Volunteers for Peace in Mongolia

Name: Volunteers for Peace in Mongolia
Brand: Volunteers For Peace (VFP)
SKU: 21015
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

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Location

Mongolia
- Ulaanbaatar

Project Types

Agriculture Childcare Orphan Care Community Development Building Projects Conservation Environmental Conservation Reforestation Education Teaching ESL +1

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Program Details

Language

English

Pricing

Price Details

VFP's placement fee is always $500 ($650 if you are under 18 years old) and must be paid at the time of registration. (If we can’t place you we refund the full fee!) Your registration covers placement, food, accommodation and work materials for your program. Volunteers arrange and pay for their own transportation to and from the project. Projects taking place in the developing world often require an additional fee in the range of $50-$500 payable to our partners upon arrival.

Last Updated: Nov 21, 2019

Last Reviewed: Apr 12, 2013

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About Program

Volunteers For Peace is a non-profit organization, founded in 1982, that offers placement in over 3000 voluntary service projects in more than 100 countries. Each year we provide almost 1,000 volunteers with invaluable opportunities to strengthen their ability to communicate in diverse groups, explore grassroots leadership opportunities, and build cultural understanding and connections around the world.

VFP offers service projects that arise from a grassroots, community based need for adults, teens, seniors, families and groups. Volunteers can choose between Short-Term Projects (Also known as Workcamps) where volunteers from 4 or more countries come together for a 2-3 week service project, or Individual Service Adventures & Gap Year Projects (Also known as Medium Term or Permanent Projects) involve working with VFP to create a personalized 2-week to 1-year experience.

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Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here.

Video and Photos

VFP volunteer and her workcamp group in Mongolia

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

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4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 5
Support 5
Fun 5
Value 5
Safety 5

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews

I found Volunteers for Peace on my own while searching around online and my trip to Mongolia was one of the best experiences in my life! I was fortunate to travel to Mongolia to assist with the construction of a new shower/ bathing quarters for an orphanage that is located a few miles outside the capital of Ulaan Bataar. This was a wonderful trip! I was able to make bricks using a brick making machine and see the process of local building techniques up close. I also met a Taiwanese team that installed an eco-toilet created by Jaxa, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. An example of interprofessional collaboration at its finest.The opportunity to experience this trip was provided by Volunteers For Peace.

Volunteers For Peace offers opportunities for students to travel abroad and it is very affordable.I was able to pay for the airfare and I didnt have to worry about meals or housing...the food was very good! We prepared food as a group and I met great people... Room and board plus meals were provided which cuts the cost drastically for an international experience. Many students would like to study abroad with their school for a semester but for various reasons cannot afford the cost or cannot commit the time.I could not afford a trip with my university and this trip filled the criteria I was looking for. No complaints and great memories!!

What would you improve about this program?

You need to purchase your own plane ticket and when booking my trip I purchased ticket with layover in Russia...I needed to acquire Russian visa...I should have purchased flight with layover in China (process is easier I hear) or direct flight to Mongolia...

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I participated in a two week workcamp in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, teaching English at a local high school. It was my first time to Mongolia, and it was an amazing introduction to the country and culture. The volunteer group stayed in an apartment near the school, where the seven of us slept on mats on the floor and took turns sharing cooking duties. The students we worked with had a high level of English, which made it a very fun project. We were able to have a lot of interaction with conversation activities, games, and music. We spent the second week doing presentations. Each volunteer talked about their home country and the students were split into groups that presented on different aspects of Mongolian culture, such as food, traditional dress, holidays, sports, music, etc. It turned out great!

On the weekend, the entire volunteer group pitched in to rent a van and went to the Little Gobi Desert to stay with a nomadic family in a yurt. I will never forget riding camels in the moonlight, or staring up at the river of stars in the night sky.

In addition to teaching, we also visited an orphanage, and went to several important cultural sites.

I particularly enjoyed working with the same students for the duration of the project. We really got to know them well! In all, this was a great volunteer experience!

What would you improve about this program?

I wouldn’t change anything about this camp. I thought the program was well organized. We had access to many teaching resources, such as whiteboards, sound system, a computer and even a projector which we used during our presentations. As with any volunteer project, I think that being flexible and knowing that plans change, sometimes at the last minute, is very important. Every workcamp is different, in part, because of what the participants want to do, so being able to compromise is important.

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Questions & Answers

Is there an age limit?

You have to be at least 18 years old to be volunteer.

By Go Overseas on March 21, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Sara volunteered at a local high school in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with VFP in Mongolia?

Sara: My second volunteer experience with Volunteers For Peace was at a workcamp in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. I chose this camp because I was interested in learning about the culture and customs of a country that I knew almost nothing about. Also, after the hustle and bustle of spending a couple of months in China, I was ready for trip to the least densely populated country on the planet.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Sara: We spent our days volunteering at a high school located right in the heart of the city. The students were enthusiastic and excited to have us there. Their English level was quite high, so were able to do more difficult speaking and listening activities. Over the course of the two weeks, each of the volunteers presented on his or her country, talking about topics like music, sports, festivals, and customs. After, we had a Q&A session, with the students asking us questions.

What made this volunteer abroad experience unique and special?

Sara: On the weekend, the volunteers decided to take a trip together. Our camp leader organized an excursion to the little Gobi Desert, where we stayed with a nomadic family in a ger (also known as a yurt). We learned about their traditional ways of living, including how they moved their home, raised animals, and prepared food. The grandson taught us to play a children’s game using the ankle bones of sheep.

In the evening, we watched as the grandfather trotted off into the vast expanse of desert on a small horse carrying a long staff with a rope noose at the end. He soon returned with three double humped camels trotting along behind him. After the sun set, he invited each of us to ride a camel underneath the almost full moon and an ocean of stars. I’ll never forget that moment.

A nomadic grandfather in Mongolia

What advice do you have for future volunteers?

Sara: I love volunteering because it gives me a chance to become part of a community; to get to know people and places in a way that is difficult to do as a tourist. But, it is quite different from traveling on your own. Keep the group in mind, be flexible, stay open to other’s ideas, and try new things.

How has this experience impacted your future? (Personally, professionally, etc)

Sara: I’ll always treasure my experiences in Mongolia, and to this day, I remain friends with my fellow volunteers and camp leader. I hope that someday, I can return to that beautiful country.

Jamena Grant

About Volunteers For Peace (VFP)

Volunteers For Peace (VFP) is a U.S. based non-profit organization that operates within the global networks of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), Service Civil International (SCI) and the Alliance of European Voluntary Service to provide meaningful cross-cultural engagement opportunities all over the world to...