOCATION
Temple University
Mitten Hall
1913 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Any questions? Email gradfairs@idealist.org.

Idealist.org is one of the most well-known websites for the non-profit world. Their website lists over 120,000 organizations and has 1.4 million monthly visitors. Idealist “helps people move from intention to action all over the world.”

Watch these two short videos to see why you should attend the fair and what it looks like:

Nepal Outhouse

5 Ideas That Westerners Are Stealing

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Westerners are slowly but surely stealing ideas from the developing world on how to live.

I’ve been noticing it since my first trip to the developing world (in 2000).

Why is it happening? 

That’s a whole different article. But the short version’s gotta be something like:

We as humans are copycats. We see others doing something we like it; we adopt it; and then usually try to make it even better (and make money off it).

And the copycatting is only going to grow. The influences of the Internet, TV, and global travel on cross-cultural awareness are a seemingly unstoppable force.

So, what ideas are we westerners stealing?

Cuisine is an obvious one. Cinema too.

Our bathroom business? Yep — We’re starting to crap like Indians too.

Yuck. But, let’s set aside the left-hand swipe until the end of this post.

Here are 5 ideas that Westerners are stealing from developing countries:

1. Cuisine

As kids in the 1970’s we rode rode our bicycles on the empty lanes of Main Street in Manayunk on Saturday evenings, cruising past factories and churches and rowhomes.

Who could have imagined that decades later that same street would become one of the trendiest streets on the East Coast, with upscale boutiques and world-class restaurants of Korean, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Jamaican, and Greek food.

Back then, “thai” in Manayunk was something dad wore around his neck to the office; now it means yummy flat noodles, peanut sauces and curries.

Chabaa Thai Manayunk

Even just 5 years ago perhaps, you probably never had Vietnamese food. If you wanted it in the Philadelphia area, you had to go to either Chinatown or the Washington Avenue area.

Now, Vietnamese “Pho” noodle shops are in most city neighborhoods and even suburban strip malls. Some even think pho may compete someday with pizza in terms of popularity.

It’s the same for African, Indian, and Indonesian food in the States.

We Americans still like our Big Macs and pizza. But sales at McDonald’s continue to decline.

Where are fast-food chain sales growing? Developing countries. Of course.

2. Mobile Banking

Still not setup to wave your smart phone at the store register to pay your bill?

How about using your mobile to send money to your friend?

Pew Trusts says 46% of Americans already use some form of mobile banking.

Chase Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other banks operating in America recently announced their new mobile payment app called Zelle.  

That’s progress in America in money management for sure.

But it’s light years behind Kenya.

In Kenya, mobile banking is close to 100%. Kenyans started mobile banking even before the iPhone was introduced. Not with smart phones neither.

Kenyans started mobile money management with the legendary Nokie 3310. And while smart phones are getting more popular in Africa, brick phones are still common there.

(Nokia has just released an updated version of the 3310. We’re copycatting those Kenyans again! It seems simplicity, reliability and nostalgia are still big factors for some consumers here.)

Check out CNN’s story on the  10-year anniversary of Kenya’s M-Pesa mobile banking system:

3. Yoga

How about the small armies of incredibly fit young women walking the streets these days with yoga mats on their backs?

I know it’s my imagination, but they seem so smug and superior. Maybe I’m just jealous of their suppleness.

And I do yoga too! I’m on their side. So are a lot of others:

There are now over 36 million Americans doing yoga, up from 20 million in 2012. Annual spending on yoga classes and clothing / equipment is over $16 billion, up from $10 billion over the past four years. That’s astonishing growth.

I’m very committed to my own yoga practice. My back and my mental health cannot imagine a life without the yoga.

But even after doing Ashtanga Yoga 3-4 times a week for 5 years now — I occasionally glance in the mirror and see a guy with the flexibility of someone who just spent a month locked in a suitcase.

(Speaking of foods from other cultures: How did I reach my 40’s without ever hearing of turmeric. Now, at age 48, I take organic turmeric powder daily with black pepper and hot water. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory — among other things — which helps my hips, lower joints and back feel good after 30+ years of jogging and basketball.)

I had a couple of free Hot Yoga sessions about 15 years ago. Felt great, loose as heck walking out of the studio. But now, the 100+ F temperatures of the Hot Yoga rooms scare me a bit in terms of heart stress.

