‘Volunteering’ is the voluntary participation and contribution of one’s time and skills in a variety of services and activities. For those looking to volunteer, it can be quite the challenge deciding exactly what volunteering field to enter and what NGO or NPO to work with. What specific volunteering endeavours one chooses to undertake will depend on one’s motivation for volunteering in the first place. So to help you in deciding what area to focus on, and what niche most suits your skillset, we have decided to highlight the different fields of volunteering.

Environment

In this age of rapid industrialization, environmental preservation and conservation are often overlooked, especially in developing countries. There are various environmental initiatives that aim to encourage responsible infrastructural development that minimise the negative byproducts of industrialisation. The main issues that are tackled through the organizations are pollution and deforestation to name a few. Conservation and preservation of wildlife and fauna are also encouraged through the implementation of national parks.

Culture

There are various cultural initiatives which are sponsored by both governmental bodies as well as NGOs. These often involve helping to organize and arrange various music and art festivals to inspire and instigate the new generation of various countries to be involved in the arts. At a more local level, if you are artistically inclined, cultural volunteering can involve offering various classes in local community centres. In addition to the promotion of participation in the arts, there are also many initiatives for cultural preservation through the establishment of various folk arts groups as well as the creation of establishments such as museums which highlight and preserve cultural identity and history.

Human Rights

Promoting human rights in less developed parts of the world often requires an extensive educational initiative, which also deals with providing opportunities for marginalized members of particular societies as well as promoting minority rights. Once again these initiatives are either provided by governmental bodies, as well NGOs, who both strive to instigate progressive social change to bridge the social gap that is often a result from inequality.

Education

Education is often said to be one of the most important factors in social mobility. It can be the key component that allows underprivileged communities to advance and become fully integrated and successful in their respective societies. English in particular is playing an increasingly important role in a wide range of industries in the world, particularly in business. As a result, English language instruction has become a necessity that can make a crucial difference in the future of various communities. Whether you are a native English speaker or a fluent English speaker from a different part of the world, your natural language ability can be put to use to create positive social change in parts of the world that need it the most.

Teaching foreign languages abroad can be incredibly rewarding for one’s personal growth, as well as extremely beneficial for the communities you will work with. Check out our volunteer program for teaching English and Japanese in various countries in Asia such as Vietnam.