dimanche 31 juillet 2016

Basics On How To Volunteer In Developing Countries

By Dorothy Cook


Developing countries are still grappling with a myriad of challenges that affect many sectors. These include healthcare, education, social and environmental among others. At the same time, tremendous growth has led to the emergence of a vibrant corporate sector involving indigenous companies as well as multinationals. As can be seen, there are many areas in which you can plug in if you are planning to volunteer in developing countries.

There are two main ways that one can use to get an opportunity. The first option is where the individual identifies their preferred country. They then make an application to a governmental or non-governmental organization before making the trip. They then visit a government facility or a private organization to apply for a position. The second alternative is to sign up with an organization that will organize your placement (usually at a small fee).

The globalization taking place currently is bringing with it many benefits and challenges alike. Professionals have to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. One of the areas where the impact of this reality is being felt is in healthcare provision. Health care professionals need to understand medical conditions from all over the world. Healthcare professionals traveling to the developing world are bound to get the much needed international experience.

The healthcare sector is among those that are most receptive to volunteers. This is because qualified healthcare professionals in the developing countries are very few and overworked. The distances that have to be covered by the sick as they travel to get medical attention are often very long. A volunteer working close to the community is likely to help in a big way.

Another important volunteer opportunity in healthcare is in the training of healthcare professionals. If you are a trainer you have an opportunity to help impart skills and knowledge in professionals working in the most remote parts of the world. Emergency trauma care, obstetric care and pediatric management are some of the areas in which regular training goes a long way in reducing mortality and morbidity rate.

Teachers will also find plenty of opportunities to contribute positively. Most of the developing countries have experienced increased enrollment of pupils in schools in recent times. The increase has not been matched with the employment of more teachers which has put a lot of strain on the few teachers teaching at both primary and secondary schools. Volunteer teachers may contribute in sciences (physics, chemistry and biology), mathematics and foreign languages (English, French and German) among others.

In spite of the huge progress that has been made by most developing countries, a sizeable population are still faced with abject poverty. Many cannot afford basic human needs and live mainly in slums. There are many social challenges that come with such informal settlements. These include, among others, increased levels of crime, sexual violence, a high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and so on. Volunteer social workers have become quite helpful in such environments.

Volunteering has many benefits regardless of the duration of time involved. The most important among them is the fact that one gets an opportunity to contribute to the less fortunate and contribute to a better world in their own small way. Another benefit is that they will get international exposure in their level of specialization which will help them become even better at what they do.




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