Anyone know of any NON-DENOMINATIONAL organizations?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi,

I am looking for short term overseas volunteer work (less than 3 months).

Preferrably, no user fee and definitely not religiously affiliated. All the links here seem to be for mission work.

I live in Canada, BTW.

Thanks!

Thanks, I will check it out!

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Thank you so much, I will check those out.

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Specializes in Emergency.

1. Lots of wetnaps (showers might not be an option).

2. Bring your own toilet paper, hold on to it, and hide it.

3. Bring a headlamp, not a handheld flashlight

4. If you get car sick, bring something for that (and keep it accessible) as driving to your village may be one heck of a trip!

5. Bring a journal and write everything you see and do in it, at least once a day.

6. Bubbles! The best friendmaker for children....especially those that have never seen them before.

7. Deck of cards, for hanging out with your other staff/volunteers once your work is done.

Best of luck to you!

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A container of anti-bacterial wipes.

Something for constipation. ;)

Something for the opposite. ;)

Flip-flops . . . for use in showers.

An international cell phone - you can have your own phone changed to international at your local phone store.

steph

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try these south american orgs; they all have medical volunteer programs

of one sort or another, 3 months or less with little or no admin fees:

www.cenitecuador.org (ecuador)

www.casadocaminhobrasil.org (brazil)

www.hampy.org (cusco , peru)

www.aktenamit.org (guatemala) - 3 months min for clinic volunteers

there are more volunteer options on the link below:

hth

steve

free and low-cost volunteer work in south america

thanks steve. i bookmarked these sites. have volunteered previously and these sites seem very interesting.

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A container of anti-bacterial wipes.

Something for the opposite. ;)

steph

Sooooo true, lived/worked in a tiny village in Turkey. Also, another NICETY is mosquito repellent! I would also recommend "female" sanitary items and a camera. Allot of the little ones never see such high tech equipment that we take as very basic, such as seeing themselves on film, or by showing them their pictures you just took on your digital. You will get lots of smiles!

Lizzy

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Specializes in Occupational Medicine, Orthopedics.

Ooooohhhh, I didn't think of some of those. Whew! Sure am glad I asked.

Thanks S.T.A.C.E.Y., stevielynn, and Lizzy6.

I think what I'm most nervous about is having to go to the outhouse in the middle of the night! :o

Blue

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Ooooohhhh, I didn't think of some of those. Whew! Sure am glad I asked.

Thanks S.T.A.C.E.Y., stevielynn, and Lizzy6.

I think what I'm most nervous about is having to go to the outhouse in the middle of the night! :o

Blue

We had a tent outhouse with a bucket lined with plastic for day time.

We stayed in hotels at night so had a bathroom. I did get to shower with a spider as big as my hand though.

I took mosquito spray and wipes but didn't see one mosquito.

I also ran out of sanitary pads/tampons . . . I'd take alot if I were you.

steph

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Blueberrybon - Hi. Don't want to scare you, but you also might want to pack a good pair of hiking boots, helpful when walking out to the outhouse, along with a flash-light. Some of the areas have spiders, snakes & other bugs that like to crawl. When I was overseas in Turkey, there were scorpions that would occasionally like to hide in your shoes; so before I slipped on my boots, I would always shake them upside down...just in case. Also, depending where I was walking, if it was just the just the village, dirt roads, I did wear my flip-flops. It was VERY hot in the summer & yep pretty much lived in my flip flops, shorts & t-shirts. I did wear my boots, depending where I was going. Also, forgot to mention...sun-screen. Even though I do tan, I did burn very easily in Turkey. I wore it & re-applied every day. I took the sweat-proof kind, with highest SPF I could find. Nothing miserable than trying to sleep with a sun-burn and not have a/c as well. Also, lots of mosquitoes, others were using my spray too, since they didn't bring any.

So, my must haves were: pads, tampons, mosquito spray, sun-screen, my camera (I take it everywhere), chap-stick, moisturizer (my skin is very dry) good pair of hiking boots & flip-flops and sun-glasses. The others mentioned wipes and toilet paper. I didn't take toilet paper, some areas I wished I did. Anyways, I could easily fit all of this in back-pack & had room to spare. Some of the travelers I met carried Pepto-Bismal. I didn't have a need for it, but then again, I was careful after drinking crappy water, only drank bottled H2O after that incident. Also, watch your fruits as well.

When you decide on the area, do some research on their website on what the climate is like, things you will need. Best of luck and enjoy yourself and the culture wherever you go!

Lizzy

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Specializes in Occupational Medicine, Orthopedics.

spiders, why were they created! i don't believe they help keep the worlds bug population down!

thanks for all of the heads-up info.

i'm expecting to come home with bites from various ugly things.

thanks lizzy6...

blue

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spiders, why were they created! i don't believe they help keep the worlds bug population down!

thanks for all of the heads-up info.

i'm expecting to come home with bites from various ugly things.

thanks lizzy6...

blue

you are quite welcome. have you decided where you are going yet? i bet you are getting excited! i only got bit by mosquitoes.

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Specializes in Occupational Medicine, Orthopedics.

I leave this Friday for the Dominican Republic. I fly into Santiago, stay the night in a hotel there saturday night, then go by bus up into the hills to a town called El Naranjito. Yep, I'm practically there.

Blue

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