Volunteer in Asia

Volunteer work in Asia

Have you been wanting to travel to Asia for a long time or are you already an expert on the large continent? No matter which it is, becoming a volunteer in Asia could make your next trip even more special and educational. And as it is the largest and most populated continent on our planet, there are numerous volunteer causes you can support. Join a marine conservation project in Indonesia and discover an absolutely amazing underwater world or help protect and rehabilitate orangutans in Malaysia. Teach English in Vietnam or work with women empowerment projects in India - if your volunteering expectations are as diverse as this continent, Asia is your choice!

As you may have guessed already, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities in Asia. Whether you’re looking for an internship or international work experience, you’ll find it here. Find out what makes the different countries on this continent unique, discover interesting facts and read about some of the most urgent issues that need to be addressed. This will provide you with all of the information and guidance you need to choose the perfect one of the many volunteer programs in Asia.

Asia

• Cambodia
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mongolia
• Nepal
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Vietnam

Volunteer work in Asia

Covering about 30% of Earth’s total land area, the continent of Asia has a great variety of communities and cultures, ecosystems and wildlife to offer. It is home to some of the world’s oldest civilizations as well as to countries that have been shaped over the centuries by colonialism and have only rediscovered themselves over the past decades. And even though Japan and China are, respectively, the 2nd and 3rd largest economies in the world, there are still many issues this continent has to face, such as poverty, illiteracy, and nature and wildlife decline.

Mass-population, outdated social systems and animal mistreatment as a source of income are only some of the causes for the continent’s issues. According to the Asia Foundation, these are some of Asia’s biggest issues:

• poverty and rising income inequality
• lack of transparency and accountability in government
• gender inequality in the political and economic life
• ethnic and religious conflicts
• unequally distributed access to education
• sustainable usage of natural resources

There are many ways for you to help with some of these problems, and the most hands-on and active way is to volunteer in Asia for one of the many projects on site. Whether you are passionate about teaching and providing quality education in Vietnam or India, supporting rural communities as a volunteer in Southeast Asia and Nepal or you want to protect local wildlife in Indonesia and Thailand, one of the many volunteer programs in Asia will give you the chance to do exactly that.

Read on to find out how to volunteer in Asia, what kinds of volunteer programs and internships exist and what your tasks will be when volunteering abroad.

Animal and wildlife conservation

Asia’s wildlife is as diverse as the continent itself. From the giant pandas in China to the orangutans in Indonesia and Malaysia and the elephants in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India, the life on land has a variety of amazing animals. But not only does Asia convince any animal lover with its diversity on land - its oceans are filled with just as many wonderful marine life animals such as sea turtles, sharks and coral reefs that can be found around the numerous islands of Indonesia when you volunteer in Southeast Asia.

One of the main problems Asia is facing when it comes to its animals and wildlife, is the exploitation of the local fauna for economic purposes. This includes, for example, elephant riding in Thailand, or buying jewelry made from turtle shells as a souvenir in Bali, one of the main island of Indonesia. Additional threats are:

• illegal poaching
• wildlife trade
• shrinking habitats
• environmental pollution

The combination of all these threats has lead to declining numbers of many animals, even to the point of near extinction. As a wildlife conservation volunteer, you can support efforts to prevent this decline and rehabilitate native species. This is an excellent opportunity for students of biology, zoology or veterinary medicine. Gain invaluable work experience through an internship and be a step ahead of the others in your field!

Support community services

If you want to immerse yourself in the culture and get in touch with the locals during your volunteer work in Asia, a community program is the perfect opportunity to do so. Community work calls for open, outgoing and empathetic volunteers that aren’t afraid of getting involved and can face hard realities.

Depending on what your skills and qualifications are, there are many different ways to help in a community development program, no matter if you’re seeing yourself at volunteering projects in India, Thailand or Vietnam. Some of them are:

• taking care of young children while the parents are at work
• supporting women empowerment and human rights efforts
• helping out at an orphanage or working with street children
• Helping with art and handicraft work
• renovating and building community facilities, houses, and schools
• providing counseling and support for small business owners

Before you decide to volunteer at an orphanage, a women shelter or as a counselor, make sure you are prepared for your task and understand what to expect. While working with orphans might sound noble at first, it is important to realize that more than 80% of children living in orphanages are not orphans. They are separated from their families because they are poor, disabled, from an ethnic minority or because they are suffering from other exclusion factors.

