International volunteers flocking to Auckland

Volunteering in developed countries is taking off - and Auckland is becoming a popular destination for altruistic internationals.

A New Plymouth-based organisation, International Volunteer Headquarters (IVHQ), has sent over 55,000 volunteers from all over the world to 38 destinations since it was established in 2007. Last month it started its first volunteer programme in New Zealand, based in Auckland.

The first placement started on March 7, and close to 40 volunteers have registered already.

“We’re definitely seeing people take the plunge and make the trip to come over,” said IVHQ’s New Zealand programme manager, Chelsea Green.

Miss Green said that IVHQ’s initial focus was on sending volunteers to developing countries, but they’ve “changed tack a bit” and now offer programmes in five developed countries (according to the CIA World Factbook) including South Africa, Spain, Italy, Portugal and New Zealand.

Miss Green believes that any cause in any country is a worthy cause.

“It doesn’t have to be limited to developing countries, it’s about the opportunity to give back regardless of where you’re travelling.”

IVHQ’s New Zealand programme offers three different projects: Coastline Conservation, Freshwater Restoration and NGO Support.

It has partnered with the Sustainable Coastlines charity to help clean up New Zealand’s coasts and waterways.

Sustainable Coastlines general manager, Camden Howitt, said volunteers were vital.

“We would rather put our time into developing the programmes and the relationships that we need to do things on a big scale, [so we] get volunteers to come in and do the nitty gritty hands-on work.”

Mr Howitt thinks the stereotype that volunteering should be done in developing countries needs to be broken and that each country has issues, developed or not.

“When you see more money in places often you see more inequalities. So developed countries can have just as many problems, if you like, as developing [countries].”

American volunteer John White started his 12-week placement in March, and chose to volunteer to “get in tune” with himself as well as to help out.

“[Volunteering] absolutely is a two-sided coin. It’s about finding that part of you that’s happy to give, and at the same time happy to receive . . . if you’re only doing one half of the coin, you’re not getting everything you can out of it.”

Mr White signed up for the Freshwater Restoration project, and is based at the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Marae.

He believes that volunteers are given a more authentic experience of a place than tourists are.

“I get to sweat right alongside [the locals]. I get to experience their world and their life. You don’t get that as a tourist.”