One of the best things about being an international volunteer is that you can work in relatively undeveloped countries where the society needs your skill and your expertise. For this reason, international volunteers are valued by the countries where they operate. Below are some of the benefits of serving as a volunteer outside your own country.
Exposure to Foreign Cultures
People who serve outside their own countries enjoy a special privilege. Volunteering abroad gives you the opportunity to work in a different society and live like one of the natives of that place. As a volunteer, you are not expected to impose your own ethics ad ethos on the host community. Instead, you learn from the community where you are serving. You also get to experience the challenges, pressures and pleasures of life in a foreign land. This is a valuable experience become it expands your horizons and gives you invaluable exposure.
Empathy
Another benefit of being a volunteer is that you serve in places where the standard of living is not as high as what you enjoy in your own country. Maybe you are used to 24-hour power supply, fast and reliable internet access and running water. Now, these things are taken for granted in most western countries. However, in some parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America, some basic amenities are hard to get. When you volunteer in some of these developing countries, you see life from the perspective of the local people and this gives you a sense of empathy.
Altruism
Being a volunteer is not a profit making opportunity. This is because in most cases, you are get the same salary as the people in the community you are serving. You also try your best to cope with less than ideal socio-economic circumstances. When you volunteer, your motto should be altruism. This is because you put your skills at the disposal of the community and you help less privileged people. For instance, you can construct a borehole so the local people can get access to safe drinking water. You can also install a solar panel and give the local people power at reduced cost. The point here is that the people you are serving cannot afford to pay for your skills so you serve them without thinking of making a profit from your service.
Final Word
It pays to serve as an international volunteer. You serve humanity, work with others to empower the society and you learn many new things in the process. At the end of this experience, you get both short and long term benefits for serving humanity.
