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Three ways you can make an impact on the world right now

Daniela Boullosa

Posted: January 4, 2023

4 min read

Whether you’re setting aside time each week to help someone you know, making a donation, or becoming a volunteer, you have the opportunity to make an impact on the world right now.

Set aside an hour a week to help someone

Making an impact on the world can sound like an exhausting, full-time activity. But it’s okay to start small! Often, favours that seem mundane can make a huge difference in someone else’s day.

If you set aside an hour a week to help someone in your local community, we guarantee you’ll start to see a difference in yourself and those around you.

Maybe you can help a friend tackle a hard project or meet a deadline, or babysit for a couple so they can enjoy a much needed break. Or you could tutor for someone who’s struggling at school or make yourself available to someone who’s going through a hard time. Even helping around the house with chores or offering someone a ride is a step in the right direction.

Big changes often start with small questions, so here’s one you can ask: “Do you need help with anything? I have an hour.”

Make a donation

Often, when we think of donations our imagination goes straight to the monetary aspect. This can be discouraging for a young person who wants to donate but doesn’t have a lot of spare cash.

It’s also important to know whether the organisations you’re donating to operate ethically and if they have long-term, sustainable goals. The vetting work can be time-consuming, but is an essential part of the process of making financial donations. You can check out this blog to see some of the wildlife organisations we’ve vetted.

If you don’t have the time or resources to go this route, we recommend taking a look in your closet, clearing out the clothes you haven’t used in a while and donating them to your local shelter.

Often, we have school supplies lying around and these can be of huge help to students and their parents. Books we’ve read and enjoyed can also get a second chance at making someone happy.

You could also donate blood to a blood donation bank. With your donation, you can help someone improve their health or even save someone in a critical condition.

Whether it’s the things you think someone else will have more use for, or even a trip to the blood bank, donations are a great way to make an impact.

Feeling adventurous?

Join us abroad

Become a volunteer

One of the most fulfilling ways to make an impact on the world is to become a volunteer. It can be as easy as enquiring at your local hospital, animal shelter or if you’re feeling more adventurous, signing up for a volunteer abroad program.

When volunteering, it is important to do so ethically. Just like when you donate, the only way to ensure that is to do research on the places you intend to volunteer at. They should have clear ethical policies on all the operations of their business.

If you find yourself wanting to go deeper, volunteering abroad is an incredible option to make an impact on the world and give yourself a chance to grow and get to know a different culture.

GVI has programs set all over the world that centre on making a positive global impact. A huge advantage of volunteering with GVI is that all of the vetting work will be done for you, so you won’t need to worry about interacting with unethical partnerships or organisations.

For example, you can volunteer with children in Ghana or in wildlife conservation in Seychelles. You can find yourself teaching in Madagascar or working towards women’s empowerment in Costa Rica. Those are only a handful of dozens of incredible projects that you can become a part of.

If you feel a sense of wanderlust, want to make a lasting impact and are excited to meet new people from around the world, volunteering abroad is the perfect opportunity for you.

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