Greg Lass encourages prospective volunteers to keep safe while doing good.

Volunteering abroad can be rewarding but preparation is essential to limit the chance of anything going wrong. Although nothing can fully insulate you from risk, an appreciation of local customs, awareness of medical and political risks and travel insurance go some way to reducing the chance of an ideal trip turning into a horror story.

Many of Edinburgh University’s societies have charitable goals. The Christian Union is committed to issues at home and abroad. “We’re not looking to convert anyone,” explained the EUCU’s International Coordinator Kat Heron, “We are student focused but also help the homeless and work overseas.” Strong moral convictions drive the movement to help the world’s most vulnerable people. The EUCU reached out to 2,500 prisoners, 560 orphans and 1,600 school children on a recent trip to Malawi. Heron said finances limit their overseas work, but the risks of working in dangerous places did not. Olivia Faulkner, Co-President of ADE Tanzania Society, agreed that much “depends on money, but you have to be fearless.” After raising £5000, ADE Tanzania built a nursery school and set up a sponsorship program for those who can’t afford to send their children to school.

The project received mixed support from locals which unfortunately led to active interference. Collusion between a local contact and the staff of the house they stayed in resulted in property theft. Fortunately all the volunteers were insured and Faulkner explained that it was important for volunteers to know they would be reimbursed for anything.

An awareness of social and cultural difference is vital. Faulkner forgave the thefts because, in her words, "it is Africa, and life there can be less predictable.” Perhaps the temptation to steal is harder to resist in a less developed country where the likelihood of being caught is slim and a camera is worth a year’s wages.

Sam Abrahams is the CEO of an organisation called First Aid Africa, which trains local people in first aid so that the knowledge can be passed on once volunteers leave. He counselled against telling horror stories. “I would never dissuade people from travelling to some of the most remarkable places in the world.” He does however assert the importance of preparation, warning that “you don’t just put yourself in danger when you don’t prepare, you put other people in danger.” Each expedition led by First Aid Africa has a western and a local leader. This encourages local integration, vital for security. The expedition leaders are trained in risk assessment and visit everywhere the volunteers are going before they arrive.

Whilst EUCU volunteers were treated kindly by locals in Malawi and First Aid Africa hasn’t had a single serious incident in the past five years, ADE Tanzania has had some problems. Abrahams suggested a possible explanation: “The communities we work with have requested our volunteers to come in, which provides a certain level of security. The more you can say there’s an active partnership, the better.’”ADE Tanzania might have had more trouble because it was not as locally integrated as the other organizations, recalling Robert Louis Stephenson’s famous remark that “there are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.”

Arguably, it’s a question of chance. One cannot predict what situations are going to present themselves, but you can minimize risk. This article is meant to highlight the risks and encourage people to prepare themselves, not dissuade anyone from volunteering in developing countries. Such experiences can be exciting and even life changing. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides detailed advice on ways to prepare for going overseas, and promotes awareness of the potential risks through the ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign. Anyone considering an overseas adventure should visit www.fco.gov.uk as an important part of preparation.