Warning for students volunteering overseas

Ahead of the publication of Leaving Cert results today, international development charity VSO has cautioned young people considering taking a year out to volunteer in the developing world.  VSO advises that it may be better to travel rather than take up badly planned voluntary work in developing countries, which often put young people at risk and do not benefit the communities they are supposed to be supporting.

VSO, Ireland’s leading volunteer sending agency which recruits professionals, is noting a rise in Irish students looking to take time out between college years or even before starting university.  During this ‘gap year’ students often take up a volunteer placement in the developing world.

VSO says that badly planned and unsupported ‘volunteer tourism’ schemes may be having a negative impact on young people and the communities they work with.  It is advising young people who are serious about voluntary work to carefully research the organisation they travel with and choose a development-focused organisation.

Speaking in advance of the Leaving Certificate results today, Malcolm Quigley, Director of VSO Ireland said:

'Spending a ‘year out’ has become a rite of passage for students in the UK, and is catching on here in Ireland.  VSO is increasingly concerned about the number of badly organised volunteering schemes promoted to young people on a ‘gap year’ or during the Summer holidays, ultimately benefiting no one apart from the travel companies that run them.

Young people should be cautious not to waste time on projects that have no impact and can leave a hole in their wallet.  VSO recruits older volunteers with professional skills for long-term placements, plus we pay all their costs before and during their placement.  This way we ensure volunteers make a meaningful contribution to development.'

VSO, which designs sustainable and impactful programmes in some of the world’s poorest countries, argues that the ‘Gap Year’ market is increasingly catering to the needs of young volunteers looking for an adventure, rather than the communities they claim to support.  It urges providers to work with local communities to ensure young people are doing work that has a meaningful impact.