For now, I’ll continue revealing the ugliness of my yoga poses only to my personal yoga instructor Kino, in the safety of my living room:

4. Plastic Bags

Banning plastic bags is another idea we’re adopting from the developing world. It’s happening a lot slower than the other ideas, but I think it’s coming.

Last month, Kenya decided to ban plastic bags. Manufacturers and importers of plastic bags there now face fines of $19,000 to $38,000 or four-year-jail terms. Retailers can no longer sell plastic garbage bags.

Kenya is following a bunch of its African neighbors who have already banned plastic bags — Eritrea, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda and Tanzania.

These countries all know what scientists have been reporting for years now:

Plastic waste is causing catastrophic problems in the environment. It’s everywhere too: Plastic bags, Styrofoam, synthetic textiles, paints and tires, you name it. 

Scientists just reported that micro-plastics are finding their way into our drinking water. I’ve been drinking unfiltered tap water here in Philadelphia all my life; brutal.

It’s been known for years that plastic bags kill marine life like turtles, dolphins, whales.

Plastic grocery bags in America were introduced in America in 1979. Grocery chains Kroger and Safeway then picked them up in 1982. By the 1990’s they were ubiquitous; they still are in most stores.

The good news — the West is getting better with the plastic bag crisis: 

The first town in America to ban plastic bags was Nantucket (in 1990).

Hawaii has effectively banned plastic bags statewide.

Toronto did the same a few years ago. Montreal too.

The pace seems glacial though. Why? We’re so used to the darn things. And lobbyists of course.

It took until 2014 for the first state to ban plastic bags — California.

In 2016 Minnesota passed an ordinance banning plastic bags. But the day before the ban start, Governor Dayton signed a budget bill with a provision prohibiting cities from banning *any* type of bag. 

New York’s best effort so far to ban plastic bags has resulted only in a new task force to come up with legislation. They better hurry. New Yorkers use 23 billion plastic bags annually.

Still, I bet that a total ban on plastic bags will happen someday in the US.

5. Toilets

I thought Al Bundy was really onto something in the late 1980’s with his Ferguson, the “Stradivarius of Toilets”:

But many doctors are saying these days that squatting is better than sitting for doing number 2:

Squatting widens the anorectal angle even more to allow a clearer and straighter passage for stools to pass through the anal canal.

Most of the Western world still sits like Al to defecate, but squatting is favored in the developing world. 

Squatting means less abdominal straining and faster bowel movements — both of which can prevent bleeding from anal fissures. (Uncle John and Mom won’t be happy about less bathroom time but the Squatty Potty company will). 

Don’t forget that toilet tissue is bad for the environment AND it’s not the best way to clean yourself. It’s only been around a little over 100 years, so we’ll be able to give it up someday.

The pipes and sewage systems in most developing countries cannot process toilet tissue. So in Guatemala, with its western toilets, people place used toilet tissue in trash cans — not in the toilet. 

In countries like India and Nepal, the squat toilet rules — with no pipes OR toilet tissue. Here’s my toilet from my rural homestay in Nepal in 2000:

Nepal Toilet

So how do Indians and other countries clean up without toilet paper?

The left-hand swipe.

After eliminating, they spray or splash water at the dirty areas, while using the left hand to help clean the area. Gross to most Westerners. But it cleans much better than toilet paper. Just wash those hands thoroughly!

I clean up Indian style as much as possible even in the US, and always so when in a developing country. In Guatemala in June 2017, I carried a small cup into my host family’s bathroom each morning; sat on the western toilet to do number 2; then cleaned my bottom with the water method above.

(How about for emergencies away from my host family’s place? I’m as regular as a Swiss watch, so on that trip it wasn’t a problem!)

So, there you have it, full circle. From cuisine to its eventual journey into the toilet. Five ideas we westerners are stealing from the developing world.

Sherman Mills

Philadelphia Women’s Journal

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From our archives: The Philadelphia Women’s Journal published a story on Cosmic Volunteers in October 2008:

Travel with a Conscience

As an alternative to scratching travel plans, people of all ages are increasingly finding value in affordable, international volunteer programs.

For a safe, all-inclusive, well-prepared journey, travelers turn to Cosmic Volunteers for an enriching, life-changing experience. Spending time immersed in communities abroad allows volunteers to participate in humanitarian and environmental projects.

Volunteers benefit from experiencing diverse cultures, taking part in important social and ecological work, and having an experience increasingly important to businesses that like to see such initiatives on employee’s resumes.

