More and more people are choosing to take trips that make a meaningful impact on communities around the world. In a society where everything moves at such a fast pace, sometimes it is necessary to pause and take a closer look at what is happening around us.
At Cooperating Volunteers, we move away from the idea of ‘changing the world.’ There are things we should neither want to change nor can change, as each country and community has its own traditions, culture, and way of living. However, we firmly believe that small actions can lead to changes that improve living conditions, create opportunities, foster learning, and, above all, promote respect for others. We always work with local teams who welcome us into their culture and teach us new ways to perceive things we may have previously taken for granted.
This experience goes much further. It is about human rights and the need to find opportunities for a future full of growth.
The volunteering experience not only impacts the communities or causes it supports but also the people who participate in it.
This impact can be social, personal, and economic. When we take part in a community project, we directly contribute to improving the quality of life for others. Work in areas such as education, health, and the environment helps enhance the conditions of different communities. For example, some of our projects focus on education, where participants teach classes in various languages (English, French, Spanish, etc.) at centers that lack the resources to offer such instruction. This is always done alongside local teachers who understand the school’s operations and support us throughout the program.
The volunteering experience promotes solidarity and social cohesion, creating stronger bonds within communities and breaking down social, cultural, and economic barriers. People from different backgrounds, ages, and experiences come together with a common purpose. It is proven that teamwork is always more efficient because working together allows us to address problems more effectively. As people work together, they build relationships of trust and mutual support. These support networks are crucial for community resilience, especially in times of crisis or need.
On an individual level, volunteering allows us to develop both personal and professional skills, such as empathy, communication, organization, leadership, confidence, and even the feeling of being valuable and useful, creating emotional satisfaction. Being part of different projects gives us a sense of purpose, which directly affects our happiness and emotional well-being.
It is also a way to expand our social circles, meet new people, and build networks that can be beneficial in every way.
The impact of a volunteering experience also extends to the economy. More helping hands mean fewer working hours and therefore savings on labor costs, which can be difficult for non-profit organizations and community projects to manage.
Additionally, it stimulates the local economy. When we choose a destination for this experience, we generate economic activity in the communities through local consumption, contributing directly to the self-sufficiency of small businesses.
Finally, this experience is a crucial vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals, addressing issues such as poverty, gender equality, education, and climate change, always promoting peace, justice, and intercultural understanding.
In fact, more and more of the projects we collaborate with are working directly on these issues, introducing programs for women’s empowerment, creating jobs, and undertaking different challenges to make communities self-sufficient.
In summary, this volunteering experience is a powerful force for change, with profound and lasting effects on multiple levels of society. Its impact goes beyond immediate actions, contributing to long-term human and social development.