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Programs:
- Volunteer Abroad
- Intern Abroad
- Adventure Tours
- Wildlife Programs
- Gap Year Abroad
- Group Programs
- Study Abroad
Continents:
Asia Africa Latin AmericaCountries:
Brazil Costa Rica Ecuador Ghana Guatemala Kenya Nepal Peru Tanzania Uruguay ZanzibarOther Info:
TestimonialsVolunteer FAQ's
Most of your questions that may not be country specific are answered in this page. Some of your questions will be country specific; they are answered in the FAQ page of the country that you are planning to travel to. Links to country specific FAQ pages are provided below.
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India Frequently Asked Questions |
Answers to General Non-country Specific Questions
Section 1: Planning for Abroad Travel
Q1.1. What support does the program
provide me in planning my travel?
Q1.2. What languages do I need to
speak to be able to participate in your volunteer Abroad
program?
Q1.4. When is the deadline for applying
to the Program?
Q1.5. When do the programs begin?
Q1.6. Can I arrive on another date?
Q1.7. Where can I read about the experience
of other people who have participated in your programs?
Q1.8. Where can I read more about the country
that am traveling to?
Section 2: Traveling and Visa Issues
Q2.1. What kind of visa do I need;
How much will it cost; Do I need a work permit?
Section 3: Fees and Money
Q3.1. Can I pay the fees using my
school credit loan or scholarship?
Q3.2. What currency should I bring
with me to abroad?
Q3.3. How should I distribute my money
between Travelers Checks and Cash?
Q3.5. How do I make payment?
Q3.6. Can I pay for the program by
installment?
Q3.7. When do I have to pay for the
program?
Q3.8. Does the fee you charge cover
air-fares?
Q3.10. What does my payment not cover?
Section 4: Group Discounts
Q4.1. What is your Group Discount
Policy?
Q4.2. How big does a group have to be to
be considered for group discounts?
Section 5: General Program Issues
Q5.1. Do you provide sponsorship to those
participating in your program?
Q5.2. Do you have paid internships or volunteer placement?
Q5.4. Do you accept people from my country in your program?
Q5.5. What is the cut-off age for participating in your programs?
Q5.6. Do you offer School Credits for the
Study Abroad Programs?
Q5.7.What language program is offered
in the country I plan on going to, is it the Spanish
Survival or the Language and culture program, and how
long does it take?
Q5.9. How much time do I have to spend
in your programs abroad?
Q5.10. Can I change my volunteer
placement in the middle of the program if I am not happy?
Q5.14. I need to attend church on
Saturday. Please let me know if your programs require
me to be working on Saturday?
Q5.15. How many hours per day do
I have to work?
Q5.16. I have a group of high
school students and teens I lead in my community/church/school
and would want to bring them for a trip with your program
- would you have provision for them?
Q5.17. I would like my internship
or volunteer placement to be counted for college credits
at my school.
Q5.18. I would like to come with
my friend and be placed with them the whole time that
we will be in the program. Is that possible?
Q5.19. What gift can I bring for
my host family, school or orphanage?
Q5.20. I would like to send books
to the school/orphanage that I will be placed at - can
I do that?
Q5.23. Will I be placed or accommodated
in a group together with other volunteers or just by
myself?
Section 6: Living Abroad
Q6.1. Can you book me a hotel since I will be arriving earlier than scheduled?
Q6.2. Where will I live during my time in
your program abroad?
Q6.3. How is accommodation like in
your programs abroad?
Q6.4. What are living conditions like
abroad?
Q6.5. What will the food be like out
there?
Q6.6. Can I get in touch with my family
if there is an emergency back home?
Q6.7. Will I be safe Abroad?
Q6.8. Will my money and valuables be safe?
Section 7: About International Volunteer Travel
Q7.1. Is this program affiliated to
any religious organization?
Q7.2. Who are your sponsors?
Section 1: Planning for Abroad Travel
Q1.1. What support does the program provide me in planning my travel?
