Avoiding 'rogue' gap year volunteering projects

A number of different characteristics of a volunteering project help determine between good and bad placements, it has been claimed.

Writing for Travel Mole, Natasha Stein noted that 'voluntourism' has stimulated "a significant amount of debate in recent years" - largely because of a small minority of disreputable organisations.

She explained that while most voluntary work abroad confers significant benefits on the lives of local people, where rogue operators become involved it can exacerbate the problems.

"The main issues arising from this sector include whether there is a need for the volunteer and the legitimacy of the projects they do; whether the volunteer brings the necessary skills to the project and whether they are displacing paid workers," Ms Stein stated.

She said it is also important to consider whether volunteering projects are a drain on local resources, whether funding is channelled into the right areas - and to the people who need it - and whether volunteers are properly briefed and prepared for their particular experience.

"There are many stories of volunteers arriving at projects only to find there is little for them to do, no logistical support on the ground or they are unprepared or unskilled for the experience," Ms Stein noted.

However, she said the growth of the market and positioning within the mainstream travel sector will continue to raise and address these kinds of issues.

"This could ultimately lead to a better experience for volunteers and increased benefit to the local communities they visit, with movement towards regulation of the industry," Ms Stein claimed.

In order to ensure they end up working as part of an ethical volunteering project, people planning a year abroad should fully research gap year organisations to ensure they are reputable.

Year Out Group members organise volunteering and conservation programmes in destinations all around the world.

Their website also has a series of questions to put to any organisation that will help you decide that it is reputable and that the project is right for you

Check out all the different gap year programs on offer.