Cosmic Volunteers is a US-based non-profit organization that offers volunteer and internship programs abroad in China, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Peru and Vietnam.

The business sets itself apart from other organizations by offering a unique combination of affordable program fees, trustworthy staff and advisors, and diverse programs.

With home offices in Philadelphia, Cosmic Volunteers sends hundreds of volunteers abroad each year to volunteer and intern at schools, hospitals, newspapers, orphanages, HIV/AIDS clinics, women’s groups, and other organizations who ask for assistance.

Cosmic Volunteers was founded in 2000 in Philadelphia by Scott Burke who volunteered as a teacher in rural Nepal. Cosmic Volunteers began by offering programs in Nepal but has since established ongoing programs on several continents.

Volunteers are mostly from the US, Canada, and Europe, and come from all walks of life, ranging in age from high school to retirees. Most programs do not require special skills or experience, just an open mind and a desire to reach out to those in need in non-western countries.

The program fees cover volunteers’ meals, accommodations, orientation, most in-country transport, and 24/7 guidance and support provided by program coordinators in each host country. The program fee also covers the continuing costs of recruiting volunteers, producing literature, answering phone calls and e-mails, developing the Web site, and preparing volunteers for their trips.

The program’s staff has been on-the-ground in all program countries, as volunteers, students, and interns, so they can answer pre-trip questions, provide in-country support with confidence, and be with the volunteers every step of the way.

After graduating with a B.A. in Literature from Franklin & Marshall College, Philadelphia native Burke spent more than 10 years working in the information technology field. He started Cosmic Volunteers after volunteering for three months as a teacher in rural Nepal in 2000.

Since that Nepal trip, Burke has visited most of the countries where he now offers programs. He has met with local coordinators, visited project sites, stayed with host families,and done volunteer work, all the while gathering as much firsthand knowledge as possible about the cultures and living experiences for future volunteers.

Sample Host Countries:

Ghana
Cosmic Volunteers’ most popular host country is Ghana. Volunteer programs in Ghana include teaching English, working at orphanages, volunteering at hospitals and clinics, HIV/AIDS volunteering, coaching sports, journalism, and the new “Two Week Winter Break Program.” Free time is spent learning about the local community’s elaborate festivals, crafts, contemporary arts, music and dances, unique architectural styles, and natural and herbal medicine. Ghana is an extremely safe country, free of any political strife and hassle-free for foreigners, with local people who are very friendly and welcoming to foreign visitors. There are even direct flights from New York and London.

Guatemala
Guatemala offers volunteers the special opportunity to help local communities while becoming immersed in the culture of Latin America. Volunteer programs in Guatemala include teaching English, ecology projects, and environmental education. The rural area of San Andres is an ideal environment to learn and practice Spanish as well.

Kenya
Volunteering programs in Kenya immerse volunteers into the rich and varied culture of Kenya. In Nairobi volunteers live and work in one of Africa’s largest cities. In the Rift Valley, volunteers live and work in Maasai tribe communities — a truly African experience. Programs also take place in Ngong Hills outside of Nairobi and Kakamega in western Kenya. In both locations, volunteers experience life in rural Africa while doing orphanage, teaching, and HIV/AIDS volunteer work.

Cosmic Volunteers is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, with all program fees tax-deductible for US taxpayers. It is not affiliated with any government or religious organization and receives 100% of funding from the program fees.

Cosmic Volunteers is headquartered at 3502 Scott’s Lane, Sherman Properties in Philadelphia.

Call toll free at 1-888-717-0721 or visit online at www.cosmicvolunteers.org.

US Dept of State Logo

Kenya Travel Alert

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The State Department alerts U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Kenya that Kenya’s Elections Commission has announced that new Presidential elections will be held on October 17, 2017.

This Travel Alert replaces the Travel Alert dated April 6, 2017 and expires on October 31, 2017.

Rallies, demonstrations, and protests may occur with little notice. As with all large events, there is the opportunity for criminal elements or terrorists to target participants and visitors. Even events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid areas of demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.

  • Although there is no indication that U.S. citizens may be targets of violence, you are urged to exercise caution and remain abreast of the security situation throughout the electoral period.
  • Monitor media and local information sources regarding election-related developments, and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities.
  • Avoid crowds and remain alert when using public transportation.
  • Report specific safety concerns to local law enforcement authorities.
  • Stay in touch with your family members and ensure they know how to reach you in the event of an emergency.
  • During elections, restrictions on traffic circulation, either imposed by the authorities or caused by political rallies, can be expected.
  • Please refer to our message dated March 13, 2017, for tips on personal preparedness.

