last edited Dec 11, 2019
Volunteering and humanitarian work: how to go and under what conditions?
Location Map of Destinations
Destinations
Open the interactive map
What status?
For you to expand: Broadly speaking, you can do humanitarian work as a volunteer, a full-time volunteer, or a paid employee.
Volunteering
Full-time volunteering
Paid employment
The framework
In the humanitarian field, you can either join existing actions or organisations, or set up your own project.
Joining existing projects/organisations
The simplest option, through organisations of varying size and recognition, offering different types of status.
Setting up a project
An option considered by some, particularly through travel grants. But be careful—it’s not something you can improvise!
The International Solidarity Leave Law
Duration and pay
Mission duration
For you to expand: From just a few days (!) to several months, with potential implications for family life.
Financial aspects
For you to expand: Pay, compensation, self-funding, or even paying to work (go figure!), anything is possible—including some abuses in this area...
Humanitarian work close to home
Humanitarian work isn’t limited to missions on the other side of the world. It can also involve work done from "home," whether fundraising, communications, or any other task just as vital to the success of a field project. Unfortunately, for many candidates, humanitarian work only counts if it’s far from home...
Training
For you to expand: The most sought-after profiles and specific training.