Travel to Africa on a Budget and yet Make a Difference

A volunteer vacation to Africa can be done on a budget and can make a difference in the lives of others. The kind of travel to Africa I would suggest might not be of interest to everyone. I would suggest finding a missions or humanitarian organization that could use help for a couple weeks or longer and visiting a base they already have established. You would get experience with the local people wherever you decided to visit and you would get the benefit of the full time workers as guides. Your vacation would be memorable as you help in some way to better the lives of the locals.

If you are going on this type of trip to Africa you might be able to raise funds to help with the cost of such a trip or even to gain funds to help the organization you will be working with. The cost of the trip will depend on the organization you travel with and of course transportation and housing while you are there. If you eat what the locals eat and live like they live I can reassure you that the cost will be minimal. It will not be a luxury trip.

Your activity guide for a trip like this will come from the group you travel with as well. You might be helping to build housing for the locals, or distribute food or medicine. You might be playing games with children or even helping with education for the village people. Most of these kinds of trips give you time to spend with the locals learning about their culture and forming friendships that cross all kinds of boundaries. There may be a chance with some of these trips to still go site seeing or go on a safari. But this will depend on where you go and who you travel with.

At the bottom of this article you will find links to some organizations you could investigate. You could also find information through your local church by seeing if there are any missionaries they support or any groups they are in contact with. Another good way to look into this type of travel is talk to people who have already gone.

There are benefits of traveling to Africa with an established group.You would have guidelines set out by that group who is already experienced with the culture of your particular destination and the travel involved to get there.They might help you with such issues as what immunizations you need and how to pack for that region. They will also help you to understand cultural taboos, so you don't unintentionally offend the locals.

The personal growth you could experience on such an adventure could change your life forever. Your perspective of different people groups will be clearer as you see with your own eyes the struggles and triumphs of people who live completely different than you.

I have had the pleasure of visiting urban areas in South Africa and a children's home in Northern Mozambique. On these trips I have experienced a great change in my perspective. For years I have had a heart to help people that were suffering, but it wasn't until I looked into the eyes of hungry and sick children that I realized I needed to do something with my desire to help. I have never had to tell my children that I didn't have a place for them to sleep or food for them to eat. These trips have made me think deeply about what is important and what we need to survive and what we think we need.

Again I will reiterate this type of trip is not for everyone. For some people seeing suffering first hand would bring on hopelessness because the issues you might face may seem too big. But for those that can believe they can help by helping just one or just a few of the locals this kind of trip might be a great choice for an inexpensive vacation in Africa. These trips can truly be life changing trips.

http://www.volunteerabroad.com/search.cfm

http://www.globalvolunteers.org/1main/regions.htm

http://www.ifrevolunteers.org/

http://www.globalcrossroad.com/volunteerabroad.php

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/volunteer/index.shtml

http://www.jubileeventures.org/