As globalisation is upon us, and means of travel are becoming more and more accessible, travelling to distant, foreign lands is becoming more of an exciting reality than a far off dream. However, as the fad of the “Eurotrip” begins to wane and costs of living continue to rise- these far off lands still seem very far away indeed.
But this does not necessarily mean you have to be bound to your current location never to leave, there are ways and means to get to these places.
Why not try volunteering?
WWOOF – World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms was founded in the UK in 1971 and has grown to encompass almost every country on the planet. The online network connects hosts with potential volunteers and publishes lists of organic farms and smallholdings that welcome volunteer help at certain times of the year. From Chile to Sri-Lanka to Macedonia -there are a multitude of interesting locations where wwofing takes place.
The diversity of hosts provides opportunities for a wide variety of people with different skill sets who want to work in gardens, on nature trails, with animals, or even cook and apprentice artists.
The best part is that it is not like typical “voluntourism” where a standard fee is set for those who opt to go the volunteering travel route. Volunteers do not pay for their stay and live as part of the host family with all accommodation and food expenses covered.
All that is required is a genuine interest in learning about organic food production, country living or ecologically sound lifestyles and a willingness to help their hosts with daily tasks for an agreed number of hours.
In return they travel to places they may not have dreamed of before and learn more about life in different lands in a sustainable way. To find out more, visit www.wwoof.org
By Jess Handley
