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Home > Volunteers > Positions > What to Expect |
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What to Expect Volunteering overseas can be one of the most exciting, inspiring, and educational experiences of a lifetime. Being immersed into a new culture through an opportunity to work and live at a grassroots level with the local people really gives you a chance to understand and appreciate their way of life. Through this experience, you will discover facets of the local culture that may not seem sensible. For instance, loose scheduling where appointments begin later than planned (if you’re lucky), paying a small bribe to a government official to expedite paperwork, extra-long greetings, or the chaotic nature of using local transportation. Patience is critical as things move at a much slower pace. Flexibility is required since your itinerary may not go exactly as planned. A sense of humor comes in handy to laugh about your frustrations and cultural differences that confound your sense of logic. A spirit of adventure is needed when you might be in a situation where simple amenities are not available. Taking the initiative and making adjustments to project plans may need to occur as circumstances may change. Another side affect of the volunteer experience is learning a lot about yourself. You will discover how little (or how much) you need in the way of modern comforts to be happy. By challenging your personal limits, you will do things that you never imagined you were capable of. Your outlook on life will never be the same. The International Volunteer Program Association (IVPA) offers good advice on volunteering overseas. Why Volunteer Abroad? |
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