Impact Breakdown
World Volunteer is committed to engaging in projects that are structured, well planned, and involve all community stakeholders in the decision making process. Our projects are designed to have impact within the community and the two main sources come from:
The actual project
Income earned through home-stays
Even though WV has been operating for more than a decade, we understand that we are not perfect and do not have the absolute recipe that is successful 100% of the time. What we do know and is in our control is that we approach projects and communities with extreme care, responsibility, and take every measure we can to achieve planned goals and more importantly do no harm. We are committed to always evolving, learning, and being open to feedback & new ideas.
Project
The first step to any of our projects starts with a needs assessment and lots of meetings. We want to understand the expressed community need, meet with the local leadership, and begin to evaluate if the project is something WV can help with and contribute to. Not all projects are a fit for us and we never want to force anything. We understand the model we use and the types of projects we engage with are specific. Choosing the right projects and communities to partner with is vital not only for the success of the project but also minimizing the chances of harm being caused in the future.
Once we feel we have a good understanding of the area, community, needs, and project idea; will begin the process of outlining roles and responsibilities. We want to be clear from the start what the time-line for the project is, what WV’s finaicnail commitments include and don’t include, and the roles that the various stakeholders and WV have.
After projects are underway we always continue with a high level of communication & feedback throughout so we are always in tune and understanding the feelings, attitudes, and outlook from the community and leadership.
Homestay model
WV chooses to use the home-stay model for community members wanting to earn additional income and to provide our volunteers and participants unique insights into daily life and culture. In our experience this model has proven to be very successful and in 2018 the earned income was $35,659 for local families.
By using the home-stay model it also includes community members and encourages participation in the project. Similar to the project, communication and feedback is crucial to understand how community members are feeling and areas that require improvement. WV also holds various trainings relating to home-stays including hygiene, cooking, expectations, language, and giving them the tools to feel comfortable in hosting international guests.
WV also has the responsibility to ensure guests are treating families and the culture in an appropriate manner and we have orientations, processes, and staff training so that our volunteers and participants are not making cultural missteps and can enjoy their time with the families and community.
Personal Development & Growth
In addition to the impact from the project and generated income from home-stays, we also feel strongly about personal development and what the power of travel can do. Our trips have been life changing for many individuals but quantifying and applying metrics to the impact these trips and experiences have on individuals is difficult. We continually evaluate our itineraries and processes with the focus being on learnings, new perspectives, and things we can do to foster growth. We understand that not everyone will have a life changing experience and for some the change will not be immediate. None the less, we’re committed to planting seeds of new perspectives, cultures, and ideas into the next generations.
