Why Volunteer in Asia? 10 Reasons You Can’t Argue With

Wondering why you should volunteer in Asia? Oh, we'll tell you! Volunteering abroad is always so much fun, and when you think of heading towards Asia—the excitement just doubles. You’ll rarely speak to anyone who had a volunteering experience that they didn’t enjoy.

In recent years, several reputed international institutions are collaborating with local organizations to help the natives of the land through volunteers' service.

The incredible views you’ll enjoy on a daily basis while volunteering in Asia will be almost as impactful as the volunteer work itself!

If you've been thinking of stepping out of your comfort zone to get your hands dirty while helping those who are in need, then NOW is your chance.

The trick is to do your research properly, find a project that perfectly aligns with your tastes and preferences, and get everything organized before you kickstart your journey. Asia is extremely safe for solo travelers, as well as women explorers, and over the years the number of travelers heading towards the East has been on the rise!

For those who are planning to make a difference, yet not sure of the reasons to find volunteer work in Asia, then here are a few valid ones to convince you!

10 reasons to volunteer in Asia next year

1. The opportunity to serve an underprivileged society and make a difference in many lives.

Unlike Europe or North America, there are several countries in Asia, especially the Southeast Asian nations, where people still survive on the bare minimum; a little help from outside can make a large impact on their lives. It'll also help you to learn about the adversities and societal problems that people face, and understand what exactly has led to the slow growth rate across these countries.

In spite of the fact that certain big cities have developed rapidly over the last decade, you'll notice that the outskirts and rural areas are still in extremely underdeveloped conditions, with poor education & healthcare facilities. For those who are willing to kickstart their volunteering journey, it'll be incredible to find volunteer opportunities in Asia and contribute effectively towards the lives of these people. No matter how small your step might seem, you'll definitely get to leave your mark through your dedication and hard work while volunteering in Asia.

2. A chance to choose from a wide range of volunteer programs!

There are plenty of Asian volunteer opportunities available in different countries across the continent, ranging from childcare to teaching, women empowerment to NGO support, elephants to marine and turtle conservation, and the list goes on. This means while volunteering in Asia, you can choose a program that aligns with your tastes and preferences as well as something that'll give you the opportunity to learn through your project.

If you are a medical or a nursing student, then the best option would be to choose a healthcare volunteering program that would endow you with the knowledge of medical systems in developing nations. If you are a student pursuing law or human rights, then you can choose women empowerment or NGO support programs. This will also help you to utilize your classroom lessons and apply them in real-life circumstances to find solutions to the problems.

The sooner you decide on what to do for volunteer work in Asia, the sooner you’ll have your pick of delicious, world-renowned street food.

3. Explore and travel across all of Asia during your volunteer trip.

The best part about volunteering in Asia is that you will get to spend ample time in the host country and absorb its rich culture & heritage. You'll have the opportunity to visit famous tourist spots, as well as walk down the hidden trails with your local friends! (Sounds fun, doesn't it?)

For example, if you're volunteering in India, then most likely you'll visit the Taj Mahal, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Similarly, those who plan to volunteer in Cambodia will definitely head off to see the breathtaking beauty of Angkor Wat—but do not miss the bustling night market in Siem Reap to binge on some delicious Khmer cuisine from the local street vendors!

There's another interesting thing: If you choose to volunteer in Asia, then you might as well plan accordingly and go for a multi-country tour, so as to cover as much as you can! Imagine how wonderful it would be to spend a week volunteering with elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and then travel to teach in a rural school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and then head off to work with conservationists in Borneo, Malaysia.

Well, this surely is possible when you plan your trip well ahead of time and figure out where all you want to go in the name of adventurous Asian volunteer opportunities.

4. Volunteering in Asia will be pocket-friendly as well!

Of course, when you are planning to volunteer abroad, one of the major concerns is the budget. Volunteer opportunities in Asia are pretty affordable and absolutely worth it for high school or college students, as well as gap year travelers, who aren't earning much.

Nepal, the Himalayan land, was marked as “The Most Budget-Friendly Destination in the World” by Lonely Planet in 2017, while Southeast Asia is touted as a backpackers’ hub, with the number of millennials heading to these countries increasing every year. While volunteering trips in Europe, Latin America, or Australia might seem to be a little expensive at times, volunteer programs in Asia definitely won’t leave your bank account in tatters!

5. Meet some interesting people from different parts of the world.

Get ready to make friends out of strangers! While you do volunteer work in Asia, you'll meet many new people, and eventually some of them will become your friends for life. Plus, you'll meet the locals from the host country, whom you'll be working with.

This is your chance to observe them, and learn more about their way of life, as well as their history, culture, festivals, and more. Not just that, but you'll also meet other Asian volunteers from different parts of the world, who have gathered here to work with you as a team.

While volunteering in Asia, it'll be absolutely incredible to find some like-minded people, share thoughts with them, and get to know more about their ideas as you work for a common cause.

The types of new friends you can make as a volunteer in Asia will come in all shapes and sizes—like large, round, and black and white.

6. Get to know more about the diversity of the largest continent.

As we all know, Asia is the largest continent in the world, and the diversity will leave you mesmerized! If you choose to start your journey from the West—let's say, from Turkey—and slowly move towards the east, covering India, Nepal, and China, and then go down south to Indonesia before moving towards the southeast to countries like Vietnam and Cambodia, you'll be surprised how the history and culture has shaped each of these lands.

