Volunteering is expensive.

When I first began planning for Belize 04 I had wanted to volunteer for 6 months. Within the first few months of planning I realised that it would be impossible to stay longer than 3 months. Not only was I giving up my job and going to work abroad for absolutely no financial gain I was also paying for the opportunity. My Belize 04 placement had been organised by a UK based organisation and I had to bear the burden of their admin costs, amongst other things. Add to this the cost of flights and general living expenses it was no surprise that the Belize 04 Placement cost about £3000.

Having already been to Belize I have decided not to go via the UK organisation that sent me last year. While I appreciate the time and effort it took them to find me a fantastic placement it also cost me about £1000 more for the privilege. Using last years figures as a guide I have worked out that a 6 month placement should cost around £3400 based on the following calculations.

• Travel Insurance: £300 - £500
• Air Fare: £800 - £1000
• Accommodation:

  Last year the UK organisation responsible for my placement agreed that my host should be paid the equivalent of £5.50 per day. This fee would not only cover the cost of accommodation but it was also supposed to pay for three meals a day. While the host is not expected to make a profit from this experience £5.50 a day for 3 meals alone barely covers a host families costs.

  I often found that during the working week or on weekends that I travelled I would fend for myself. In the long run this evened out the cost. It was also better to offer to do some household shopping once in a while as opposed to handing over extra money.

  With this in mind I shall pay exactly the same as last year but the breakdown shall be as follows:

  Room and 2 meals a day (Monday - Friday) @ £5.50 per day for 180 days = £1000

• General Living Expenses:

  Following on from the contributions I shall make to my host my living expenses will not only include lunch time, weekend meals and occasional general household shopping it shall also include the following

  • Personal Shopping e.g. toiletries
  • Communication e.g. telephone calls, stamps, postcards
  • Travel and Social Activities
  • Emergency Funds even with the most comprehensive insurance policy you usually have to pay for most emergencies before contacting your insurer to arrange compensation.

  Based on the above I have worked out my general living expenses as follows.

  6 months @ £150 per month = £900

• Total Placement Cost: £3400