Andrew Wahba, the founder of True Travellers Society, which puts travellers and international volunteers in touch with volunteer-seeking organizations, shared with the Volunteer Logue his thoughts about preparing to volunteer as well as advice for reconciling pre-departure expectations with challenges on the ground.

He prepares by reading up on the country and trying to learn a bit of the language, using language software if possible. He points out that locals appreciate it if you make an effort to speak in their language; at the very least, he tries to learn some “novelty lines or crowd pleasers.” (Stay tuned for some funny examples!)

Regarding expectations, he says, “ I think you have to go into a volunteer experience expecting it to be like nothing you expect. You are in a new country, with new people and usually a foreign language. Most of your expectations will prove to be off the mark… at least mine were.”

I’ve also personally found that challenges and sometimes even frustrations seem to be an inherent part of volunteering independently, and asked Andrew for his thoughts on this.

“A lot of civil society organizations have big ideas but lack funding and human resources. The head people in the organization will be doing a hundred and one things…and can’t spend lots of time showing you the ropes. Rarely is a volunteer’s role defined upon arrival. There is a “feeling out” period where you learn where your skills can be best utilized by the organization. This can be a frustrating process, but once it is overcome and you start to feel like you are contributing, it is very rewarding.”

Given these challenges, is it worth the effort to work with a local organization? Of course:
“The best part about working with a local organization is the local people. The best way to truly experience a culture is through the local people.”

Have a look around the True Travellers Society, and register for the forums to ask Andrew any questions or to share your own experience.