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What Does It Really Mean To Volunteer Abroad?

Guest Blog By Erin Brown, Erndala (June 2026) 

More people than ever want their travel to mean something. Here’s what that actually looks like — and why it’s harder, and more rewarding, than most programs will tell you.

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering abroad, you’ve probably felt the pull: a chance to contribute, to see the world differently, to be part of something that matters. That instinct is real and worth honoring.

But anyone who has spent time in the international development world will tell you the same thing: good intentions aren’t enough. And the line between meaningful contribution and unintentional harm is thinner than most volunteer programs acknowledge.

WECO is a nonprofit connecting volunteers and donors to vetted, community-led organizations advancing women’s empowerment across Kenya, Peru, India, Cambodia, and Costa Rica. It was built to sit right on that line between good intentions and real impact — and to help people cross it well.

A growing industry — and growing questions

Volunteer travel is no longer a niche pursuit. According to Grand View Research, the global volunteer tourism market was valued at $848.9 million in 2023 and is projected to reach $1.27 billion by 2030 — growing at 6.1% annually. Each year, more than 10 million international travelers participate in volunteer initiatives worldwide, predominantly from North America and Europe.

That scale matters. It means billions of dollars and millions of people-hours are flowing into communities around the world every year — with wildly uneven results. Critics have raised concerns about unskilled volunteers taking on work locals could do better, projects designed around the visitor experience rather than community benefit, and programs that quietly reinforce the very inequalities they claim to address. (See: Doing Good or Doing Harm? A Critical Examination of Voluntourism, Human Rights Research;  |  Voluntourism: new book explores how volunteer trips harm rather than help, The Guardian.)

Start with listening, not doing

Most volunteer programs start with action: build a school, teach English, paint a community center. WECO has a slightly different approach.

Over the course of several conversations, I sat down with Jenny Clark, co-founder of WECO, to understand what this looks like in practice.

“We start with needs assessments, understanding the communities that we are working in, and then co-design programming from there.”

— Jenny Clark, co-founder, WECO

That distinction — listening before acting — sounds simple. In practice, it changes everything. It means projects emerge from local priorities, not outside assumptions. It means communities lead. And it means WECO’s volunteer partners arrive to support work that’s already rooted in genuine need.

Group of women engaged in a discussion at a wooden table in a bright, airy space surrounded by lush greenery. They are reviewing notes and sharing ideas, fostering a collaborative atmosphere for brainstorming and planning.

WECO partners with grassroots organizations advancing the empowerment of women and girls, working across themes like education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and climate resilience. The focus on women isn’t a narrow one — research consistently shows that investing in women and girls has ripple effects across entire communities.

The evidence across four key themes tells a consistent story: where women and girls lack access, entire communities fall short of their potential. Where they are invested in, whole societies benefit.

Education

Globally, 122 million girls remain out of school, yet when just 10% more adolescent girls attend school, a country’s GDP increases by 3% on average.

Entrepre­neurship

Closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could increase global GDP by more than 20%, according to the World Bank.

Agriculture

Fewer than 15% of agricultural landholders worldwide are women — yet closing the gender gap in farm productivity alone would reduce the number of food-insecure people by 45 million.

Climate

Up to 158 million more women and girls could fall into poverty by 2050 due to climate change — despite being among the most effective stewards of community resilience when given resources and voice.

The problem with “voluntourism”

Jenny is direct about where WECO fits — and where it doesn’t. In WECO’s model, volunteers join projects only after they’ve been co-designed with local partners. Their role is to support, not to lead.

“It is not about volunteering and tourism anymore. It is about having meaningful experiences in healthy, ethical ways in the places that we want to go.”

Children in colorful traditional attire engaged in an educational activity with volunteers in a classroom setting. The scene showcases interaction between adult volunteers and Maasai children, who are actively participating in a learning session, surrounded by classroom materials.

What intentional engagement actually looks like

WECO’s approach is built around a few core principles that run counter to how many programs operate:

  • Local leadership: Community partners define priorities, needs, and timelines. 
  • Relationships over immediate outcomes: Long-term trust matters more than short-term deliverables, and sets the stage for sustainable impact.
  • Mutual learning: Engagement is an exchange, not a one-way transfer of expertise.
  • Patience as a practice: Ethical development runs on community rhythms rather than predetermined timelines.

That last one — patience — is something Jenny returns to often. Projects may shift due to weather, supply chains, or evolving community priorities — and that’s not a flaw in the process. Building in flexibility is often what creates the conditions for a project to truly succeed. As Jenny puts it, being organic allows for greater impact: there’s no forcing it, no artificial pressure. The work can move at the pace it actually needs.

“There needs to be consistency without bringing the pressure or the sense of urgency.”

A smiling teacher in traditional attire stands in front of a chalkboard in a classroom, with the word "WECO" written on it. Colorful educational posters about months and shapes are displayed on the walls, enhancing the learning environment.

So where do you fit in?

If you’re someone who wants to travel with purpose — to contribute something real and come home genuinely changed — the question isn’t whether to engage globally. It’s how.

That means asking harder questions before you sign up: Who designed this project? Who leads it on the ground? What happens after volunteers leave? Does my participation support local capacity or substitute for it?

It means being willing to sit with complexity, to learn before you act, and to measure your contribution not in photos taken but in relationships built.

These questions are at the heart of a guide I developed in partnership with WECO — a practical resource for anyone who wants to engage abroad with integrity: The Volunteering Abroad Starter Guide. Download it, use it, and share what you find. Most importantly: let us know where you go, and the impact and relationships you help create.

You can also read our full organizational position paper here: Partnering with Grassroots Leaders to Support Community-Led Impact.

Group of children and adults engaged in a craft activity on colorful mats, using various art supplies like paper, scissors, and glue. The scene captures a collaborative and creative environment focused on arts and crafts development.

About the Author

Erin Brown has spent over 15 years asking hard questions about how change actually happens — and who gets to lead it. Through her consulting practice, Erndala, she works with purpose-driven organizations on strategy, gender equity, and learning systems. This piece grew out of her collaboration with WECO, along with multiple recorded interviews with co-founder Jenny Clark, as well as her belief that how we show up in the world matters as much as why.

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