Ans. This FAQS page is meant to answer most of your questions. In addition, once you have submitted an application, we will provide you with a travel guide that thoroughly answers your questions ranging from the weather, mode of dressing, culture and visa etc. We will have a number that you can call any time any day incase you need our help. Please click here to read more about accessing us by phone and email.
Q1.2. What languages do I need to speak to be able to participate in your volunteer Abroad program?
In countries of Africa and most of Asia English is all you need. In Latin America, some knowledge of Spanish is recommended but not mandatory in most cases. If you can grasp a little, it will definitely take you a long way. In some countries it will be mandatory to speak some Spanish. We offer a 1 to 3 week Language and Culture and Spanish (Portuguese in Brazil) Survival program which will provide you with language skills if any are required in your country of placement.
Q1.4. When is the deadline for applying to the Program?
Ans. We suggest that your application reaches us no later than two months to the start of the program.
Q1.5. When do the programs begin?
Ans. Beginning dates vary from country to country – please see country pages for details. Generally programs in Africa and Asia start on the first and third Thursday of the month; programs in Latin America start on second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Programs in Costa Rica start on the second and fourth Monday of the month.
Q1.6. Can I arrive on another date?
Ans. The country coordinator can under extreme circumstances make adjustments within the range of a few days, sometimes at an extra cost to you, but they will generally need all participants to arrive on the set dates to ease the running of the programs. Remember even if they allow you to start late, the program will go on and you will have to fit in with the rest who are able to start on time.
Q1.7. Where can I read about the experience of other people who have participated in your programs?
Ans. You can go to the stories page by clicking here.
Q1.8. Where can I read more about the country I am traveling to?
Ans. You can click here to go to the country pages, then follow the link that says, “About Country X†or “Country Profile†where you can read more about your international destination.
Section 2: Traveling and Visa Issues
Q2.1. What kind of visa do I need? How much will a visa cost? Do I need a work permit?
This will vary from country to country. Please check with the
country pages. But most people will need a TOURIST visa to
volunteer abroad. Visa cost will normally range between USD
30 and USD 60 for a 90-day tourist visa. Please see country
pages for instructions on how to get one but most of the
time the embassy or high commission of the country you are
travelling to will issue you a visa.
Section
3: Fees and Money
Q3.1. Can I pay the fees using my school credit loan or scholarship?
Some students have done that in the past. Most schools provide financial aid for creditable volunteer work, internships and study abroad programs. We suggest you talk to your academic advisor, head of department, Study Abroad Director or college dean. If your school will accept your internship or volunteer work for school credits, then they will normally allow you to use the loan or scholarship as if you were taking the classes at school.
Q3.2. What currency should I bring with me to Abroad?
Many international currencies are accepted in most countries. But unless your country coordinator advises otherwise, it will save you a lot of headache and cost you the least if you stick to the GBP, Euro, and the US Dollar. In most of Latin American countries it is best to bring only the USD as it is very widely accepted and other currencies will be converted to the local currency at a worse rate compared to the USD. The best travellers checks to take with you are US dollar Travellers checks. You can also use bankcard/credit card especially visa in most countries. With your cards you can use an ATM in many places.
Q3.3. How should I distribute my money between Travelers Checks and Cash?
Ans. We suggest a 70-30 distribution with more Travelers checks to provide you with ease of changing and accessing money.
Q3.5. How do I make payment?
Ans. We accept money orders, most credit cards, including VISA, MASTERCARD, American Express, and DISCOVER. We also accept bankers (cashiers) checks but not personal checks. Pleas contact us for more details on how to make payment.
Q3.6. Can I pay for the program by installment?
Ans. Unfortunately no. We do not have pay-by-installment plans.
Q3.7. When do I have to pay for the program?
Ans. We require that each application be submitted with the required application fees. Applications submitted without the registration fees will not be processed. The rest of the fees are due 45-60 days before the day the program starts in the host country.
Q3.8. Does the fee you charge cover air-fares?
