Volunteering abroad is a great way to expand your horizons, learn about new cultures and make a valuable contribution in a foreign community. But alongside these rewards are some inherent risks that need to be understood and well managed.
As a responsible provider of global volunteer travel, Phaedra for life takes great care to keep volunteers safe. We know that travel to a foreign country can be a little daunting and we have developed a comprehensive approach to managing risks across all of our programs that gives volunteers the knowledge and confidence they need to stay safe, secure and healthy while abroad with us.
Just like with any travel abroad, being properly prepared is a really important first step to keeping safe.
That’s why all volunteers receive exclusive access to our pre-departure training as soon as they register for one of our programs. The training is delivered through three engaging interactive learning modules, one of which is dedicated to safety. This provides volunteers with the knowledge they need to make smart decisions while in a foreign country, and the training has a particular focus on risk areas that are not in the direct control of Phaedra for life or our local teams and how volunteers can mitigate such risks. For example, the training explores risks related to activities that volunteers commonly undertake during their ‘free time’ outside of the typical program hours, such taking transport to tourist attractions or trying local food.
The training also provides guidance around wearing appropriate clothing and displaying culturally-sensitive behavior, and it also outlines the steps that volunteers need to take in the event of an emergency or serious incident.
When you arrive at one of our program destinations, you will be met by a member of our local team. Once you’ve had the chance to settle in to your surroundings, you’ll join a Program Orientation run by our local team for all new volunteers. The Orientation covers a wide range of topics that are important to getting to grips with the local culture and the program objectives, and it includes a detailed briefing about risks that are specific to your location.
All ours programs are required to adhere to a Risk Management Policy that has been specially designed to acknowledge that no two volunteer programs have the same risk profile. The Policy guides the identification, assessment and mitigation of all material risks associated with each of our programs and despite their differences, each program follows a detailed procedure for ensuring volunteer safety in the following risk areas:
- Accommodation and housing
- Transport
- Fire control and prevention
- Illness and physical harm
- Assault and theft
- Alcohol and illegal substances
- Natural disasters
- Terrorism and other serious crime
Every procedure has been created by Phaedra for life in partnership with our local team in each program destination. Local teams are on hand 24-hours a day to provide direct support to volunteer safety and agreed steps are in place to ensure effective and timely communications with senior staff should an incident occur.
Our risk mitigation plans for each program are monitored and updated through a formal review every year and compliance checks are completed in-person by visiting. For example, all of our program staff members are required to undertake first aid training and each of our teams has basic first aid equipment on-hand should it be needed.
We also have a requirement that all our host families and all staff directly or indirectly employed by Phaedra for life undergo thorough background checks before we begin working with them. Regardless of whether a volunteer is staying in the volunteer house or in a homestay, the level of supervision is the same. Beyond the interaction at mealtimes, orientation briefings, project briefings and each day on the project, our staff regularly check-in with volunteers at the accommodation to ensure everything is going well. Our volunteers are also provided with contact details of our local staff who and can speak with them any time at all (24/7).
