Kurt Decorte
Founder of Abroad Escape.

Building GapXperience

In 2006, I decided to leave the consulting world behind and start my own business.

I founded GapXperience from scratch.

I developed volunteer programs in Asia myself.

That gave me a very different understanding of volunteer travel.

You start to see that there's a big difference between what a program looks like on a website and what actually happens on the ground.

You have to think about the local partner, how the project is organised, what the volunteer will actually be doing, where they're staying and what happens when something doesn't go according to plan.

Over the years, I worked with travellers and local partners in different destinations and saw the industry change quite a bit.

That experience still influences how I look at volunteer programs today.

• I'm interested in the details behind the description.
• Is the program actually suitable for this person?
• Is the local partner good?
• Are the expectations realistic?
• And is this something I'd genuinely recommend?

What Experience Has Taught Me

One of the biggest things I've learned is that there isn't one best volunteer program.

A program can be perfectly good and still be the wrong choice for a particular person.

It depends on what you want from the experience, where you want to go, how long you have, your budget, your expectations and the type of environment you're comfortable with.

That's why I look at more than just the project itself.

I want to understand who is delivering the program, how it's organised, what the volunteer will actually be doing, what the accommodation is like and what kind of support is available.

Then there's the person.

Someone might be perfectly happy with basic accommodation and a very different way of doing things. Someone else may find that difficult. Neither is necessarily wrong. They may simply need a different type of program.

If I think a program is a good fit, I'll tell you.

If there are compromises, I'll explain them.

And if I don't think it's right for you, I'll say that too.

I'd rather help someone make the right decision than push them towards a booking.

Our founder in an interview with our local partner in Cambodia.

Where Should You Start?

If you already know that you want to work with turtles, elephants, wildlife or a particular type of project, that may determine where you should go.

But if you simply know that you want to volunteer abroad, I'd normally start with the destination.

Where do you actually want to go?

Which country would you like to experience? What culture interests you? Where would you be happy spending a few weeks?

Once you've got the destination in mind, we can look at the volunteer programs available there and work out which ones suit you.

I think that's often a much easier way to approach it than starting with a list of projects and trying to work backwards.

The exception is when you already know exactly what you want to do. In that case, the type of volunteering may come first and the destination follows from that.

Manage Your Expectations

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when volunteering abroad is expecting everything to work exactly as it does at home.

It won't.

It may be hot. The food may be different. Things may happen more slowly than you're used to. You may have to communicate differently or adapt to a completely different way of working.

You may also experience culture shock, particularly if it's your first time living and working in a very different environment.

None of that necessarily means something has gone wrong.

You're in another country, working with people who may have very different ways of doing things. Part of the experience is learning to adapt.

In my experience, the people who get the most from volunteering abroad tend to be the ones who arrive with an open mind. They're prepared to accept that things may be different, rather than constantly comparing everything with how it works at home.

You don't have to like every difference.

But you do need to be willing to understand it.

If you can do that, volunteering abroad can be a fantastic experience.

If you expect everything to work exactly as it does at home, you may find it much harder.

You're Not Going to Change the World in Two Weeks

I think it's important to be realistic about short-term volunteering.

You're probably not going to transform a community in one, two or four weeks.

And I don't think you should arrive thinking you're going to "save" people.

That's not really what volunteering abroad should be about.

The aim should be to make a useful contribution where appropriate, respect the local community and culture, and learn from the people and environment you're working in.

You're a guest in someone else's community.

That doesn't mean a short volunteer placement can't be worthwhile. It can be a very meaningful experience for the volunteer, and you can still make a useful contribution.

But I think everyone benefits when you are honest about what you can realistically achieve in the time you have.

Experience Matters

I've spent a long time around volunteer travel.

I've lived and travelled extensively in Asia, studied Japanese and Chinese, worked for ten years as a business consultant, built businesses from scratch and developed volunteer programs myself.

I've also worked with local partners and travellers with very different expectations.

All of that has taught me that there isn't a simple formula for choosing a good volunteer experience.

You need to look at the details.

You need to understand the local partner, the project, the accommodation, the support and what the volunteer will actually be doing.

And you need to think about whether all of that fits the person travelling.

That's where I think experience is useful.

It doesn't mean I know exactly what your trip will be like.

It means I've spent many years seeing how these programs work, what can go well, what can go wrong and what questions are worth asking before you book.

That's the experience I bring to Abroad Escape.

Thinking About Volunteering Abroad?

If you're considering volunteering abroad and aren't sure where to start, tell me what you're thinking about.

Where you'd like to go, when you want to travel, how long you have and what you're hoping to get from the experience is enough to start with.

I'll help you work out what makes sense for you.