You all know by now how Workaway works and the benefits of volunteering compared to aimless travel, so we won’t go on about that again, but sometimes it’s just nice to highlight some of the 50,000+ opportunities in over 170 countries we now have online – especially the ones that are really making a difference to our planet and are giving back to the local communities. So this post is to recognize the unsung heroes of our world and let them know how awesome we think they are!
1. Play sports with a soccer team in Arusha, Tanzania
This NGO aims to uplift underprivileged children through sports and nutrition, and they're searching for football coaches or sports lovers who like to share their passion and knowledge. If you're not sure about your football skills, you can always teach other sports, organize inter-leagues games and workshops of your own sport, or just enjoy a match across a grass football field!
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2. Help a charity working to empower women and children in Chiang Khong, Thailand
his non-profit, non-governmental organization based in northern Thailand is dedicated to ensuring that women and children are safe from sexual abuse, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation forms of abuse and exploitation. Working together with communities, schools, police and businesses, the NGO is creating society-wide safety nets for those who are at-risk. Their on-going projects — a Learning Center, Child Protection in Schools, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and HIV/AIDS awareness, Women for Change, Anti Human Trafficking Campaign, just to name a few — aim at inspiring and empowering women and children to become forces for change in their communities. The organization wants to ensure that all people regardless of their background have a fair chance at a life with dignity. They are striving to create a world in which girls and women have the same rights and opportunities and an equal standing in Thai society.
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3. Support marine conservation and research in the tropical beaches of Indonesia
Join this ocean-loving family and get involved in their marine research and conservation field school in Lombok, Indonesia! As a nonprofit focused on the protection and conservation of marine ecosystems, you can support their broad range of projects including coral and mangrove propagation and community outreach programmes, while staying right on the beach and enjoying various water sports or activities such as snorkelling, kayaking and scuba diving (with equipment rental sorted out for you!).
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4. Volunteer with a theatre and cultural centre in a Palestinian refugee camp
This amazing theatre and cultural centre in Jenin Refugee Camp, occupied Palestine believe that the arts have a crucial role to play in building a free and healthy society, and their contribution to that is a unique programme of activities in performing arts and multimedia, including theatre and drama, filmmaking, photography and creative writing. They stage professional theatre productions, hold amateur drama workshops and run a three-year educational program in acting. They also offer training in photography and publishing books, photography exhibitions and short films. Through professional training within the fields of theatre and multimedia the theatre has substantially increased local artistic capacity and developed an extensive network of partners and supporters in Occupied Palestine and throughout the world.
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5. Discover and promote a sustainable way of life with an NGO in Costa Rica
Have an interest in sustainability and would love to share your knowledge or learn more? If you have a skill that lends on one or more of these focus areas ing sustainability, namely, permaculture, green building, conservation, mental and physical well-being, recreational activities, languages, art, theatre, music, dance, and would like to share it with the local community, why not help this NGO in Costa Rica and host workshops or weekly classes. If you prefer to work behind the scenes and enhance your CV, you can also help with fundraising, grant writing, social media, networking, and website support.
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6. Connect people through shared meals in Thessaloniki, Greece
Located in Epanomi, Thessaloniki, this NGO’s mission is to fight and address food waste and food scarcity within the local community. They aim to connect people from various backgrounds through shared meals, which means you’ll be volunteering alongside a diverse group of friendly individuals from around the world. Tasks include collecting surplus vegetables and fruit from local markets and redistributing them to those in need, preserving food into marmalades and dried fruits, as well as cooking meals for the community to enjoy together!
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7. Help rehabilitate rescued wildlife in the Bolivian Amazon
If you've ever dreamt of living in the rainforest, this NGO offers the unique experience of volunteering and staying in the Amazon wilderness. With a focus on the conservation of nature and local traditions, you can help support the organisation's work in the rehabilitation of rescued wildlife and learn about different local flora and fauna species, in addition to exchanging cultures and knowledge with the indigenous community members.
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8. Play, connect and help Ukrainian refugees integrate into their communities in Moldova
This social enterprise in Floreni, Moldova aims to provide free toys to refugee children, and create a welcoming and safe space for everyone who now calls their community home. Together with volunteers from Germany, Ireland, Japan, the USA, India, and of course Moldova, they regularly organise socio-cultural events where locals and refugees connect through cooking food, playing music, dancing and practising languages! If you enjoy cultural exchange and meeting new friends, this is a perfect opportunity to spread your good vibes and help these refugees build a new and healthy routine in their new community.
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9. Volunteer at a musical micro farm in Denmark
Here's an opportunity for our music-lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and workawayers who love to spend time with animals! Established to help promote, support and educate young musical talents, this not-for-profit project is a place where you can meet and learn from musicians and artists from all walks of life, help out at a small family farm, while exploring a magical part of the Danish coastline near a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now, we certainly wouldn’t mind going on a self growth journey alongside these adorable farm animals!
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10. Help at a beachside children’s library in Ecuador
This nonprofit in the coastal town of Manabi, Ecuador, runs a library and van to promote fun and interactive learning activities to children in the area as well as carry out gender-equality programmes to empower girls who have less access to education opportunities. Together with their volunteers, they organise various art and sports workshops, homework coaching sessions as well as support local schools to really offer all-rounded help to students.
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11. Experience authentic local life and give back to the community in Kenya
This grassroots NGO in Kenya’s Rusinga Island is the perfect opportunity for you to immerse into local community life while making a positive difference! Focused on improving education conditions, food resources, access to drinking water, and woman empowerment, the organisation works closely with families and various groups living on the island, which means you’ll really get to create authentic connections with locals and enjoy meaningful relationships through personally supporting each other as part of your everyday life in Kenya.
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12. Discover and promote sustainable eco-living in rural Spain
If you're interested in leading a self-sustainable and ethical way of life, this is the perfect place to learn about natural building, wildlife protection, how to grow your own organic food, plus more! This non-profit eco village runs a "rewilding" project and sustainable living initiative in the mountains of Galicia, Spain, where locals and visitors alike get to observe and learn about wildlife in the regenerated woodland.
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13. Join a differently-abled community and thrive together in New Zealand
This international diverse community in Wellington, New Zealand aims to create an encouraging and supportive unique space for their members to connect, help and learn from each other. Operating from a model of enablement and empowerment, this family-driven initiative focuses on offering support for their community members to meaningfully participate in daily life through social connection and creativity. The organisation is still only at the beginning stages of this initiative, which means you can really make a big impact on shaping the growth of this special place!
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14. Teach English and Maths to local youth in South Africa
This education nonprofit near Durban, South Africa aims to empower disadvantaged youth by providing English and math classes, sports programs, and farm work to help support their long-term development. If you’re interested in gaining experience as a teacher, you can help assist children with extra classes in line with South Africa’s school curriculum. You also get to stay with a Zulu family and work closely with locals, which is a great cultural exchange and mutual learning opportunity you wouldn’t be able to gain as a tourist.
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Apart from volunteering abroad, there are so many other ways you could give back to meaningful causes even from afar. Have a look on our Kiva page to see how a little microloan goes a long way for small local businesses. And if none of these projects have got you filled with warmth and wanderlust yet, head on over to the Workaway Giving Back page for more inspiring hosts that have touched our hearts. As long as we have the passion and willingness to give back, we can definitely find our tribe and connect to make a positive impact together!
