The Volunteer Logue recently featured a review of True Travellers Society, an organization and website which puts current and potential international travellers and volunteers in touch directly with local organizations. This enables volunteers to have more authentic experiences with local organizations and, though they do shoulder more responsibility for making their own arrangements than those option for a placement organization, they can do so without paying a large fee to a company. Many who have gone this route have found it very rewarding.

Andrew Wahba, the founder of True Travellers Society, took some time out to do an e-interview for the Volunteer Logue, sharing his experience volunteering and explaining how it influenced him to start his website.

Andrew has personally volunteered in Argentina and Thailand; in Argentina, he carried out a six-month internship with the Center for Human Rights and the Environment (CEDHA) in connection with a Canadian Government program. The program is for Canadians between the ages of 19 and 30 seeking a first overseas work experience. Andrew received a position with the Hispanic Development Council in Canada who partnered with CEDHA. On the ground in Argentina, he functioned as a project manager for their Corporate Social Responsibility program, which involved a good deal of policy work as well as organizing activities to neutralize the organization’s greenhouse gas emissions.

In Thailand, he spent six months as a volunteer for Right to Play, where he and a work partner coordinated sport and play programs on two refugee camps – one essentially a physical education program implemented through a school, the other an after-school program where kids could learn sports and then have a chance to play them.

How did all this influence him to start the True Travellers Society?

“The organization was founded completely based on my experiences abroad. When travelling one of the best ways to find out what to do where ever you are is through talking to other travellers. When the subject of volunteering came up I heard lots of amazing stories about adventures all over the globe. Almost all of the programs and stories were new to me and I could not find any information about them online. The only thing I could find were the “meaningful travel agents” who charge quite a bit of money to ‘volunteer’. I thought it would be great if there was a site which allowed travellers to share information about no fee volunteer opportunities or opportunities that would allow travellers to get further immersed into the culture. This would not only benefit the travellers but also the communities and organizations who would receive the volunteers It could also give the organizations a place to spread the word about their work.’

Thanks to Andrew for taking the time to share his experience. Make sure to check out his advice on preparing to volunteer and dealing with expectations and challenges.