Why should I pay to volunteer?

Paying for an international volunteer activity may seem counterintuitive since you're offering your time and effort for free. However, several reasons explain why fees are necessary, especially in countries like Mexico.

Legal and ethical considerations

In Mexico and other countries, volunteers must cover their expenses to ensure that their presence doesn't take jobs away from locals. Extra funds that could cover volunteer expenses would otherwise be used to employ locals. Ethical volunteering ensures that jobs are created, not taken away, particularly in countries that struggle with high unemployment rates and poverty. The government is strict about remuneration for undocumented work, including board and lodging. Thus, volunteers must cover these costs.

Living expenses

The fee also covers living expenses such as accommodation, meals, and transportation. This ensures you as a Guardian volunteer to have a safe and comfortable place to stay and are well-nourished during your volunteer period. Many of our missions have other inclusions too as will be discussed with you below. Also, by law, as a volunteer in Mexico- and many countries around the world- international visitors must cover the cost their stay incurs, and the local community should not be funding it.

Project funding

Guardian volunteer missions require training, materials, supplies and other resources to operate effectively. Your fee helps cover these costs through included donations, ensuring the missions can continue their work and benefit the local community, youth, and faiths.

Administrative costs

All organisations have operational costs, including salaries for local staff, office expenses, liability insurance and logistics. Administrative expenses ensure the smooth functioning of our Guardian volunteer programs. Staff handle inquiries, volunteer bookings, data capture, and pre-departure documentation to ensure everything is in place before your arrival. Project information is regularly updated as are mission site inspections. Effective administration ensures volunteers are well-informed and prepared for their experience.

Training and support

Support is one of the key differences between paid and free volunteer programs. Round the clock support is one of the services included in the mission fees. This level of assistance again requires specialised staff in areas as diverse as software development, client relations, event management, and hospitality services.

Guardian volunteers need orientation, training, and ongoing support to be effective and safe in their roles. Fees help cover the costs of training up Guardian volunteers and salaries of local staff who coordinate volunteer activities and ensure their safety.

This support is particularly reassuring for inexperienced volunteers, providing peace of mind and enhancing the overall experience. And for those nervous of travelling to foreign destinations and appreciate the support on the ground.

At Origin-1, we provide a fully supported 360-degree journey for anyone joining our missions – from the moment you submit an application and prepare your documents, up until you travel to the mission and work in the community. We even provide support when you return home, and beyond.

Sustainability and impact

Origin-1's Guardian volunteer missions focus on sustainability and creating long-term positive impacts. Fees contribute to maintaining missions that make a real difference rather than short-term or superficial efforts. Many missions rely on Guardian volunteers for essential tasks, particularly in interfaith human relations.

Expanding skills and creating job opportunities for local communities is an essential aspect of sustainable development. On all Origin-1 missions we take a locally-led approach, where we collaborate with local governments and private organizations to take into account the specific needs of the communities we're working in. Guardian Volunteers play a crucial role in these missions, and without them, many communities' faiths would not receive the support they need.

With the help of our Guardian volunteers, we can also help where we can, whether it's helping our townships and local communities, helping numerous churches and temples, giving food to people in need, helping various faith groups when their churches are destroyed or burned down, or providing additional donations during emergencies.