Voluntourism

This may become a regular topic in the future. While discussing travel on the forum, one of the people who responded to my post recommended volunteering in other countries. I eventually found out the shorthand term for this was voluntourism. Per my curiosity, I decided to research the topic and see what I could find. In my search, I realized that this was something I could definitely do in time. Also in my search, I came across internships in other countries which counted as voluntourism. One of these opportunities I found was teaching English in China or Thailand, available from several English-speaking countries. Though I personally would not be able to do it in the next available timeslot, I brought up the topic with a friend who has been having a difficult time finding a job. Though she had never really heard about voluntourism and had never considered teaching as a job, it seemed to pique her interest since she has wanted to travel. Well, this as well as the fact that she would be paid, which is quite the plus when she is having difficulty finding a job. I shall see what her decision is in the future. I definitely plan on trying voluntourism when I am able to.

Have you tried voluntourism? If so, would you recommend it and is the experience worth it in comparison to regular travel? If it is worth it or you have tried it, do you have any recommendations?