Robert Broughton wrote :
> Viviane wrote:
>
> > - The process of preparing, training, transporting, housing, feeding,
> > and supervising volunteers is not cheap. Additional services such as
> > health care, re-entry assistance, travel medical insurance, and more,
> > all add to the expenses of a program.
> > - The costs of recruiting volunteers, producing literature, answering
> > the phones, sending mailings, developing a website, and interviewing
> > potential volunteers are significant.
>
> So the main question becomes, are the volunteers actually a net benefit?
I guess there are as many answers to that question as there are
volunteering opportunities. But it is a fact that in many cases where
volunteers come and go, there seems to be no apparent regard for the
importance of long-term, sustainable development with regards to a
specific project. Actually, sometimes volunteers are more a burden than
an asset because of their lack of technical knowledge, language skills,
and cultural sensitivity.
But nonetheless it is said that, generally-speaking, volunteering in a
country other than you own promotes positive values, enriches lives,
and increases international mutual understanding.
Viviane
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