A Path Less Traveled
An East African Volunteer Database that will provide prospective volunteers with the tools needed to create their own unique service trip.
Mission: As college students ourselves, we have found that it is difficult for students to connect with local NGOs in Eastern Africa that are in need of volunteers. As a result, many students must either rely on personal contacts within certain organizations or on group volunteer programs. We think that there should be an alternate way of approaching volunteering abroad. By creating an East African Volunteer Database we will provide prospective volunteers with information needed to connect directly with NGOs that resonate with their specific interests and plan their own unique volunteer experience.
Approach: Through visiting over twenty NGOs in Tanzania and Uganda that each have different focuses and are eager to be included in our database, we will gather information on the NGOs and provide the following:
- Subjective opinions:
- How the organization is conducted
- On-site management
- Overall atmosphere
- Objective facts:
- Contact information
- Transportation
- Accommodations
- Budget
- Goals and mission of the NGO
Our Story: While attending Colorado College and working on Bricks + Books projects, we were struck by the amount of interest in volunteer opportunities shown by fellow classmates. We found that there is a strong desire to travel to East Africa but a lack of information on how to plan a unique volunteer trip to this region. We feel that one of the most pivotal parts of our past volunteer experiences was traveling independently and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone in a new area. We think this type of travel allows students to form unique relationships, which we believe leads to a deeper understanding. Through our database, any volunteer looking for a new experience can browse different organizations that we have visited and will be able to access information regarding all aspects of the NGO. This approach makes it possible for volunteers to create their own trip and work either alone or in a small group with the organization that resonates with them. We hope that through our database, students will share accounts of their experience and how it affected them and inspire others to do the same.
Ashley Speyer and Nathan Brand
Colorado College
if you are interested in learning more about this project, e-mail: APLtraveled@gmail.com or visit our blog at apltraveled@wordpress.com.
