To NOT pay for adult DD to go abroad?

[OllieRhys]

She's 22 and wants to do a volunteering program abroad (she's an unemployed graduate).

We can afford it (my husband and I) - it's £6,000 for 6 months.

She hasn't asked us, just expressed a huge interest. DH thinks we absolutely should pay for it. I personally think at 22 she should get a job and save.

Thanks.

It's a huge amount! If it were £1000 I might consider it but no, I would encourage her to get a job, save and plan on doing it when she can at least pay half if you're willing to pay the other half. Even that would be extremely generous!

Why not i am sure she will learn a lot and it gives her something worthwhile to put on her cv.

Honestly because the chances are she could do similar volunteer work in this country. Plus even if she didn't volunteer getting a job will provide lots to add to her CV and give her stuff to discuss in interviews. Most children do not expect their parents to pay 6K for a volunteering experience just so it adds something to their CV.

She should fund it herself.

I'm always pretty sceptical about what a person without any experience in a field realistically offers to communities.

I get teachers, nurses, doctors, healthcare professionals, chefs, plumbers, builders, business folk etc using their skill and expertise abroad.
I don't get 'I want to work witj animals so spent almost 10 grand swimming with dolphins and bottle feeding a few monkeys' / 'I want to work with children so I'll volunteer in an orphanage and give the poor kids even more instability'.

Tell her to look at www.workaway.info or www.helpx.net - all she needs is her travel costs!

I agree Maisy , it's a bit me, me me. Instagram fodder?

hmm. what's the project. what is an unemployed, presumably unskilled 22 year old really going to contribute abroad that local people couldn't do?

I bet companies are awash with I volunteered in ... CVs it probably doesn't add that much especially if it is for 6 months I volunteer a day a week is more than likely to peak employers interest imo

If you can afford it why not pay for her? Yes lots of 22 year olds might have to work and struggle to save £6k for themselves but that doesn't mean your DD has to if you could give her the money.

If you are going to spend that kind of money buy an internship.

Is there a reason she is not working? How does she fund her day to day expenses?

6k would go a long way to a deposit on a property. It seems a huge amount to “volunteer” she needs to look around, I’m sure she could do similar for cheaper. Many places are happy to take you if you get to them and would not be charging that kind of money. Which countries is she considering?

You’re being very sparse with the info OP!
It’s relevant to the job she’s like - but is it genuinely helpful? Is the job she’d like realistic?

And has she generally had nice things thrown at her, or does she already understand the value of money?

One of SDs works really hard and would never in a million years ask for this. The other works just as hard and understands money - but would have no qualms just asking. She wouldn’t have any attitude if told “no flipping way” though! She just doesn’t hold back in asking. That’s not a bad thing in life!

Depends entirely on what it is. I might agree to match every £1 she saves.

Would she need 6 months worth of spending money on top of that?

but that doesn't mean your DD has to if you could give her the money.

If she is given the money what is she learning. The whole reason people are saying get a job and save is to show commitment to the cause. It's of no value if she is just given the opportunity because her parents have savings.

She should get a job, save and then you can top up.

Be cautious OP.

There are lots of "volunteering" opportunities, many are simply money making schemes for the organisers.
Young Western kids going to teach English in India/Volunteer at clinics in Africa/work at an elephant orphanage in Africa.

Not to say the volunteering is a scam, but it's no more than a profit centre for the organisers.

I have two young adult children so have done quite a bit of research on this.

My son went Wwoofing- wwoofinternational.org/

during a gap year- a great experoence working on organic farms - it's a global organisation, the cost of his time abroad was low- £30 to register, pay for flights.
In exchange for 4-5 hours work a day "wwoofers" get free accommodation and all food, so no real living costs.
He did a range of work at different farms, helping with sheep shearing, picking fruit, cooking, repairing fences etc.
It was a really cheap way to experience working abroad.

There is no need to spend £6000- and I would be very wary at any organisation charging this for "volunteering" work.

My son's friend is off to India to "volunteer"- teaching English in some rural schools.
The monthly fees for this volunteering experience is £600 a month, which includes accommodation and food.
"Volunteers" are housed in very basic accommodation, large shared dormitories, basic food, rice, lentils, vegetables.

Given the relative cost of such things in rural India then I question where that £600 is going.
My guess is most of it is feathering some pockets.

I’ve always pushed dd (now 23) to be independent and pay her own way and it’s served her well.

If you can afford it and wanted to - I’d pay half because if she really wanted it to contribute to her future work she would find the extra half.

We'd pay, but we'd see it as the support we're giving for Masters and PhDs. Both DDs work p/t and do their best to support themselves, we're just giving a helping hand.

Lots of variables here.
Why is she unemployed? She should be working in retail, bar work, seasonable work until she gets a job in her sphere.
Does she have savings? Can she contribute to the cost? If she got a job for a year (doing anything) she could save say £2k and you could pay the rest.
Does she live at home, how does she pay rent etc. What student debt does she have?

What type of volunteering is it OP? