I spent a year volunteering in Timor-Leste with a local NGO, a government department, and supporting several small businesses. It was an unforgettable and deeply rewarding experience. Volunteering in a country very different from your own isn’t always easy, and it’s not for everyone, but it can be genuinely life-changing.

This blog draws on my own experience through Volunteer Service Abroad, and from conversations with locals, expats, and other volunteers. Although primarily focused on volunteering overseas, much of this will be relevant if you’re considering volunteering closer to home. Below are four key areas to think about before committing to volunteering.

• Seven important questions to ask about the volunteer organisation and role
• Impact and Legacy – What difference can you actually make?
• Five key things to considering when volunteering
• Reverse Culture Shock – Coming home can be harder than leaving

Seven important questions to ask about the volunteer organisation and role

1. What type of organisation will you be volunteering with? For example an international NGO, UN agency, local NGO, government department, or school. They will all offer different volunteer experiences, and different organisations will suit different people.
2. What language(s) are used in the organisation? If not your native language then consider your aptitude and willingness to learn a new language, and how long this may take relative to the length of your volunteering assignment. Will you get language support? Or will you need to learn in the evenings and at the weekends at your own cost?
3. How long will you volunteer for? Personally I think at least six months is required to make a meaningful impact, though it will depend on what you’re doing and the needs of the organisation. Longer assignments are generally better for organisations but can be tough on volunteers.
4. Capacity vs Capability: Will you be providing hands-on help (capacity) or mentoring others (capability)?  Providing additional capacity is useful for a period, but when you leave, you take that capacity with you. The intent of capability building is that it lasts beyond your time in the organization. I feel that a combination of the two is the ideal because you can help build capability through some of the capacity work you do, and depending on the situation and your approach, it can be quite challenging to mentor full time.
5. Has the organisation worked with volunteers before? If they have (and had a good experience) that will benefit you greatly. They will have a better understanding how to get the most from volunteers.
6. Do your skills and experience fit the role and organisation?  A great question to ask yourself, is whether you could do this role at home, if not why do you think you could do it overseas? Often volunteer assignments may ask for relatively high levels of skill and experience, but when you get there on the ground, you’ll find that you may be helping with some quite basic things, depending on their maturity. You need to be comfortable with doing whatever is helpful for the organisation and its people.
7. Will you have a counterpart? The assignments that tend to go well, have a motivated and committed person in the organisation who you work with on a day-to-day basis, that you’re supporting and working closely with. Without this it can be much harder to make a meaningful impact, and and have a good volunteer experience.

Impact and Legacy – What difference can you actually make?

When people ask about volunteering, the question of impact always comes up – and rightly so. There’s a lot of discussion in development circles about “voluntourism” or the idea of people flying in to help without understanding the context. The last thing you want is to feel like you did more harm than good. So, what does meaningful, respectful impact look like?

First, understand your role: You are not there to “fix” anything. You’re not there to save anyone. You’re there to support, listen, and share skills – ideally in a way that continues after you leave.

Impact looks like:

• Mentoring someone to support their development
• Training people to develop their skills
• Helping build a system or toolkit that stays behind (and is used!)
• Contributing to long-term goals, even if your part feels small in the moment
• Being present – reliable, respectful, and patient

Legacy is subtle but real. You might not build a school or transform an entire organisation. But you might help a colleague feel more confident. You might show a different way of solving a problem. You might open a door for someone.

And just as much, the organisation and country you volunteer in will leave a legacy on you – in how you see the world, how you relate to others, and how you define what matters.

Some ways to leave a positive legacy:

• Create handover documents for your counterpart and ensure that people know where they’re stored
• Offer continued mentoring or support remotely after your assignment in country ends
• Share your experiences to inspire others, advocate for the organisation, or raise awareness of the country’s needs and strengths

In short: you can make a difference, but it starts with humility, listening, and a long-term mindset.

Five key things to considering when volunteering

• Be clear why you are volunteering. It is not a holiday and it will be tough at times.
• The recruitment and deployment process can take a long time (allow at least 6 months) so consider how that fits with your life plans and any decisions you need to make.
• Organisations do a good job of preparing you for the reality of the assignments, but it is one thing to read / hear about something, and another to actually experience it.
• If you are going with a partner consider what they will do if you’re not both volunteering full time, though just doing the shopping, washing and life admin can feel almost full time on occasion.
• Be aware that everything takes longer and is harder to do in a developing country, patience is required!

Reverse Culture Shock – Coming home can be harder than leaving

One thing that often surprises volunteers is that returning home can be more emotionally jarring than arriving in the country you’re volunteering in. It’s called reverse culture shock. When I first arrived in Timor-Leste, things were unfamiliar, often frustrating, sometimes beautiful. But I expected that, and the need to adapt, and I gradually settled into life in a very different environment.

Returning home to New Zealand was as big a shock in some ways. Common experiences people can have include:

• Feeling out of place or disconnected from family and friends who don’t quite get it
• Struggling to reconcile the privilege and abundance at home with the hardship and resilience you saw in another country
• Missing the pace of life, the community feel, or the sense of purpose you had while volunteering
• Questioning what’s next – personally, professionally, or philosophically

For me, I found that adjusting back to the pace and consumerism of a big city was a real jolt. I kept wanting to tell stories, but didn’t always feel like people were ready to hear them, which can feel isolating. Some ways of coping include:

• Give yourself time. Re-entry takes as much reflection as the departure.
• Stay connected with other returned volunteers – many organisations run alumni networks.
• Journal, share, or process your experiences creatively. For example I’ve shared my Timor-Leste experiences on this blog, and through creating www.exploringtimor.com and related social media channels.
• And if volunteering sparked something in you, consider what opportunities there may be in further volunteer work, international development, or community work.