When I tell people I’m planning to volunteer in countries such as India or Mozambique, the words “wanderlust” and “voluntourism” often come to some people’s minds. It’s easy to assume that everyone who chooses to volunteer abroad see it as being about the travel first and purpose second, a way to see the world while doing something “good.”
But for me personally, that was never my goal. For me it isn’t a holiday nor is it a CV filler. And it’s definitely not just a “tick the box experience” for me.
Hi! My name is Tess and I am one of Serve’s volunteers. I am currently studying to become a home ec teacher, and these studies have grown my interest for education and social justice massively. I’ve always known I wanted to work closely with young people of all backgrounds and nationalities, not just in the classroom, but in real and meaningful ways.
Two years ago, in my first year of college, I had the opportunity to volunteer in Beira, Mozambique with Serve. I deliberately chose serve as the organisation I would volunteer with, because I wanted my contribution to be part of something sustainable, not extractive.
In Mozambique our team of volunteers were supporting English classes as teaching assistants, organising sports events, and working alongside students on construction projects. There, I had the opportunity to learn from brilliant educators as well as an incredibly resilient community.
But the part of the experience that has stayed with me most, was meeting young people the same age as myself building a new life for themselves, through their education at the young Africa campus. Seeing the impact Serve’s partner organisations have on the lives of young people, will forever impact and inspire me.
This wasn’t a feel-good project for our team. It was a real, and deeply human experience. It opened my eyes to the complexity of global inequality, and the importance of engaging in it responsibly. That’s what brought me back to volunteer with serve a second time.
This July, I’ll be volunteering again , this time in Bangalore, India, at the Association of People with Disabilities Centre (APD). Myself and the team will be working as teaching assistants in the classrooms there, as well as organising educational activities, all while participating in global citizenship education workshops.
I chose to return to volunteer with SERVE a second time because they do things differently. They follow Comhlámh’s Code of Good Practice, ensuring that all volunteer placements are community-led, and driven by local needs, not outsider assumptions. There’s no fly-in, fix-it, fly-out. The communities lead, and we learn from these communities while supporting their work on the ground.
Volunteering with SERVE has not only shaped who I am as an aspiring educator but also who I am as a person. It’s taught me that being a global citizen means more than just being aware, it is about acting with empathy and integrity
For me, this next chapter in India isn’t about seeing the world. It’s about understanding it better, and becoming someone who returns home to share this understanding and new knowledge with others, with the aim of encouraging others to take an interest in GCE too.
So no, my volunteering isn’t about wanderlust. It’s about purpose, partnership, and walking the long road toward social justice with others, one step and one conversation at a time.
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