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YouVolunteer / infohub / Top10 / Volunteer Essentials 25 November 2007

Top 10...Volunteer Essentials

The top 10 things that every volunteer needs to put in their backpack. Take a look and make sure that you don't leave home without the must have thing to make your volunteer experience perfect.

1. The Diary
It doesn't have to be an essay, although volunteering usually gives you enough to write a short story everyday, but a few sentences each day about what happened is a great memento, especially a few years down the line.
2. The phrase book / dictionary
DictionaryUnless you are in a country which speaks the same language with you, a phrase book or foreign language dictionary will be useful, if not essential, even if you want be speaking to people day to day.
3. CD's
Whether in a volunteer house, guesthouse or homestay, there is usually a CD player but rarely a cable to plug in your MP3 player. Copy some CD's to bring with you or bring the cable.
4. A memento from home
If you will be interacting with the locals, bring a little souvenir from home, to help explain your culture and where you are from. Photo's of your family and home town are also good to show volunteers and locals where you are from.
5. Clothes to get dirty in
Mud VolleyballVolunteering in all its forms will give you the chance (or will insist) in some form of activity that will end up with you getting very wet or dirty. Don't worry if you forget as you can usually pick up some cheap clothes on your travels.
6. Bring a gift
The project organiser should be able to put you in the right direction, but bringing a small gift, such as equipment can be a great help. A football or a few boxes of pens for a school, or a tool or relevant book for a conservation project should do it.
7. Have a party game
More of a mental rather than physical essential, but a party (or drinking) game is a great way to keep yourself and other volunteers amused in the evenings and on the weekend, and if you need to cook, have some simple tasty recipes.
8. Three books
Three booksYou will have plenty of free time to read so have one book to read, one to lose and one to swap when another volunteer or traveller comes by with the book that you have been waiting for.
9. Ideas
Another mental essential, but having ideas about how you can make a real difference to the project. It also shows that you have thought about your placement, but be prepared to be flexible.
10. Stationary
If you are working in schools or anywhere where you need to write, having your own stationary is useful, even if the project provides some things. Even if your working with conservation, scissors and thread can help.

Have a Top Ten for volunteering or travel, send it in and yours might be next...