For further information:

  • See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Kenya Specific Information.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Contact the U.S. Embassy in Kenya located on United Nations Avenue, Nairobi, at +254 (0) 20 363 6451 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Monday through Thursday and 7:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +254 (0) 20 363 6170.
  • Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Poynton High School India Trip

High School Volunteers Kicked Out of India

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Make sure you get the proper visa for volunteering in India.

Why?

If you land in India for your volunteer trip with the wrong visa, you might get sent home immediately from the airport by Indian Immigration.

This happened recently to 16 students and three staff from Poynton High School in England. They were all denied entry by Indian immigration staff because they had “tourist” visas.

What visa should they have gotten? An Employment Visa.

Yes, for unpaid volunteer work in India, foreigners must obtain an employment visa.

The explanation comes from the company Cox & Kings Global Services:

A ‘EMPLOYMENT VISA’ is available for travelling to India for the purpose of working in India, for an organization registered in India. An Employment Visa is granted to an employee or paid intern of an Indian company and to persons traveling to India for volunteer work with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

Since 2014 India’s Immigration Department has outsourced the visa process to the private company Cox & Kings Global Services (in Canada it’s BLS International). If you need to obtain a visa for India, you must go through Cox & Kings — no exceptions.

The process for obtaining an employment visa for India is nearly identical to the tourist visa. You submit your passport, visa application form, a passport photo, and the visa fee.

However, with the employment visa for India you must also:

Submit a letter from the organization in India where you will volunteer indicating the nature and the duration of the visit and place of work.

The good news is that the organization you sign-up with back home, say Cosmic Volunteers, will obtain this letter for you (we do it after you sign-up and pay the deposit).

If you follow the process, you should have your passport returned to you in 2-3 weeks with the valid India visa sticker placed inside.

I really feel for the Poynton School:

1. The school had already made three identical trips to India.

2. They went through a reputable charity back home, called India Direct.

3. They have donated $35,000 USD for children’s homes in India.

4. And all of this on tourist visas — which were then rejected on trip number 4.

I can only think that they simply had the bad luck of meeting up with the crankiest Immigration officer ever at the airport in India (and that’s saying something for India! Although US Immigration isn’t always a good experience either).

In defense of India Direct: 

For most of my 17 years running volunteer programs India, I also told my volunteers to get the tourist visa.

I even got tourist visas for all of my own trips to India. And every trip I’ve made to India was strictly to run my volunteer programs and to volunteer myself. (I am not big on tourist sites — I still haven’t visited the Taj Mahal!)

Neither myself nor any of my volunteers have ever had a problem entering India with the tourist visa.

The immigration officer in India rarely even looks at you. Just takes the passport and arrival card, stamps your passport and you’re on your way.

It has only been the last few years that I have insisted to volunteers that they get the employment visa for India. (I believe India established the employment visa somewhere around 2010. India changes its visa policies and procedures quite often.)

Reading about the awful experience of the Poynton School, I will continue to do so.

India Teaching Volunteer Wandering

Butterfly Day at Sri Ramana School in India

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Today was butterfly excursion day at the Sri Ramana Matriculation School. The school is one of our volunteer teaching placements in India.

The school’s principal Mr. Karuna sends us updates regularly on the students’ activities and progress.

The school was founded in 1988 with only six children. Today the school has more than 350 students ranging from 4 to 16 years of age.

Butterfly Day in Tamil Nadu:

India Teaching Volunteer Pointing

India Teaching Volunteer Smiles India Teaching Volunteer Looking at Butterflies India Teaching Volunteer Butterflies

Ghana Volunteer Kaitlyn Scott Laundry

Volunteer Abroad For Free

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The idea of volunteering abroad for free is gaining in popularity.

Especially after the sticker shock when browsing organizations online who charge thousands of dollars for just a short stay abroad.

So yes, the word “free” sounds very inviting when it comes to volunteering abroad. Let’s take a look at some things involved with volunteer abroad for free.

What does “Free” mean?

First let’s define “free” in the context of volunteering abroad.

“Free” means that the volunteer does not pay a program fee to a third-party placement organization. Instead, the volunteer decides to arrange and pay for everything on their own.

