6 Things You Should Ask Before Volunteering Abroad

1. 6 Things You Should Ask Before Volunteering Abroad You are excited to plan your volunteer adventure abroad, but are overwhelmed by the amount of projects and organizations you encounter in your research and wonder how to choose the most suitable for you? The following 6 questions are intended to inspire you to think about volunteering abroad and might help you to choose the right program for you! Questions you should ask yourself before volunteering abroad: 1. In what field do I want to volunteer? Begin by making a list of your interest and skills; this will narrow down your search to the projects that are most suitable for you. Here at INLEX it helps us a lot if you know what you are good at since we do place a special effort in assisting each volunteer individually and matching him/her with the right project. For example if you have a background in medicine, our medical projects in Guatemala might be the right thing for you! 2. How much time do you have? Some people only have time and money for a short volunteer experience; this is why we do offer programs as short as 2 weeks time. However we do recommend staying at least a month for you to get the real experience in your project placement, we do also have a few projects where a 4 weeks commitment is required. 3. What do I know about the country? It is always helpful to get familiar with the culture and language of the country you are going to visit. Here at INLEX we do provide our prospective volunteers with all information needed to get ready and excited about your trip- including a pre-arrival information packet and a volunteer orientation when you arrive. Questions to ask the organization before volunteering abroad 1. What does my program fee cover? Of course you do want to know where your fees go and what is included in your program. This information has to be clear and easily accessible to you. A good volunteer program has a detailed breakdown of their program fee on their website. Fees at INLEX directly cover the cost of hosting you, including your home stay accommodation, meals, airport pick-up,

2. orientation and 24/7 staff support. A portion of that fee also goes toward administrative expenses, like marketing and recruitment. 2. Are there testimonials from former volunteers? Reading about volunteers that have been in the program is always helpful to get an idea about the experience. At INLEX we can even connect you with former volunteers if it helps you to decide about the program you would like to volunteer in. 3. How does a typical volunteering day look like? Before you choose a project it is important for you to get to know your responsibilities and activities on a daily basis. On our webpage you can find a detailed list of possible activities you will be doing in each of our project listed, of course it can vary depending on your strengths and interests. Have more questions about volunteering abroad? Contact us through info@inlexca.org and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.