Free (or Cheap) Volunteer Work in Ukraine
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Grassroots Volunteering in Ukraine
Important note: The information given below dates from before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and should no longer be considered up to date.
GoCamp
www.gocamps.com.ua
Note: While the details below are not up to date due to the war in Ukraine, GoGlobal runs a virtual camp needing volunteers to help Ukrainian kids upgrade their English skills.
Each summer GoGlobal runs the largest volunteering programme in Eastern Europe. In their email to us they said the GoCamp programme calls for students from all over the world to come to Ukraine and teach kids English, French and German at school camps all over the country, but their website states retired people, young professionals, passionate travellers, families with kids and groups of coworkers are also welcomed.
The main goal of the programme is to educate a new young generation of active and conscious citizens of Ukraine, capable of lifelong learning, and prepared for the challenges of the 21st century, fluent in foreign languages and open to other cultures and experiences. The volunteer of the programme becomes a mentor for schoolkids, helping them to break language and cultural barriers. So far more than 1000 volunteers from 70+ countries and 400 000 kids all over Ukraine have been involved in the project. Camps run for a fortnight plus a four day preparation camp near Kiev.
Where: GoCamp takes place all over Ukraine, including small cities and villages.
Accommodation & Costs: There is a €65 participation fee that covers accommodation, meals and airport pick up.
Hostel Work Exchanges
The Mini Hostel group used to have a dedicated jobs website for recruiting volunteers to make the beds and clean common areas for a few hours a day in exchange for a dorm bed. This is long gone but the Kiev hostel now appears to use Worldpackers.
Other Opportunities to Volunteer in Ukraine
Life2Orphans asks for help on their homepage with their mission to provide food and medicine, and improve living conditions for children in Ukrainian orphanages. It might be possible to gain non profit experience as an intern but when we checked the page just said “Coming Soon”. Months later it still says the same.
Help Exchange Networks in Ukraine
Workaway – https://www.workaway.info/hostlist-UA.html
Other Ways to Travel or Stay for Free in Ukraine
Stay free in return for caring for local residents’ homes or pets. Join Trusted Housesitters to live rent free as a house sitter.
Volunteer Experiences*
English in the World: Volunteering with GoCamp in Ukraine – Leading a group of twelve year olds in a rousing rendition of the Scooby Doo theme song was just one of the eye opening, rewarding and fascinating experiences for Heather Fielding when she joined GoCamp.
* not all these volunteer experiences are with grassroots NGOs or low cost organisations
Image courtesy GoCamp
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