Voluntourism

"The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others."  - Gandhi
Volunteering is a great way to have a deeper understanding and involvement in a travel destination. Over the past decades, there has been a rise in volunteer tourism (“voluntourism”), driven by a growing number of conscientious individuals desiring to give back to the communities they visit.

Wild Guanabana crafts volunteer journeys across the globe and here in Egypt to provide affordable volunteer travel options for those wishing to do their part. Our volunteer journeys are safe, responsible, and eco-friendly. The journeys are carefully chosen to provide authentic grassroots experiences that cultivate global friendships and serve those most in need.

Everyone can be a volunteer.

In addition to longer volunteer-travel experiences (several weeks up to a year), a wide spectrum of volunteering possibilities exists from engaging with an NGO for an afternoon out of your regular travel vacation, to giving lectures at a local university or school, to writing awareness-raising articles post-travel from back home.

Voluntourism touches on everything from conservation efforts, to hunger and poverty relief, to community development, to education and child welfare, to sustainable agriculture, to helping out local entrepreneurs and much more.

Ways to give when abroad: teach someone to read and write; create a facebook page/website for a local entrepreneur or NGO; donate your computer; plant a tree; donate books; lend a micro-loan (see www.kiva.org); say thank you (in their language); bring small useful gifts (like school supplies) when you travel; clean up any garbage you see; buy local; plan together; create lasting friendships.

10 Tips on giving back:

1. Start with heart: positive change begins from within
2. Time means more than money
3. Action speaks louder than words
4. You are never too old or too young to begin
5. Make a personal commitment
6. Give much, give often
7. Open your eyes and ears to gain new perspectives
8. Be passionate about what you do
9. Share your talents
10. Start now! Send us an email to wildlearning [at] wildguanabana.com