The Increasing Cost Of Volunteering Abroad

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to personally travel to Cambodia and see first-hand where this money is going,” Suzanne wrote in a letter to supporters. “We were fortunate to meet with a few of the genocide survivors who shared their stories with us, asking us to never forget. In that moment, it was hard for me to breathe.”

But what did this trip cost her? A cool $20,000, funds she raised mostly from her community.

Without a doubt, if even half of this money of this money reaches Cambodian children, it will make a huge difference.

Yet what does this price tag imply about who can and cannot participate in these types of missions? Although considerably cheaper, opportunities through Global Exchange and Global Service Corps still run around $3,000 before airfare.

Can the average person pay or raise enough funds in order to volunteer their help?

What do you think about the increasing costs involved with humanitarian trips? Share your thoughts in the comments.