Blog

At Learning Service we talk a lot about how volunteering can sometimes create more problems than it solves. If volunteers are only providing band aid solutions then the underlying problem will persist and can even be perpetuated. For example, if volunteers build...

This is a guest post by International Development student Isabella Da Ruos, who shares her experience of volunteering abroad.   Millions of people travel overseas each year, some seeking a break from their busy lives, some for work and perhaps others as a means for an...

Student travel company Where There Be Dragons have adopted the language of learning service and use the book in their programs abroad. We caught up with Jenny Wagner about how the learning service approach fits with what they offer to students.   Learning Service: Can...

This week's guest post is from Kimberly Haley-Coleman, the Chair of the International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA), an accrediting body to promote ethical volunteer vacations.   Behind the smile there is a horrific reality. Those adorable children at the...

This is a guest post from Dr Hayley Stainton, that has been republished with permission from her blog Life As A Butterfly.   Volunteering and travelling opportunities were once an only option for skilled medical professionals who would work their trade and support...

This blog post is part of a two-part series sharing some perspectives and experiences of Dork Silong, a Cambodian who has grown up surrounded by NGO-culture.   There are lots of NGOs that build houses for families for free in Siem Reap, usually using voluntary labour...

This blog post is part of a two-part series sharing some perspectives and experiences of Dork Silong, a Cambodian who has grown up surrounded by NGO culture.   My name is Dork Silong, I am a Cambodian educator and tour guide with a passion for helping people. I was...

It is almost inevitable that during any time spent volunteering overseas that you will have to manage your own feelings of frustration. Communication problems, cultural stereotypes, and differing norms can all result in you feeling irritated, and the most important...

This is a guest post by Georgia Rodgers, who changed her own perspectives so much after volunteering that she wondered if other volunteers had been similarly impacted. The post is being simultaneously shared on her own blog, Use Your Privilege for Good.   “Action...