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Gap Year Volunteering Abroad

Written by jaslyn

Gap year programs are becoming more and more popular globally. It usually refers to the taking of a break from school, usually for a year, after graduating from high school and before moving on to college. Many who choose to take a gap year use the opportunity to travel and experience the colour and culture of a foreign country, including going on gap year overseas volunteer programs.

Why take a Gap Year?
Of the many reasons for taking a gap year, 2 main benefits stand out.
First, being away from the comfort zone and convenience of one's familiar environment, there is the opportunity for character development. As many choose to go on gap year volunteer programmes in developing countries where they have to adapt to new conditions, environment and foreign culture, many come away from their experiences enriched and a good measure of maturity.

Increasingly, employers are also looking for more than just academic qualifications and job experience, looking for that little extra in the potential candidates. A meaningful gap year volunteer program in one's resume is a helpful addition.

How to prepare for gap year volunteering?
It is important to prepare well for a gap year volunteering program. First of all, participants would have to decide what they want to do and where they want to go. For those who plan to volunteer during their gap year, they can choose to go direct to the charitable organisation where they would be volunteering. Increasingly, many volunteers choose to do so through specialist volunteer travel agencies to take adavantage of the greater operational and logistic support from these agencies. For a small fee, on top of the cost of living and air ticket to the destination, one will be assigned to a suitable volunteer programme, matched according to their personality and objectives. The latter is perhaps a good option for first-timers and those who want greater support and assurance of a more successful and meaningful gap year volunteering experience, which usually includes pre and post-trip briefing and offshore support from the agency itself.

Last but not least, saving for gap year should be the first thing to do as soon as one makes the decision to take a year out. However, it wouldn’t take long to discover that taking a gap year abroad, especially in developing nations, is not that expensive at all. Volunteering in Cambodia, for example, is a cost effective option to take a gap year.

Whatever the choice may be, however little or much preparation is made for taking a gap year; the most important preparation is the preparation of the mind. Being pro-active and flexible is the key to making a gap year meaningful and memorable.