Heather Jasper

View Original

Travel Tip 20

The top three ways to check if a volunteer project is legit 

In 2020 I worked with some Peruvian friends to take food, clothes and school supplies to mountain communities isolated by the Covid-19 pandemic. I now have mixed feelings about it and am glad we designed it to be a short term project that would end when pandemic travel restrictions ended.

Unfortunately, good intentions are not enough.

It’s a sad fact that some places take advantage of travelers’ desire to help and that other places may have good intentions but are so disorganized that travelers are left with a bad experience. Sometimes unskilled volunteers are used when there’s a clear need for trained professionals. Even worse, some places create or perpetuate problems to keep a project going. It’s imperative to look critically at a volunteer project or a place that markets itself as a volunteer vacation.

First, ask yourself how realistic and effective it seems.

Does the website have photos of people doing whatever they say their project is? Is it clear who benefits from the project? Does the website have specific information about where the funds come from?

Second, look for certifications.

The gold standard is B-Corp, but many countries have their own certifications. Look for local certifications that are directly related to the volunteer project. If there are certifications listed on the website, take the time to click on them and see who issues the certification and what it actually means.

Third, contact them.

There should be an easy way to contact them. Ask specific questions about the program, the staff and what volunteers do. Their English doesn’t have to be perfect for this to be a legit volunteer program but their responses should be logical and directly answer each question. If they’re vague or can’t answer your questions at all, stay away. If you don’t speak the local language, make sure that somebody on site will speak a language that you do know.

The women’s longboard competitors posed after their competition in Huanchaco, Trujillo, Peru.

Blog

Huanchaco surfing

I didn’t expect to be able to surf in Huanchaco because I had only seen photos of giant waves. There are beaches with consistently giant waves, but Huanchaco also has beaches with smaller waves for beginners - like me! The town has a dozen surf schools and is a great place to learn. So much happened in Huanchaco last month that I have a couple more blogs in the works.

Article

Head to Huaraz for the Best Hikes in Peru

Huanchaco and Huaraz are in northern Peru, but not far north from Lima. So far, Huanchaco has been my favorite surf spot but Huaraz has been my favorite for hiking to glaciers and glacial lakes. Click on the link above to read my article about hiking Huaraz, published by Wander With Wonder. Both Huanchaco and Huaraz are perfect destinations for people who want to see Peru beyond Cusco & Machu Picchu.