To all of the volunteer organizations that attempted to extort money from me so that I may freely offer my blood, sweat and tears… screw you. I genuinely don’t mean to sound negative or pessimistic toward every volunteer organization—some are legit (I think). But if you want to volunteer abroad for a worthy cause, PLEASE stop before pulling out your plastic card to register and read of my experience.
I’m currently residing in the beautiful, yet destitute country of Nepal. First question: how did I get here? I wish I could claim some elite institution offered me a prestigious fellowship to come and study the culture, but the reason is far less glamorous—I purchased a one-way ticket, booked a cheap hotel and got a three-month visa. Next question: why am I here? Again, the answer isn’t glamorous—I felt like being here and it sounded like fun.
Before arriving, I conducted due diligence on various volunteer organizations. I thought about teaching English to Buddhist monks, holding craft sessions in an orphanage, engaging in a photojournalism course and I looked at a host of other spiffy-sounding opportunities. The websites, in all of their colorful splendor and flash-based design, showed pictures of blonde-haired, happy volunteers holding babies or monkeys. Then I’d click on the “program fees” portion of the website and my stomach would churn. $800 to volunteer for one month?! I knew I could scrounge up the cash, but a part of me strongly resisted. First, the website typically offered no explanation of how the fees were allocated—perhaps a portion would go to the orphanage, but who could really tell? Secondly… I have an ego. Maybe I sound like a cold, heartless bitch for saying this, but I’ve worked my ass off to harness my unique skill set. I’m indebted to SallieMae for the next 30 years as a result of going to college. I think my soul was almost sucked from me as I sat through my intermediate macroeconomics course. I worked for the Man by spending three years in a cubicle learning the trade of accounting. Now, I completely understand that I have been afforded opportunities in my life by virtue of being born in the US. For this reason, I want to volunteer with no expected remuneration. But I’m not going to pay for the privilege. And guess what? You don’t have to, either.