As the old saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. There’s also no such thing as a free volunteer trip abroad.

The “Program Fee” model

Paying a program fee to an organization has become one of the standard options today
for newbies to volunteer abroad. The “placement” organization is typically a non-prot
entity that is independent, secular and unaliated with a school or government entity.

The program fee they charge (sometimes also called a “placement fee”) pays for a
volunteer’s meals, accommodations, airport transfers, insurance, visa assistance,
pre-departure advice, 24-hour emergency support, and the volunteer placement itself.

One way to volunteer abroad for free is to simply self-arrange your trip. This means that that you will not have to pay a program fee to an organization.

Show Them the Money

However, the reality is that unless you have the time, money and a strong personality (and some luck), self-arranging a volunteer trip overseas can end up costing the same or even more as with paying a program fee.

How can that be?

First, even if you avoid paying a program fee, you will still be responsible for paying for items that the program fee would have covered. As I mentioned above, these costs include things like meals, accommodations, airport transfers, and daily commutes to the volunteer job.

Second, there will likely be costs for you to nd a volunteer placement on your own:

1. Time

Before you leave home for your volunteer trip overseas, there will be the “opportunity cost” of spending dozens if not hundreds of hours on the Internet and phone researching and vetting potential volunteer placements abroad. 

2. Travel

Then when you finally arrive in the host country, you will have to spend money visiting those potential placements. This means paying for your ground transportation, meals, and accommodations.

3. “Optional” Donations

Most local organizations in the host countries (like orphanages and AIDS groups) “require” volunteers to make a cash donation (which can be as high as $500) in order to volunteer at their facility. These donations are usually not published or requested directly by the facilities; Instead the managers will constantly bombard the volunteer with tales about the facility’s lack of funds, until it’s uncomfortable for the volunteer NOT to donate cash or goods.

4. Emergencies

Most volunteers abroad do not experience an emergency during their trips. However there is a chance that something catastrophic will happen to you such as a medical episode, assault, theft, or natural disaster.

Would you be able to handle a an emergency on your own? Would you understand the importance of pre-departure recommendations like buying travel insurance, registering your trip with your local embassy, carrying emergency contacts on your person, and having access to copies of important documents like passports and visas?

Who should volunteer abroad for free

Volunteering abroad for free is not for everyone. But there are certain types of people and travelers who can thrive in this situation:

1. Experienced Travelers

If your volunteer trip abroad will be the first time you’re traveling overseas — especially if still a minor — strongly consider signing up with a volunteer organization and paying their program fee. Volunteering abroad for free is for those travelers who are accustomed to handling the experience of being abroad independently. This includes things like haggling with taxi drivers, finding accommodations, and staying safe.

2. Those with time on their hands

Don’t expect to quickly nd a volunteer placement that suits you, especially if you are looking for a skilled position like in health care or construction. You will need considerable time to research and investigate not only the volunteer placement itself but also the local community. Then when you finally arrive at the placement, do not be surprised if the reality doesn’t match the “brochure” — in terms of the facility’s quality and the availability and type of volunteer work.

3. Tough Cookies

As one can gather from the above, volunteering abroad for free is suited only for independent-minded self-starters. What if something goes wrong 10,000 miles from home — say with your health or the volunteer work — or if you get homesick and depressed? You must be able to handle such adversity mostly on your own. You will have to negotiate a new culture with its unique customs, work styles and health and safety concerns.

4. Unskilled Volunteers

Volunteer positions that do not require skills or experience are the easiest ones to self-arrange. The most popular ones include volunteering at orphanages, elementary schools, and with sports teams. If you are a skilled volunteer like an experienced doctor or nurse, you will likely benifitted from the contacts and support of a placement agency.

How to Volunteer Abroad for Free

So, just how can you volunteer abroad for free? Here are some methods that work:

1. Former Volunteers

Seasoned travelers are often the best resource when nding a free volunteer project abroad. They are almost always willing to share their experiences — and not just on an impersonal blog or Facebook page. Ask them to have a chat online or even try to meet for tea if feasible.

2. Social Media

Facebook and Twitter can be a good way to find free or low-cost volunteer programs abroad. But again, focus on finding former volunteers, instead of just reaching out to the volunteer placements themselves.

