How to Volunteer With Cross-Cultural Solutions

Volunteering abroad is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can achieve. Each year, thousands of people volunteer abroad. Cross-Cultural Solutions is an option for people who want to travel and volunteer in places like Africa, South America and Asia.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• passport
• funds to travel
• sense of adventure

1. First decide which country you want to go to. Cross-Cultural Solutions currently operates in 12 countries: Ghana, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania, China, India, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Peru. Cross-Cultural Solutions is often seen by many as a shorter alternative to joining the Peace Corps, which requires a two-year committment. With CCS, you can volunteer for as short as a week, or for as long as three months.

2. Once you have a location in mind, research the country and go to the CCS website to see what services are needed in that country. You may be teaching English, or working in orphanages. You may be working with refugees or in community development. Make sure that the services required by the country placement match to what you are willing and able to do. Want to work with kids or the elderly? Check the placement site to see if that particular country site serves those populations.

3. Plan well in advance. Some countries require a few months to process paperwork, including visas. When you have a date in mind, check the Cross-Cultural Solutions website to see when volunteer dates start in that country. The organization operates year-round, but some placements fill up fast, especially in the summer months.

4. Contact Cross-Cultural Solutions directly by filling out a form on their website. You will be assigned a placement coordinator who will help you every step of the way, from your visa application, to what to bring to your placement.

5. Know that you will have constant support in your placement while volunteering overseas. If you are in a country that speaks a different language, you will always have an interpreter. The organization is in contact with local health care facilities in case you get sick. And CCS will never place you in a country where it is dangerous.

6. Network with other volunteers. CCS has a social networking site on their website, where people who are planning to volunteer abroad, or "alumni" can connect, share stories and give advice.

7. Prepare to spend money. CCS is operated solely on the basis of individual donations and fees. It is not affiliated with any religion or political association; the volunteers pay fees that support the staff, the housing they live in while overseas, the food they eat and much more. Some volunteers have luck in fundraising to support their efforts to volunteer abroad.

Tips & Warnings

• There is no getting around the fact that Cross-Cultural Solutions is expensive--it can be a few thousand dollars total. But the money is going to a good cause, and the organization does not make a profit--all of the money goes to supporting you as a volunteer and the communities you will serve.

Resources

• Cross-Cultural Solutions Official Site

[jaheekin]

on 6/16/2009 Writers like you make eHow so worth reading. Five stars.