Volunteering Abroad on a Career Break

Why volunteer abroad?

Of the growing number of individuals who take a career break, many choose to participate in volunteer projects abroad. What then are the benefits of volunteering overseas during your career break?

• First and foremost, a volunteer programme allows you to make a meaningful contribution to community development across the globe. Our career break projects provide ongoing support and training to those in need, and present a volunteer opportunity that is both altruistic and ethical.
• Whether you are teaching in India, supporting business development in Tanzania, or working as an orphanage volunteer in Romania, on our career break programmes community development goes hand in hand with personal development. Volunteers learn a range of personal and professional skills unique to their own experience.
• Volunteer work is the best way to get to know a country and its people. Volunteering abroad allows you to completely immerse yourself in an unfamiliar culture, as you engage with the local community and develop special bonds with the people you work with.

Who volunteers abroad?

Career break volunteers can be a varied bunch, but at MondoChallenge we find that they are all united by their desire to make the most of their time off. In our opinion attitude is much more important than age, experience or anything else.

• Age - Our voluntary projects are taken up by people of various ages. Although most are over 20, in some locations we accept a limited number of younger people aged 18+. For volunteer work in Africa we advise a minimum age of 22. We have no maximum age limit in place and an increasing number of our volunteers are retired. As long as you are fit and healthy, you can join us on a career break abroad.
• Qualifications – MondoChallenge volunteer projects aim to make a real difference in developing communities, and we believe that anyone with enough creativity, energy and enthusiasm can help us to achieve this. Of course, experience in your chosen project area can be a huge advantage, but it is not essential. Volunteers wanting to teach English abroad do not need a TEFL certificate, but can take part in one of our volunteer teaching courses if they feel they need some preparation.
• Business Projects – For our business development projects we do request four years experience in a relevant position. If you have specific skills, perhaps in IT, finance or marketing, we can match these to your particular career break project.

Where can I volunteer?

Our voluntary work supports local communities in some of the poorest regions of the developing world. MondoChallenge operates in nine amazing countries across four continents, giving you a huge range of volunteering opportunities on your career break abroad.

Whether you teach in Nepal, work in childcare in Ecuador or support community development in India, you can be sure that you will be making a meaningful contribution to improving the lives of disadvantaged communities.

For a full list of volunteering locations, please visit our Destinations page. If you want to browse by project type, please visit our Projects page.

Why volunteer with MondoChallenge?

Working as a volunteer overseas can be a special experience, so it is important that you arrange your career break with a company that understands exactly what it takes to give you the trip of a lifetime. To find out why you should volunteer with MondoChallenge, please visit our About Us page, where you can learn more about how we operate.