7 Reasons Volunteering Is Good For You And The World

Taking part in ethical volunteer programmes such as the Suas Volunteer Programme has many benefits for volunteers personally and for society.

1. Helping Others Achieve Their Goals

Suas Educational Development

Our partners don’t request volunteers for the craic. They look for volunteers because they need extra help getting a job done. And after 12 years of working together, they know that Suas Volunteers are tops.

2. Experience Life In Another Culture

Suas Educational Development

Life doesn’t present that many opportunities to immerse yourself fully in another culture. Overseas volunteering enables you to live, work and think in according to other cultures. On the Suas Volunteer Programme you work with local grass roots organisations, who know the contexts in which they work.

3. Test Your Limits

Suas Educational Development

There's one thing for sure about the Suas Volunteer Programme – it tests your limits! How many times would your patience allow you to explain the difference between 'p' sounds and 'f' sounds? Probably much more than you would think! And how happy do you think it would make you watching a kid, struggling with math, finally grasp the concept of counting because your being there meant that child got the little extra help that the teachers can't normally afford to provide? I reckon it's much happier than you thought possible.

4. Gain New Perspectives Of The World We Live In

Suas Educational Development

Living and working in disadvantaged communities in a developing country will certainly impact on the way you view the world. But as well as that, the Suas Volunteer Programme provides in country training about global issues including visits to other NGOs, and discussions and workshops with leading development professionals.

5. Gain Exceptional Professional Skills

Suas Educational Development

The Suas Volunteer Programme is a professional programme, equipping participants with excellent skills, which are a major bonus when jumping onto that career ladder. These range from team skills, to inter-cultural communications, working to deadlines and report writing. Not to mention field experience if you’re thinking of persuing a career in International Development.

6. Share Your Skills And Expertise

Suas Educational Development

The Suas Volunteer Programme is 10 weeks long, which gives you plenty of time to get through lots. Just think – it’s almost the same length as a semester in college! In addition to the time that volunteers spend in class room a lot of volunteers also go that extra mile and share their expertise outside of the class room. This has ranged from helping set up a facebook page for our partners, to organising a sports day, to helping with office admin for our partners.

7. Opportunity To Give Back To Society

Suas Educational Development

The world we live in is increasingly interlinked, and we in the western societies routinely benefit from the exploitation of less developed countries. At Suas we firmly believe that education is empowerment, and provides children from disadvantaged communities an opportunity to break through the cycle of disadvantage through improved job prospects, ability to make better informed decisions and be the masters of their own destiny.

Join The Suas Volunteer Programme

The Suas Volunteer Programme is open for applications. The Programme involves a 10 week placement in one of our partner schools in India; pre-departure training; training on global perspectives; and a full debrief on return to Ireland.

At Suas we pride ourselves on our ethical approach to volunteering.

Interested? Apply now.