The other day we received a survey from a volunteer that just returned from Tanzania. She spent 3 weeks on an Orphanage and Street Children Quest and had a wonderful time, but her one issue with her United Planet Quest was that she felt she had almost been “over-prepped” in matters of safety…
Kimberly felt that her entire safety review before spending 3 weeks in Tanzania was over the top. She remarked, “I was warned about many things, including ‘not to look at people in the eye’ and other safety topics. I did not have an issue at all with many of the topics that were brought up. If you practice common sense in Tanzania, then you will have a good time.” We thought we should explain to our volunteers and to anyone else interested in staying safe while abroad, why we spend so much time preparing our volunteers and ensuring our host family and volunteer project placements are safe.
We love our volunteers!
We took some time to put together some information concerning ways to stay safe while abroad, and we want to reiterate the importance of being prepared; we may focus on safety too much, but hey, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry! Plus, we’ll do the worrying for you so you can have more time to enjoy your trip…
Living and working in another culture is an unparalleled experience.
Too many travelers, however, miss out on opportunities to help communities in developing nations because of concerns about personal safety. How will you find a safe place to live? How will you ask for help if you don’t speak the language? Will you make friends who can advise you? What will you do in an emergency?
A volunteer making the most of her experience in Chile last December
Staying safe abroad is much the same as staying safe at home. It requires common sense, an understanding of local customs and lives, and supportive relationships with local residents.
Cultural immersion, rather than keeping your distance, is the key to a safe and life-changing adventure.
Becoming an accepted and engaged member of your new community will give you the awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity you need to avoid unsafe situations.
Your skills and energy are needed in many different countries. Here’s how you can make a difference without worry:
- Learn about your destination before you go. Read traveler forums, blogs, and accounts from people who know the country. Explore the streets, countryside, and transportation routes via Google Earth’s satellite maps and images.
- Arrange to live with a host family or in a hostel managed by local residents. They will be your first friends and support network in the country.
- Arrange to do meaningful work within the community. Real contributions will help you build real relationships.
- Learn the language as much as possible before your arrival.
- Be aware of cultural patterns and plan to take part in local customs. What is considered polite behavior and decent attire? What holidays, festivals, and other events will take place while you are there?
- Learn about the realities of daily life in your community. What are the challenges? What are the joys? Plan to share in both.
- Enroll in a reputable international travel program that provides pre-departure training as well as a network of in-country support.
Happy kids at a school in Tanzania
United Planet has been helping people volunteer in 40 nations for several years. Committed to fostering cross-cultural understanding to promote global peace, UP’s in-country coordinators have lived, worked, or studied in the region they manage. They provide personalized attention and planning for each volunteer as well as comprehensive pre-departure information and training.
On arrival, volunteers receive an on-site orientation by their in-country coordinator, who explains logistics, public transportation, emergency procedures, and local health and safety precautions. UP volunteers have 24/7 phone access to their coordinator, and coordinators check in regularly with all volunteers in the field. Host families, locations, and projects have been thoroughly vetted by the UP team.
By building relationships between volunteers, coordinators, and community members, United Planet ensures that their participants have all the preparation, tools and resources they need to stay safe while making a difference.
“My two children participated in a United Planet Quest to Peru last summer. They enjoyed their experience so much that this summer they are both going to Guatemala. Both of them truly loved what United Planet organized for them in Peru. Not only did they feel that they were helping underprivileged children in Peru, and making a difference in their lives, but they also bonded with their local host families, became more fluent in Spanish, and were able to travel throughout the incredible countryside of Cuzco. To feel that way is a very empowering experience for teenagers. It has opened their eyes to the world and given them more respect and understanding for other cultures.”
–Renata De Dalmas – Parent of two United Planet volunteers
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