Many of the children and women you will be working with have experienced violence or abuse and are traumatized. For this reason, it is essential that volunteers MUST have appropriate skills. If not, you could be putting yourself and the people you work with at risk. Therefore, if you wish to volunteer at an orphanage or women shelter you should meet at least one of the following requirements:

• experience in working with traumatized clients
• training as a child caretaker
• training as a psychologist
• training as a social worker

If you are especially interested in women empowerment and want to support women's rights with your volunteering efforts, there are many volunteering projects available in countries like India, Nepal, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Teaching volunteer programs in Asia

Education is not just a concern for governments, but for students and parents, communities, and employers. It is critical for reducing poverty. Primary education enrollment averages around 90% in Asia. However, this high rate masks serious deficiencies in student retention, quality of education, teaching methods, and knowledge gained.

Shortage of staff and geographical difficulties make it difficult for many students, especially in rural areas, to receive the education they deserve. As a teaching volunteer in Asia, you can support the staff in local schools and support the progress of the children in the classroom by providing extra help and attention. There is a great variety of tasks you could be doing, depending on the volunteer program you choose. This is an excellent internship opportunity for those seeking a career in education.

However, the main focus is teaching English. As English is the world language, and as Asia is a dream travel destination for so many people, the tourism industry is one of the major income sources, especially in rural areas and temples. How cool would it be to teach English to Nepalese Monks? But of course, other Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are looking for teaching volunteers.

Medical and healthcare

Poor health is another important factor that affects many people in Asia, especially in rural areas where the access to medical care is even more difficult. And while you might think this is one of the volunteer opportunities in Asia that is only suitable for trained doctors and nurses, there are ways for untrained and unskilled volunteers to help as well!

If you are a trained doctor, nurse, medical student or pre-med, you will be able to get hands-on and support the doctors in hospitals, small clinics and on missions to rural areas. Some of the areas where specialized help is needed are:

• general hospital routines
• surgeries
• laboratory
• nursing
• psychology

A very interesting side effect of joining a medical volunteer program, especially as a volunteer in Southeast Asia is the possibility to learn completely new aspects of medicine. In Sri Lanka, for example, you can join an Ayurvedic Medicine program.

If you are not a trained professional, there are still many ways for you to help. Support the administrative staff in hospitals and clinics, educate locals about health in general, nutrition and many other topics. Volunteering in Asia in the healthcare industry is a wonderful internship opportunity for students studying medicine or other health care related studies. From Indonesia to India, the Philippines, Nepal or Thailand, help is needed in many different locations all over Asia.

Biodiversity and its conservation

Even though Asia is known for its diverse nature and undeniable natural beauty, there are a lot of environmental problems that only add to the cycle of poverty. If you love to work outdoors, don’t mind physical work and are passionate about our environment and its conservation, this is the perfect volunteer work in Asia for you!

If you are an experienced gardener or farmer or you have a degree in agriculture and sustainable farming, this is your chance to share your knowledge with those who need it. Gain hands-on experience in Permaculture, Mobile Rice Mills and other innovative and sustainable techniques in the fields of Nepal and Vietnam.

In case you are interested in research, there are plenty of opportunities, especially as a volunteer in Southeast Asia where you get to observe and preserve the environment while collecting important data on the topic of environmental conservation.

To give you a general overview of the environmental volunteer programs in Asia, here is a list of the work you could do:

• engage in marine and terrestrial research
• support reforestation efforts
• teach sustainable agriculture
• work at an eco farm
• support coral reef conservation and farming
• educate locals about the importance of environmental conservation
• implement sustainable energy and farming initiatives

Internships in Asia

Students looking for international work experience can opt for volunteer opportunities in Asia. This will allow them to gain university credits with for their field of study by volunteering for one of the many volunteer projects in Asia.

Select a program which corresponds with your field of study, get your University’s approval and get ready to learn things you will never learn in books. By interacting with locals and experiencing the challenges Asian countries are facing first hand, you will gain new perspectives and start to form your own conclusions. Do an internship abroad and be assured that it will change your life as much as it will change that of others.

