International volunteering offers so many benefits to students, young adults, and anyone who wants to travel and give back responsibly. Volunteering yields both tangible results – better language skills, another paragraph on your CV – and some things that just cannot be calculated: a sense of international community, a stronger character, and an intimate knowledge of the foreign country in which you volunteer.
Volunteering shows employers that you have extensive training and that you are willing to work hard for what you are passionate about. It also gives students a deeper knowledge of the fields they are studying. Angela, a Mente Argentina volunteer at a public hospital in Buenos Aires, says: “I got to interview a lot of parents, kids, doctors, nurses about the health care system here, and it was really interesting to compare it to the United States because their healthcare systems are so different. That really helped me get a more worldly view of how medicine is practised in other countries. I’m applying to medical school so that really helped me … because I have all this great experiences of what the healthcare system is like here and how hospitals function, and the pros and cons of the two systems.” This international perspective is invaluable in our globalised world.
In order to get the most out of your volunteer experience, come prepared. This means everything from the necessary vaccines and teaching materials, to coming with activities and a schedule already planned, to keeping an open mind. As a volunteer, you’re there to learn, so ask lots of questions and take the initiative!
As you begin organising your volunteer placement abroad, ask yourself what kind of experience you want to have. Are you more interested in working with people – kids or adults – or the environment? Housing or agriculture? Where do you want to go? Do you want to improve your language skills? If you haven’t travelled much and want to work on your language skills, going through a programme is a good way to make sure you get the most out of your volunteering. Programmes like Mente Argentina can help you set up a volunteer programme, and supplement it with Spanish lessons and group activities.
For more information visit menteargentina.com.
(The featured image is by Gustavo (lu7frb))
