Travel with Purpose: A Field Guide to Voluntourism
Autor Jeff Blumenfelden Limba Engleză Paperback – 5 apr 2019
Finally you arrive, but it's not just any schoolroom. It has been converted into an operating room so that doctors from New York Eye & Ear Infirmary can provide the gift of sight to 24 Nepalis who were blind due to advanced cataracts.
Jeff Blumenfeld witnessed this first hand. He was there as a traveler, but also as a volunteer.
A voluntourist.
People often wonder how they can explore the world and help the less fortunate even if they don't possess specialized skills. These are people who make lousy vacationers. They're bored sitting on a beach or touring umpteen churches on a cruise ship excursion. They want a meaningful role when they travel.
That's where voluntourism comes in - a mix of both travel and volunteering. Is it hard work building wells and schoolhouses or excavating dinosaur bones? Yes, it is. But voluntourism doesn't take a particular outdoor skill, just plenty of sweat and the desire to see the world and leave it a better place.
Travel With Purpose deals not with celebrities, nor the rich and famous. Instead, it relays examples from Blumenfeld's travels and many others from Las Vegas to Nepal. From health care facilities to impoverished schools. These are stories of inspiration from everyday people, all of whom have definite opinions about the best way to approach that first volunteer vacation.
You don't need to be wealthy to travel to foreign lands to volunteer; you may not even have to go to foreign lands, as opportunities may exist within your own state. Blumenfeld shows readers how to identify the right location and volunteer situation, how to go about planning trips and preparing for activities, how to reach out, how to help. Through vivid examples and first hand stories from both recipients of volunteer work and the volunteers themselves, Travel with Purpose may make you rethink your next vacation.
Preț: 77.54 lei
Recomandat
Puncte Express: 116
Preț estimativ în valută:
13.72€ • 16.04$ • 11.91£
13.72€ • 16.04$ • 11.91£
Carte disponibilă
Livrare economică 30 ianuarie-13 februarie
Livrare express 16-22 ianuarie pentru 101.69 lei
Preluare comenzi: 021 569.72.76
Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781538115329
ISBN-10: 1538115328
Pagini: 192
Ilustrații: 17 b/w photos; 2 textboxes
Dimensiuni: 151 x 230 x 13 mm
Greutate: 0.32 kg
Editura: Bloomsbury Publishing
Colecția Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Locul publicării:New York, United States
ISBN-10: 1538115328
Pagini: 192
Ilustrații: 17 b/w photos; 2 textboxes
Dimensiuni: 151 x 230 x 13 mm
Greutate: 0.32 kg
Editura: Bloomsbury Publishing
Colecția Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Locul publicării:New York, United States
Cuprins
Introduction
, A World of Voluntourism Opportunities
,
Chapter 1
, Why We Travel
,
Chapter 2
, The Growth of Voluntourism
,
Chapter 3
, Selecting the Right Project
,
Chapter 4
, Become a Better Voluntourist
,
Chapter 5
, Stay Safe Out There
,
Chapter 6
, Stories of Purposeful Travel
,
Chapter 7
, The Dark Side of Voluntourism
,
Chapter 8
, Funding Your Volunteer Project
,
Appendix A
, Voluntourism Resources
,
Appendix B
, Best Travel Apps
,
Appendix C
, Favorite Travel Books
,
Appendix D
, Voluntourism Videos
,
, A World of Voluntourism Opportunities
,
Chapter 1
, Why We Travel
,
Chapter 2
, The Growth of Voluntourism
,
Chapter 3
, Selecting the Right Project
,
Chapter 4
, Become a Better Voluntourist
,
Chapter 5
, Stay Safe Out There
,
Chapter 6
, Stories of Purposeful Travel
,
Chapter 7
, The Dark Side of Voluntourism
,
Chapter 8
, Funding Your Volunteer Project
,
Appendix A
, Voluntourism Resources
,
Appendix B
, Best Travel Apps
,
Appendix C
, Favorite Travel Books
,
Appendix D
, Voluntourism Videos
,
Recenzii
Starred Review: Well-traveled expert Blumenfeld (You Want to Go Where?, 2009) shares many ways to combine the spirit of volunteerism with a vacation. As he tells stories of his own good deeds abroad-being part of a medical mission in Nepal, chaperoning a high-school expedition to Antarctica-he also expounds on this booming sub-industry, its growth, how to select the right project, and the good and not-so-great sides of volunteering outside of the U.S. He writes well, with a good eye for memorable details, and provides a wealth of do's and don'ts for starting to help readers learn new skills, lower expectations about what the work will be, avoid some of the darker issues (such as lack of sustainability and, unfortunately, human trafficking), and fund the project. Among his stories and advice are tales of a just-married couple who raised funds to enjoy a volun-honeymoon, and a young woman who fundraised through a unique combination of creative food-related events. Blumenfeld leaves almost nothing to the imagination, with appendixes on volunteerism resources, best travel applications, favorite travel books, and volunteerism videos, along with notes and a bibliography. Who wouldn't agree with Albert Schweitzer? "Wherever you turn, you can find someone who needs you."