3. Guide Books

Travel guide books (Lonely Planet, Moon Books) are good to consult for their listings of free volunteer projects abroad. These guide books are very popular, so the listed organizations are usually ooded with requests from foreigners looking to volunteer. Contact them anyway — they may have partner organizations who could use your help.

4. Local Organizations

Contact organizations abroad directly, like schools and drop-in centers for children, to see if they have volunteer placements available for you. Send an email or Facebook message but also call them on the phone (the effort of a voice call may make the organization more willing to entertain your request to volunteer). Ask if they have had foreign volunteers before; what are the work duties; is there free room and meals?

5. Just Show Up

Consider simply flying to the host country and arranging everything after you arrive. Have a list of local organizations in hand and literally knock on their doors and tell them you’re looking to volunteer. Don’t have a list? Hang around venues with foreigners like cafes, gyms and bars. Ask locals (hotel front-desk, taxi drivers, waiters) where you can volunteer. These communities abroad are very small — you will find something quickly.

(Volunteer Abroad for Free — PDF)

Semillas De Amor Orphanage

University Travel: 10 Ways Students Can Globetrot for Free

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Freelance travel writer and food blogger Lauren Razavi outlines 10 ways students can travel around the world for free (or almost free).

Lauren posted these ideas several year ago, but I like them so much that I wanted to share them again. 

And although Cosmic Volunteers volunteer programs abroad are not free, I still believe in sharing ideas on traveling abroad for free. We travelers are all about helping others abroad while learning about different cultures.

So, if you are ready to start thinking about and maybe even planning your summer for 2018, here are some ideas to explore about how you can travel around the world for free.

1. Cultural Exchange and Study

Each year, government departments and private organizations fund a limited number of undergraduates to go on cultural exchange programmes.

One good example is the China Study Tour run by the Confucius Institute. The study tour immerses students in the cultures and traditions of China. In order to keep the tour as affordable as possible, the Confucius Institute subsides the cost of accommodation and activities included in the tour program.

2. Teach English Abroad

Teaching abroad is a great option, especially if you are interested in going to southeast Asia.

There are small schools and community centers in places like Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines that would be glad to have you for the summer. Your role would most likely be as an unpaid teaching assistant who practices conversation and pronunciation with young children.

I suggest looking online for small schools and child-advocacy organizations in the host country, then contact them to see if they can use your help. Some may even give you free accommodations and meals all summer.

Also look at directories like Go Overseas and Go Abroad to find “free” or very cheap placement organizations. 

Most teaching positions abroad in summers are unpaid. You typically need to commit to at least a 9-month stay in order to get paid actual wages.

3. Travel Grants

There are organizations whose sole purpose is funding travel. The application process is stringent, so it is not an easy task. But the mere exercise of putting your thoughts together on paper and doing an interview can help you understand your own reasons for travel. One organization is the SPRET Educational Trust. They assist with contributions towards the cost of travel, residence and attendance at conferences, lectures and educational courses.

4. Enter competitions

This one is a long shot. But yes, there are companies running contests with prizes to fund travel abroad. If you’re a poet and you know it, there’s the Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship. Also photo contests are everywhere these days. InternationalStudent.com runs a travel video contest with a $4,000 prize — that’ll buy a lot of Pho in Vietnam! (deadline is October 13 so hurry). ACIS Educational Tours has a $1,000 scholarship contest based on your artwork, photography and writing that describes how “…different cultures, communities, and places from around the world impact your daily life.”

5. Study abroad

Some degree courses automatically include a term or year away, but there are opportunities for any undergraduate to spend time abroad as part of their studies.

Launched in 2009, The Bridge Year Program by Princeton allows a select number of incoming students to begin their Princeton experience by engaging in nine months of tuition-free, University-sponsored service at one of five international locations.

Here is a list of colleges where freshman year study abroad is common.

6. Become a tour guide

Consider leading others on their own sightseeing trips abroad as a tour guide. Contact tourism boards and offices, hotels, cruise ships and and smaller tour companies.

For this type of work, you will need excellent English and an upbeat and friendly personality. You will also have to learn about — very quickly! — the local culture and sightseeing spots.

A downside to being a tour guide abroad is that you will probably be taking away work from a native-born tour guide who needs the work much more than you do.

7. Hitchhiking and Couchsurfing

Hitchhiking is now illegal, and certainly discouraged, in many parts of the US. But hitchhiking abroad is not only legal but a perfectly normal and safe part of life.

