Free Volunteer Work In Africa Let's Be Realistic
It's no real surprise that a lot of people considering this kind of working holiday will search for free volunteer work in Africa. The challenge is the word free. In some ways it's not unreasonable to think that if you are giving up your valuable free time you would expect people in Africa to be waiting for you with open arms. The truth has to be somewhat more realistic.
Volunteer organizations in Africa really do want your help. Whether it's helping with lion conservation in Zimbabwe, medical assistance in Zambia, orphan children in Zanzibar or sport education in Cape Town, they really do want you to be involved as much as possible.
But free or paid volunteer work is something they simply cannot afford. That money has to go to animal conservation projects, or to buy important medicines for Zulu children in the slums of St. Lucia or simply bricks and mortar for school buildings in Mozambique. Would you really expect that money to go into your pocket?
Look at it another way. Volunteering to teach African children English, in Cape town, will cost you around $1800 for a month. You would pay more than that to stay in any US city in a Best Western. You wouldn't get fed and you certainly wouldn't be soaking up the sights and sounds of Africa! The same maths apply if you are in the UK, Europe, Australia or New Zealand. The price of volunteering in Africa is probably equivalent to staying in your local bed and breakfast - possibly less. It's true you have to add in the cost of your flight but you would have to do that for almost any vacation - unless you really are going to stay in the next town...
If you choose a reputable volunteer organization, the money you pay not only covers you accommodation and all your meals, it also pays to keep the infrastructure going and buys valuable supplies, be that food or medicines, for some of the poorest people in the world. More than that, it doesn't just feed them, it helps them to help themselves in the long term by providing ongoing medical facilities and much needed education.
It true, and sad, that some so-called volunteer groups expect people to go to volunteer in Africa and then leave them stranded at the airport, or ask them to put their hand in their pockets again for materials or provisions. That should never happen. The only extra money you should be spending is on enjoying yourself - and there will be plenty of chance for excitement and adventure of a more relaxing nature once the work is finished!
If you have any doubts about the people organizing your trip, ask them awkward questions! If you don't get the right answers, move on, there's always someone else who wants your help.
Free volunteer work isn't practical but the satisfaction of volunteering in Africa can be yours for little more than if you took your vacation in your neighboring town. A comparison like that is actually a bit silly when you consider the vital work you will do in Africa, the memories you will make and the life-long friendships you will build. You can't put a price on that.
