What are some volunteer abroad programs for teens?

Good volunteer programs for teens to help children?

• Okay, so I recently got in touch with GLA volunteer programs for the summer, but when i found out it was $4000 without airfaire, me and my family figured there was no way. So I'm looking for a more affordable summer volunteer residency camp. I really want to work with impoverished children. I am 14 years old, does anyone have experience or know of any good programs? Please attach a link to ur answer! thanks Molly!

• Answer:

  If you want to volunteer outside your country then, indeed, it's going to cost several thousand dollars. Funding Your Volunteering Abroad Trip http://www.coyotecommunications.com/stuff/fundingabroad.html This site also has links to various databases that list all of the many volunteering abroad programs out there. Avoid programs that will supposedly place you to help children. They are exploitative of the children. An incendiary report by South African and British academics focuses on "orphan tourism" in southern Africa and reveals just how destructive these programs can be to local people, especially children. http://www.hsrc.ac.za/HSRC_Review_Article-195.phtml Why not volunteer locally, right in your own community, and build your skills through volunteering so that, when you are over 18 and have an education, you could engage in much more meaningful, helpful activities abroad? Community Service and Volunteering by Teens: How to Find Opportunities http://www.coyotecommunications.com/stuff/teenvolunteers.html