Top 10 Myths About Volunteering in Africa

Is excessive money
essential for volunteering?

Budget Traveller lists ten myths about volunteering in Africa.  I agree with most of the list, but not all of the list, so I thought I would respond here.

10. You have to be rich to volunteer. I can’t afford it.
Define "rich".  I live in Canada and the plane flights alone are around $US 1,600.  Plus there are the fees on top of that. So maybe not "rich", but at least having some sort of disposable income.

9. You have to volunteer for months at a time, and who has time?
The article says that you can volunteer for a week at a time.  Well, yeah you could volunteer, but meaningfully volunteer?  I don't think so.

Meaningful Volunteer has a one month minimum commitment just for this reason.

8. I won’t know anyone, so it’ll be scary.
Of course it is going to be scary. That is part of the fun!

When I first volunteered in Uganda, the Philippines and Ghana I literally knew no one in those countries.  Now I have made life long friends in all of those places.

7. I won’t have any food.
If you volunteer with an organization where you aren't provided with food, then you are in big trouble!

Meaningful Volunteer provides three meals a day.

6. I’ll get sick from the water.
Don't drink the water the locals drink!  There is plenty of bottled water available almost everywhere.


5. Volunteer organizations are just out to make money – why would I want to contribute to that?
Some are. We aren't.  We are passionate about our non-profit roots.


4. There will be scary animals.
The worst you'll come across are rats and mice.


3. It’s dangerous in other countries. I’ll be a target for crime.
There is some truth to this.  A foreigner is rich by Africa's standards.  You'll most likely be carrying a large amount of cash, a digital camera and so on. For a desperately poor African who needs money to feed his kids, that's a big temptation.  


We shouldn't kid ourselves about safety.  We should look at it realistically and act accordingly.  This is why Meaningful Volunteer goes to great lengths to keep our volunteers safe.


2. I’m too old to volunteer.
Bah.  If my mother can volunteer, then anyone can volunteer.


1. There are so many problems in developing countries. There is no way I can make a difference.
There are big problems in Africa.  No doubt about it.  But volunteers can and do make meaningful differences.  I've seen it too many times to doubt otherwise.