Nowadays it is imperative to reflect upon how volunteering abroad will change after Covid-19. Volunteer in The World dreams of a borderless world and therefore accessible to all. Despite all the inconvenience, the pandemic gave us hope and a chance to rebuild volunteering and we think we should start by making it more inclusive.

The pandemic represented the biggest stop in the history of traveling, which not only is meant for pleasure or passion, but it also represents our work. Thus, this stop forced us to ask ourselves what the future of volunteering abroad might be.

The world is still scared of the situation and people are afraid of betting on volunteering and of getting back on the field. We never thought we would see our world transforming into frames of a post-apocalyptic film: airlines at risk of bankruptcy and demanding loans from states, canceled flights, suspended destinations. Also, we never imagined we would see cities all over the world transforming into deserts, without colors nor life.

That is why it is never been so important to have and to share a positive vision: we see a huge opportunity to rebuild methods and customs of volunteering, on the basis of inclusiveness and accessibility to everyone.

You must be wondering how. Well, for starters, we could try to remove economic barriers that do not enable many young people to even consider volunteering.

Will it be more difficult to travel and volunteer abroad?

Yes, there is a good chance. There will be more checks at the airport, more queues in places of interest, and it is possible that we will experience stricter restrictions on many aspects of our traveling lives. Eventually, masks will become part of our normality, as it has been for some time in countries such as China and Japan. Surely, access to certain parts of the world will be prohibited and the possibility of traveling for people from states with a high rate of infection will be limited.

Will it be more expensive to travel?

We hope not, but the correct answer is probably yes. Many volunteers will find themselves forced to give up projects abroad and to give priority to closer destinations – even within the borders of their countries- in case of an increase in the price of flights.

Will it be more uncomfortable to travel?

Rather than uncomfortable, we think there will be longer bureaucratic procedures. Saying so, we are thinking about medical certificates, more careful checks, and longer waits.

It is evident that Covid-19 has left a feeling of alarm and alertness in the individual’s minds. Thus, many of us still cannot think of getting a trip or catching a flight.

As Volunteer In The World, we believe it is necessary to bring a global vision without borders; whether it is aimed at volunteering or not, traveling concretely represents the possibility to look at the richness of diversity. As soon as it will be safe, we will visit our Partners abroad, and we will re-start assisting volunteers to do social activities. We look forward to traveling again and get back on the field!