Ans. No. Please go to the fees page to find out what the fee does and/or does not cover.
Q3.10. What does my payment not cover?
This varies between countries – please refer to country program fees page and our terms of service. Generally We do not cover, International travel; drop off at the airport (we cover airport pickup in most countries); airport departure fee (USD 20-40); private in-country travel, visa fees; special diets (vegetarian diets are covered); personal expenses such as toiletries, leisure, bottled water, refreshments; transport to and from work daily (most projects are within walking distance of home); personal and health insurance.
Section 4: Group Discounts
Q4.1. What is your group discount policy?
Ans. Normally, we provide a discount as a proportion of the program cost. Please contact us for an up-to-date statement on our program group discount policy.
Q4.2. How big does a group have to be to be considered for group discounts?
Ans. Generally two or more people coming together are considered to be a group.
Section 5: General Abroad Program Issues
Q5.1. Do you provide sponsorship to those participating in your program?
Unfortunately No. But we would love to share with them great ideas we have gathered from other participants on fundraising. Please contact us.
Q5.2. Do you have paid internships or volunteer placement?
Ans. Unfortunately No.
Q5.4. Do you accept people from my country in your programs?
Ans. Yes. Our programs are open to people from all countries of origin and residence.
Q5.5. What is the cut-off age for participating in your program?
Ans. Our general age limit is 18. But we allow people
younger than that to come if they are part of students or
community (e.g. religious) group or parents or guardians
accompany them. Please contact
us for further details.
Q5.6. Do you offer School Credits for the volunteer and Spanish
Study Abroad Programs?
Ans. The level of Spanish classes we offer abroad ranges
from Basic to Advanced. We suggest you furnish us with what
your school needs to meet your credit requirements and we
will tell you if we can craft your schedule to meet your
school’s requirements – most of the time, we
can do that. Please go to the Study
Abroad Program page to read more about our study
abroad programs.
Q5.7. What is offered in the country I want to go to, is it the Spanish Survival or the Language and Culture program and how long does it take?
Ans. This varies from country to country. In most of Latin America, the survival Spanish (Portuguese in Brazil) program is offered. In most of Asia and Africa, the alternative language and culture program is offered. These preliminary programs normally take one to two weeks depending on the language requirements in the country.
Q5.9. How much time do I have to spend in your programs abroad?
Ans. You can spend a minimum of 1 week with our programs in most countries. Some countries will require more time. Please check the project page for the country of your interest and contact us with a request if you need this kind of arrangement.
Q5.10. Can I change my volunteer placement in the middle of the program if I am not happy?
This is normally in the hands of the country coordinators and we have no control of the process in the field. The coordinator will consider the request of each volunteer separately and the openings available. In most cases they will be able to change your placement.
Q5.14. I need to attend church on Saturday. Please let me know if your programs require me to be working on Saturday?
Ans. In most countries you will not have to work on Sunday or Saturday. If there are weekend activities in the program you sign up for, it will normally be indicated among the highlights to the particular program or project. Most adventure tours may take place over the weekend. If you have concerns about such tour schedules please contact us.
Q5.15. How many hours per day do I have to work?
Ans. All our programs require between a minimum of two and generally between 3 and 8 hours of work per day. Please see the highlights to the particular program or project you would like to participate in for specific details. If you want a smaller daily workload, please contact us.
Q5.16. I have a group of high school students and teens I lead in my community/church/school and would want to bring them for a trip with your program -would you have provision for them?
Ans. Students groups accompanied by chaperons or guardians are welcome in our programs. We can help prepare special packages for high school students and teenagers. Please contact us to for further details.
Q5.17. I would like my internship or volunteer placement to be counted for college credits at my school.
Ans. Provisions for this vary with the program and your school requirements. We suggest you ask your school what they need to make the volunteer or internship transfer into credits, let us know and we will tell you if we can do it. We are not a certified school and so don’t routinely offer internships for college credit but our coordinators do supervise students and grade their reports so they can qualify for credits at their schools. A good number of the projects we work with have been able to offer student’s college credits before, so, enquire with us.
