For some, travelling is a dream that comes true occasionally. For others it is a spell cast by wanderlust. If you have an endless desire to explore the world, and money keeps you from living that dream, hear me out — you can travel and get paid! There are growing numbers of platforms which offer you travelling opportunities in exchange of voluntary work.
At 24, Prashanth Sharma has visited 21 States. The engineering student can speak and understand different languages all thanks to his volunteering work at India Fellow, an organisation for social change. “The best part of working with the community and travelling around the country is that we get to taste different cuisines, for free. We get to stay at their places and this has saved me a lot of money. I can look back at memorable experiences,”
There are lot of volunteering programmes with projects all over the world. Travellers can volunteer for a specified number of hours to take part in activities which vary from teaching photography, serving as a farm help and help managing a hostel like Prashanth.
At Workaway.info and volunteersbase.com, one needs to exchange his/her skill set for a trip which can range from having mastery over taking pictures to serving as a kitchen hand, web developing to bartending. Manisha Ar, a journalism student in Bengaluru, handled reception at Kuredu Island resort in Maldives for a month. “In addition to free boarding and lodging, I got a salary. I experienced a luxury holiday destination at a relatively low cost. I met the locals, and it was less difficult learning about the region and culture. Of course, it was a secure and protected environment and had only a certain kind of people, but I got to experience the destination first hand.”
Being an active Instagrammer can also get you such experiences. Plethora of travel blogs, photographs, Vlogs by travellers dominate Instagram and Youtube today. Rufus Reynolds a Mumbai-based travelling photographer is benefitting a lot from this deal. Rufus has a robust presence on this social media platform and is approached by travel companies to spread a word about them through his images.
“I earn by publishing, or selling my photographs, blogs or write-ups for travel/camera manufacturing companies who need any content relating to travel — hospitality, food, camera equipment etc. There’s nothing greater than being able to do what you love, as part of your work,” explains Rufus.
Teaching in a foreign country is yet another means of achieving your dream. If you have a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification and an impressive college degree, you already have a ticket to travel across the globe.
People from different age-groups are making a beeline for these opportunities which are diverse in nature. Eco-warriors may work a few hours a day by assisting in the farms, bartering for accommodation, home-cooked food, and a great opportunity to befriend the new lands and its people. Though most of the organic farms don’t bear your travel expenses, Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) does.