Beyond that, Asian volunteers will find it immensely satisfying to observe how the landscape also varies from one area to another, and understand the effects of geography and climate on the lives of the people. You will learn more about Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, and how religion has influenced the people in particular countries. You'll discover things that you were never taught in school, and by the end of the journey you'll be a much more informed human being.

7. Gain incredible first-hand work experience that'll help you in your career ahead.

A volunteering journey to Asia will bless you with experiences that you won’t ever forget in your lifetime. For students and gap year travelers, volunteering in Asia will be extremely valuable, as you'll get to work with professionals and gain first-hand work experience.

You'll get to polish your existing skills, as well as gain new ones from your mentors and peers. Strengthen your knowledge as you learn how to deal with emergency situations and find instant solutions to tricky problems. This experience will surely boost your CV, and future employers will be highly impressed by your altruistic journey.

8. Broaden your perspective and see things with a more open mind. 

As a volunteer in Asia, getting out of your comfort zone will definitely be an amazing way to open up your eyes and see things from a new perspective. While you’re in your own country, you're amidst people who look and talk similarly to you, and who you can easily reach out to for help if you're in any sort of trouble.

However, the situation can be extremely different in a foreign land. You'll realize that the world is a big place with lots of different people who are all beautiful in their own ways. Travelling and volunteering are absolutely amazing experiences that can make you more open to new ideas and values. You won’t regret it—that’s for sure!

Walking among different perspectives and ways of life will be one of the most valuable aspects of volunteering. Who knows how your life will be changed?

9. Fantastic opportunity to experience cultural immersion. 

Asia, as we all know, is a melting pot of different cultures. Completely different from the Western world in many ways, the East enjoys immense diversity all across the continent! Being a volunteer in Asia, you might experience a bit of a culture shock initially, but eventually you'll fall in love with everything around you.

With volunteer programs in Asia, you'll get a chance to immerse in the local lifestyle, following their chores from morning to night! For example, while coffee is preferred as a morning beverage, you'll see that people in the East are more attached to their cup of tea.

Rice is the staple food in most Asian countries, and people tend to eat fish more than meat. You'll get to know about local attire, authentic cuisines, festivals, and much more. It’ll be a delight to learn to cook some of the local dishes and treat your folks when you return back home!

10. Learn about important issues going on in this part of the world.

Most of the times, we focus on what is happening in our own country, on political scenarios or natural calamities. However, volunteer programs in Asia will introduce you to another country (or many), and interacting with people from different walks of life can give you a new way of seeing some of the issues going on in the world.

Asian volunteers can watch the local news channels in the country they volunteer in, read the local newspapers on a daily basis, and speak to local people to learn how they view world topics. Knowing about different worldviews will also help you during volunteer programs in Asia, as it'll make things clearer for you!

For example, if you are volunteering for a medical program in Thailand, you'll know exactly what problems the healthcare system is facing and eventually find a solution to it.

Next steps to find volunteer opportunities in Asia

Want to see yourself here ASAP? It’s time to get out there amongst it and take the time to make your dreams of volunteering in Asia a reality!

Now that you have the inside scoop on volunteering in Asia and know what to expect, it's time to choose who you want to volunteer abroad with. Choosing a program isn't as hard as it sounds, especially if you follow these steps:

• Decide where to go. Figuring out where YOU should volunteer in Asia is paramount. Have a short list of locations that sound ideal for your goals and skills (i.e. if you don't have experience working with animals, you might reconsider volunteering in a panda sanctuary in China). Don't let anything hold you back—choose a place that's right for you.
• Pick your project. We outlined a few common causes that international volunteers support above. Do some reflection on what skills and knowledge you bring to the table, and which project would best benefit from your time and energy.
• Choose from the best volunteer abroad programs in Asia. Pay attention to past participants’ reviews, program reputation, location, and how the project's needs match your skills. Some programs may even share contact info for ambassadors or past participants if you want the REAL dirt. Here are more considerations to make as you figure out how to choose the right volunteer program for you. Pro tip: You can use MyGoAbroad to compare programs side-by-side.
• Plan your finances. Sort out funding before you go in order to afford daily essentials and splurge on travel (in addition to program costs and airfare). Be sure to raise a little extra money to donate to the organization that you'll be working with. Learning how to fund your volunteer abroad adventure is essential prior to your travels!
• Get prepared! Preparing to volunteer abroad is as fun as it sounds. With the days ‘til departure dwindling and your excitement boiling, it can be easy to overlook the details. Lean on us to help guide you through your pre-departure process—that's what we're here for.

Asian volunteer opportunities are calling!

Whether by rickshaw, habal habal, tuk tuk, jeepney, motorbike, or whatever else—you need to get up and get going to volunteer in Asia.

To put it in the words of Lonely Planet, "...Asia is a continent so full of intrigue, adventure, solace, and spirituality that it has fixated and confounded travelers for centuries." And there's no way we can disagree with this! On one hand, nature's beauty lies in abundance; on the other hand, we humans have been reckless enough to have damaged forests and oceans, waged wars to wreak havoc in societies, cut off grasslands to make concrete jungles, and the list goes on. However, now is the time to rectify! And what else can be better than volunteering in Asia to serve a purpose that's immensely meaningful?

If you've been procrastinating your travels to the East, then now is the time to gear up, step out of your comfort zone, and explore a land that'll surprise you at every step of the way. Make the most of your journey by lending a hand to developing Asian societies or by conserving Mother Nature—and become a responsible traveler along the way, all thanks to your volunteer work in Asia!

Browse ALL Volunteer Opportunities in Asia on GoAbroad.com