Q5.18. I would like to come with my friend and be placed with them the whole time that we will be in the program. Is that possible?
Ans. Members of the same gender can be placed in the same project and with the same host family in most countries. Some cultures don’t allow unmarried people of different genders to be put together under the same host. The country coordinator might be able to place you together depending on the project. In the worst case scenario you can be placed you in the same area with host families a short distance apart.
Q5.19. What gift can I bring for my host family, school or orphanage?
Ans. Generally suitable gifts include t-shirts, mugs, a family oriented movie DVD or CD; coloring pencils and books for kids; balls for games and other sports equipments for kids and schools, indoor games like snake and ladder, etc.
Q5.20. I would like to send books to the school/orphanage that I will be placed at can I do that?
Ans. In most cases, yes, ask us for the address please.
Q5.23 Will I be placed or accommodated in a group together with other volunteers or by myself?
Ans. Country coordinators will normally arrange for volunteers to be accommodated and placed in groups of 2 or more as much as possible. But if you would rather be isolated, they can arrange for that as well in most cases.
Section 6: Living in Abroad
Q6.1. Can you book me a hotel since I will be arriving earlier than the scheduled?
Ans. If you want us to book a hotel for you we can do that, the country coordinator can help you - it will mean though that whether you spend a night there or not you will have to refund him the cost of that hotel accommodation since the hotels won’t refund it. Please contact us if you need such help.
Q6.2. Where will I live during my time in your program abroad?
Ans. In most countries you will live with a host family. In a few cases you may live in a special volunteer house or local youth hostel. There may be one more participant living with the same family as you.
Q6.3. How is accommodation like in your program abroad?
Ans. In order to maintain low fees for Abroad International Volunteers Travel Participants, accommodation is provided by host families who are carefully selected from among respected members of society and in such as way as to ensure maximum security and comfort for our volunteers, interns and students. If you would rather stay in a hostel or hotel that can be arranged by your country coordinator with costs borne independently by you.
Q6.4. What are the living conditions like abroad?
Living conditions are basic as is common in most developing countries. Most families water just outside the house, but it won’t always be warm water. Get used to take cold showers, just in case. Most have electricity or use a kerosene lamp..
Q6.5. What is the food like out there?
Food is local – what people normally eat in that country and varies among countries – please see country pages for more information. When you live with a host family be prepared of eating a lot of the same everyday. Families take good care of the food they prepare for you. Normally vegetarian meals can be arranged if you ask for this with your application.
Q6.6.
Can I get in touch with my family if there is an emergency
back home?
Ans. Yes. You can pay to call your home or write an email
to your family from abroad. In most cases, there will be
an internet café in a city close to where you live
and you can get there by bus. Your host will most likely
have a phone that you can pay to use.
Q6.7. Will I be safe Abroad?
Most developing countries we work in are peaceful and generally safe and we also provide some tips on safety and security in our Travel Guide. We will normally refer any specific questions you may have on security to your country coordinator who will know more about the daily changes in security in his/her country. Also, during the orientation process, the country coordinator will normally give you tips on your safety and security and you are encouraged to ask him/her any questions you may have on the same. As with any other country in the world, incidences of crime may be there and you are expected to take precautions as you would whenever traveling out of your home country.
Q6.8. Will my money and valuables be safe?
Ans. We do encourage you however to take the necessary precaution to safeguard your monies and personal properties, as we cannot be held responsible for any loses. Some of the precautions you could take include locking your bedroom when you are out of the house; not leaving your valuables exposed when you are outside the room; not inviting people to your room unnecessarily, etc
Section 7: About International Volunteer Travel
Q7.1. Is this program affiliated to any religious organization?
Ans. No. We do work with both secular and religious organizations but are not affiliated to any.
Q7.2. Who are your sponsors?
Ans. We are a private organization with no charitable sponsors.
For further discussion on these or other questions, please Contact Us. We will be more than happy to assist you.