Things you should know before you volunteer in Asia

Before starting your volunteer work in Asia, it’s important to think about the cultural norms you’ll need to adjust to. In addition, learn about the precautions you might need to take when volunteering abroad. The following list might help you with that:

Safety & precautions

Before you leave on your volunteer trip to Asia, make sure to read up on the safety advice your government gives for tourists in the specific country you are planning on visiting. Most Asian countries like Thailand, China, or Nepal are pretty safe, however, it is important to use common sense at all times and be aware of the current political situation.

Here are some universal tips you might want to follow during your volunteer work in Asia:

• Keep your personal belongings and important travel documents with you at all times! It also makes sense to bring attested photocopies of these documents, in case you lose them!
• If you are going out, do not take a lot of money, jewelry or other fancy possessions with you. Take only the money you will need and leave everything else back home!
• In the unfortunate case of you being robbed, do not resist the robbery!
• Do not use unregistered taxis! Doing so increases the risk of becoming a victim of a crime.
• Do NOT ever buy, take or sell any kind of drugs - in some asian countries this is punished with prison or even death penalty.

Health advice

It is annoying to get sick when traveling abroad and although it is a common concern for travelers to get a stomach illness when traveling to Asia, there are some basic precautions you can take to avoid it:

• Get all proper vaccinations four to eight weeks before any volunteer trips to Asia, especially if you will be working with animals such as the elephants in Thailand. Find out which vaccinations you need in which Asian country on the website of the US-based health protection agency CDC.
• Don't drink tap water! All water should be either boiled or filtered before you drink it.
• Try to avoid street food, as most stomachs are not used to it.
• Wash all your fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
• Plan for how you will get healthcare during your stay. Get a travel insurance and bring medicine with you, especially if you need special medication.

Packing essentials

It's nice to have a slight idea of what to expect from a foreign country. It's even nicer to know, which packing essentials should definitely land in your backpack! This makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to preparing for your time as a volunteer in Asia. It is always a good idea to ask you project coordinator what volunteers should bring for the specific programs as well.

• Apart from the essential travel documents, like passport, travel medical insurance information, and visa, you should also keep photocopies or scanned copies of these.
• Always carry sunscreen with you!
• Keep enough cash with you! You might want to consider getting a money belt.
• Carry luggage with you that will aid, not complicate your trip, like daypacks or backpacks; as well as lightweight bags.
• Pack appropriate clothing and shoes! This means clothes that are suitable for a variety of climates, as temperatures can vary greatly throughout Asia. Especially, when working in the forests, long clothing protects you from bug bites.
• Don't forget to bring locks for hostel lockers and also for your luggage!

Who can volunteer in Asia?

As you will have noticed by now, there are many volunteer opportunities in Asia that expect different skills and abilities from their volunteers. While you can find out the specific requirements for each project on their program page, here are some general requirements that apply to most volunteer opportunities in Asia:

• You need to be at least 18 years old for most of the volunteer projects abroad. When in doubt, we advise you to get in contact with the local project manager, as in some projects you can also volunteer when you're 16 years old.
• You need to have basic English skills to join a volunteer project in Asia. Please note that some teaching projects might ask for more advanced skills though.
• Depending on the project you're interested in, you might need to provide a criminal background check and a health declaration before volunteering.

How to volunteer in Asia

So you’re ready to volunteer in Asia but you’re not quite sure how to get started? Take a look at the following 3 steps that will prepare you for your volunteer work in Asia and an unforgettable adventure abroad:

• Check whether there’s a match between you and the project by looking at their requirements.
• Take a look at the location of the project and decide whether it would be a location you are excited about.
• Get in touch with the organization and see whether your expectations and your schedule match up.

Once this is sorted, let’s take a look at the practical steps:

Insurance (Health & travel)

• We recommend getting both health and travel insurance to all our volunteers. In fact, this is even a requirement for most programs abroad. Get in touch with your program contact person to find out if an insurance plan is already in place for volunteers.

Visa, passport, and documentation

Look into the visa requirements for the country you will volunteer in. Make sure you have a valid passport considering the requirement of the host country and prepare the correct documents to fulfill the visa application.

And that’s it! You’re ready to volunteer in Asia and fall in love with the nature, the people and the incomparable mix of tradition and modernity.