I want to do good. It’s surprisingly hard to find a way to do this. This has been my motivation in pursuing the Peace Corps, but I am failing in trying to look beyond that. I’ve been doing research and hitting a road block.
There are all sorts of programs and groups for people who wish to spend a gap year or a semester on a working holiday. There are plenty of organizations for people who are travelling and wish to volunteer or contribute in the place they’ve landed. There are plenty of internships for college students or those who have graduated within the past 12 months. But none of these things apply to me.
I am looking for something I can do for an extended period of time, maybe a year at the least. I am looking for something where I can really sink my teeth into work that isn’t just meant to be picked up by the next wave of volunteers at the end of three months. I’m looking for something that really helps people who need it. All these programs out there are for people wanting cushy accommodations while they don their Ray Bans and teach kids English for six weeks. All of these programs accomplish little and cost a lot of money. I do not have that.
I want to volunteer my time and abilities because that is all that I have to give. I don’t have thousands of dollars to put into program fees and travel insurance and such. I’m just looking for a place where I can help. I’m not even necessarily looking to be paid, not more than a stipend to be able to afford to live where I’m working.
I don’t know where to look anymore. I’m not looking to knock elbows with privileged ivy league kids seeking to give their CV a bump. I want to do something worthwhile and genuinely needed.
Maybe you have an idea of something I can look into?
Nothing Was Said 
Hello. I hope you are well. Can I assume from this post that the Ukraine has fallen through? Maybe that’s not such a bad thing if it has. I have no knowledge of this area but I find it odd, as probably you do, that finding positions such as you’re looking for is so difficult. With so much going on in the world I would have thought finding something would be relatively easy. I will have a poke around and ask a few people I know in the UK and get to back to you. In the meantime, don’t give up.
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The Ukraine hasn’t fallen through exactly. They’re giving me a bit of a run around and I’m also more than a little concerned with the state of things there. So I’m just trying to preserve my enthusiasm by looking for work I can do in a similar vein. I would think it would be easy to find a way to help somewhere in the world, but I don’t have the know-how to do something completely independently, and the majority of the organizations out there seem to have a different sort of employee in mind. Thanks so much for your encouragement and help. I’m not giving up 🙂
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I didn’t think you’d give up although it must be very frustrating
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Yeah, it is quite frustrating.
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