Especially in rural areas abroad, hitchhiking is often the only way for most people to get around.

This was me hitchhiking a motorcycle ride in the rural beach town of Monterrico, Guatemala in 2017:

Also consider Couchsurfing where you stay a local person’s house for free. Why? People like meeting others from different cultures, and what better way to entice them than to give them a free room!

8. Work on a farm

I’ve casually met tons of farmers around the world who would love to host you in exchange for your labor.

There are organizations online that have formalized the process of connecting travelers with farming work abroad. The most well-known is World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

The local farms (mostly organic) usually provide food and accommodation and maybe even a small stipend — all in exchange for your (hard!) labor. WOOF does charge a small upfront fee for membership — but I think it’s worth the peace of mind know that the farm has been vetted by WWOOF.

9. Charity

Make your trip a charity event, then fundraise from the community. Many young people start with asking family and friends for funds.

Consider a faith-based mission trip — they continue to grow in popularity. Most of the congregations I know are very generous with cash donations, especially if you are partnering with a congregation abroad. It is relatively easy these days to find a congregation in places like Ghana and Guatemala who would welcome you to share your faith (and donations) with them.

For secular ventures, potential donors may be more likely to sponsor you if they know you are volunteering abroad with a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity so that their donations are tax-deductible. Try hard to do some sort of presentation to your donors when you return home.

10. New Friends

Make friends with people at your university — especially students from different countries. Those students aren’t hard to find these days — International students studying abroad on US campuses has been increasing annually forever.

Go to events on campus organized by international students. Perhaps volunteer alongside them. Get to know them, ask questions, learn about their life and culture back home.

Let them know you are open to invites to visit their home country in the summer. They’ll probably be proud to have you come and act as your tour guide.

Ghana Volunteer Kaitlyn Scott at Kakum National Park

Kaitlyn Scott in Ghana and India

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Kaitlyn Scott volunteered with us not only in Ghana but in India as well. Kaitlyn, from Springfield, Virginia, spent her spring break in 2005 volunteering at an orphanage in Ghana. The next summer, as a 17-year old, Kaitlyn traveled to Bangalore, India to volunteer at both an orphanage and school, teaching English skills and doing arts and crafts with children.

After Ghana, Kaitlyn wrote to us:

Thank you so much for organizing my trip to Ghana. It was such an incredible experience! I’m so glad everything worked out, even with such short notice. My host family was so nice, and I loved learning a new language and culture. I had such an amazing experience that I’m eager to do more international volunteering. Thank you for all your help!
— Kaitlyn

While in India, Kaitlyn’s mother Ardyth dropped us a line:

Hi Cosmic, I just got my first email from Kaitlyn today, and she sounds very happy. She said she was going to start at the orphanage in India tomorrow and was starting her Hindi lessons. Thank you so much for checking on the details. We appreciate all that you have done to give Kaitlyn this incredible experience (She said she had ridden a camel yesterday…) Thanks again for all your work!
— Ardyth Scott (Kaitlyn’s mom)

Kaitlyn’s Photo Album from Ghana:

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Stahili Foundation

Orphanage Voluntourism and the United Nations

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As we have written before, Cosmic Volunteers does not send volunteers to orphanages any longer.

The studies about the harms of orphanage tourism are piling up year after year and are just too obvious to ignore any longer.

However, orphanage tourism continues to exist, and in a big way.

There is some good news though:

The child advocacy organization Stahili continues to fight on behalf of children who are exploited around the world.

Yesterday Stahili posted an article asking, “Why is orphanage tourism not in the UNWTO draft convention on tourism ethics?”.

As Stahili  writes, “…public awareness of the harms of orphanage tourism, its growth as an industry and its links with child trafficking, has risen sharply in recent years.

They cite current developments in Australia, where orphanage tourism could soon be outlawed as part of a Modern Slavery Act.

Stahili also notes a recent report by Lumos on Haiti that highlighted the negative impact of orphanage tourism in sustaining an orphanage “business” which separates children from their families.

We will continue following the issue of orphanage voluntourism, including organizations like Stahili who are working hard to end the practice.

Who is Stahili

Stahili is a movement of practitioners, experts, individual supporters, teachers and students from around the world who want to make the world a better place for children.

They work in education, child protection and development, and children’s rights advocacy. They help children in institutional care – such as orphanages – regain their right to family and provide access to high quality education. They are members of the Alternative Care Alliance Kenya.