We often question whether or not volunteering internationally is ethically right. Like everything in life, the decisions or actions we take can’t be black or white; we should always find a balance. 

Here you can find 5 reasons why volunteering internationally is another way to travel, contributing your part and getting to know the destination and, above all, its people in a non-crowded way. 

1. Volunteering internationally isn’t an overnight decision. On the contrary, it’s something that blossoms within you. Many things concern you, for example, the inequality that exists among us or the need to do something to contribute our part. We don’t see ourselves as “saviors”; we just believe that together we can be the change. So, the first reason is change . We are the new generation that embraces change, believes in it, and is the first step toward spreading another way of responsible and supportive travel. 
2. 2020 has shown us that external factors can limit our freedom. We’ve realized that our most precious freedom is movement. We’ve come to a standstill. We’ve been locked away. We were and are aware that many of our actions and decisions should be modified not only for our own benefit but also to find and pursue the common good. The way we travel has changed; we choose less crowded places. Now we seek to fly responsibly , in solidarity, and in a less crowded way . We seek the authentic, the green, the humanitarian; we seek the real. 
3. One of the most important reasons to volunteer internationally, wherever it may be—international volunteering in Africa, Asia, America, etc.—is to learn. Learning is the secret to this experience. We’re not saviors, we’re not going to change the world; we travel to learn. The secret to a good experience is arriving at your destination and seeing, talking to people, asking questions, and learning. They teach us different points of view, they teach us another reality, another way of seeing life. We realize that we’re not the center of the world; that on the other side, there are people who struggle every day to get ahead. When you finish a volunteer experience, you realize you’ve learned so much more than you went there to give. That’s the secret of life: humility and empathy. When you know and learn, you put yourself in someone else’s shoes; you feel (or try to feel that way) what the other person has been through, that their reality is very different from yours. You understand and comprehend. 
4. There are many definitions of love , and we believe one of the most beautiful definitions is “Without strings attached.” Love is freedom. To love is to let fly. One of the reasons for volunteering is to discover places and people and love them; to love them from the very first minute. You let that feeling fly, and it creates a bond forever. It’s a pure and sincere love, a love without attachment. A free love. You receive so much from the place you travel to (we’re not referring to receiving anything material), from a hug to something as precious as a child’s laughter. Tell us what monetary value you would put on that? It doesn’t exist. There are things money can’t buy, one of them being love. 
5. The final reason is will . As volunteers, we have the will to go out, to help, to learn; we have the will to change the world. We believe in it. We do it with all our good intentions. We seek to contribute without anything in return; we have that predisposition that drives us to take on the world. We have the will to be the change, to dare to learn and love. We are not afraid; we have that inner fire that drives us to move. 

We could list many more reasons, but we believe these are the main ones. As you can see, the reasons are intrinsic, not tangible. They are feelings that make us human, and little by little, we are experiencing this change. These are reasons that each of us will weigh more heavily on than one another. The most important thing of all is that they are all feelings or actions that make us different; they make us empathetic. 

Of course, when making the decision to volunteer internationally, we have to carefully consider where and with whom we’re going (we’ll talk about this in the next blog). You can choose to volunteer in Africa, America, Europe, Asia, etc. You can even do it in your own region; you can start wherever you think is the right place. But do it, because that’s how we’ll be the generation of change. There are a thousand and one ways to contribute, from volunteering for environmental conservation (which the planet needs so much), to a construction program, a teaching program, a medical program, sports, women’s empowerment, a community outreach program, etc. You’ll see that you have a choice; the important thing is that you do it where you want and where you want to learn. You’ll work as a team, you’ll provide assistance, and they’ll help you achieve your goals. Volunteering isn’t an individualistic endeavor. It’s a collaborative effort, with local people and volunteers. These are cultures that come together to bring about change.

Volunteering internationally isn’t a photo safari (as many negatively portray it). There’s a misunderstanding of what volunteering is; volunteering is the purest, most caring, and responsible way to travel and to discover new things. Let’s go back to the first paragraph of this text: let’s not be extremists. Let’s seek balance. If you do it with complete transparency and respect for where you’re traveling, nothing can go wrong. Change always starts within yourself; it’s a matter of seeing it and doing it. 

So what are you waiting for? Dare to fly, to discover and experience a new way of traveling. Dare to be someone who doesn’t follow trends, who embraces new paths and new experiences. Be a blank canvas so that experience can paint new shapes within you. 

We are the change. We are volunteers.