Blumenfeld places the rise of volunteerism into context, offers tips for choosing worthy projects and insights into adapting and tolerating suboptimal living conditions, safety advice, and examples of various voluntourist trips taken by himself, friends, and acquaintances. The author does not shy away from some of the less-savory aspects of voluntourism, such as narcissistic motivations, economic privilege, and criminal intent. The final chapter gives useful information about funding volunteer projects, including the use of social media and crowdsourcing; securing corporate sponsors; and expressing gratitude before, during, and after the trip. Appendixes include an annotated list of useful links, Smartphone apps, travel books, and videos.
Blumenfeld throws all those preconceived notions about voluntourism out the window and instead focuses on the good it can do. Right from the start, Blumenfeld dispels one of the most prevalent misconceptions about voluntourism: the cost. He shrugs off the suggestion that it might cost thousands for would-be do-gooders to make the trek to an impoverished country, citing $850 as the cost for a weeklong stay in Honduras (including round trip travel). Another misconception he addresses is that voluntourists do more harm than good due to their lack of skill; Blumenfeld asserts that there is a leadership hierarchy that naturally forms. Although critics of voluntourism can be a tad cynical, claiming that there's something selfish about briefly passing through a third world country and making a small, sometimes negligible impact, the way that each individual person helps demonstrates that this might not be the case. If each volunteer understands that they are part of something larger, and instead of overstepping their role works as a team player, there's nothing inherently selfish about wanting to be there, on the ground working as opposed to simply writing a check.
Every traveler can benefit immensely by lending a hand to local organizations wherever they travel for business or pleasure. Travel With Purpose explains how to do this most effectively and with passion. Don't miss this book!
There's no better education for a child than travel that provides a glimpse at how other people live their lives. Travel that also involves volunteer work is perhaps the best of both worlds. As Travel With Purpose shows, voluntourism can expand horizons, and build an important bond between parents and their sons or daughters.
Jeff Blumenfeld covers everything you need to know about voluntourism, from its upsides and downsides to how to find the right project-and he's included memorable stories that span from Kathmandu to Vegas. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to volunteer abroad.
Practical, motivating and loaded from cover to cover like an overstuffed suitcase, Travel With Purpose is a big-hearted book full of guidance and inspiration that just may finally get you out the door. Crack it open, then pack your bags.
Whether for an hour or two, a day or a week, Jeff Blumenfeld's Travel With Purpose explains how any traveler can give back to the local communities they visit, anywhere in the world. The experience turns you from an everyday tourist into a small part of the solution to some of the globe's most pressing challenges.
Blumenfeld places the rise of volunteerism into context, offers tips for choosing worthy projects and insights into adapting and tolerating suboptimal living conditions, safety advice, and examples of various voluntourist trips taken by himself, friends, and acquaintances. The author does not shy away from some of the less-savory aspects of voluntourism, such as narcissistic motivations, economic privilege, and criminal intent. The final chapter gives useful information about funding volunteer projects, including the use of social media and crowdsourcing; securing corporate sponsors; and expressing gratitude before, during, and after the trip. Appendixes include an annotated list of useful links, Smartphone apps, travel books, and videos.
Blumenfeld throws all those preconceived notions about voluntourism out the window and instead focuses on the good it can do. Right from the start, Blumenfeld dispels one of the most prevalent misconceptions about voluntourism: the cost. He shrugs off the suggestion that it might cost thousands for would-be do-gooders to make the trek to an impoverished country, citing $850 as the cost for a weeklong stay in Honduras (including round trip travel). Another misconception he addresses is that voluntourists do more harm than good due to their lack of skill; Blumenfeld asserts that there is a leadership hierarchy that naturally forms. Although critics of voluntourism can be a tad cynical, claiming that there's something selfish about briefly passing through a third world country and making a small, sometimes negligible impact, the way that each individual person helps demonstrates that this might not be the case. If each volunteer understands that they are part of something larger, and instead of overstepping their role works as a team player, there's nothing inherently selfish about wanting to be there, on the ground working as opposed to simply writing a check.
Every traveler can benefit immensely by lending a hand to local organizations wherever they travel for business or pleasure. Travel With Purpose explains how to do this most effectively and with passion. Don't miss this book!
There's no better education for a child than travel that provides a glimpse at how other people live their lives. Travel that also involves volunteer work is perhaps the best of both worlds. As Travel With Purpose shows, voluntourism can expand horizons, and build an important bond between parents and their sons or daughters.
Jeff Blumenfeld covers everything you need to know about voluntourism, from its upsides and downsides to how to find the right project-and he's included memorable stories that span from Kathmandu to Vegas. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to volunteer abroad.
Practical, motivating and loaded from cover to cover like an overstuffed suitcase, Travel With Purpose is a big-hearted book full of guidance and inspiration that just may finally get you out the door. Crack it open, then pack your bags.
Whether for an hour or two, a day or a week, Jeff Blumenfeld's Travel With Purpose explains how any traveler can give back to the local communities they visit, anywhere in the world. The experience turns you from an everyday tourist into a small part of the solution to some of the globe's most pressing challenges.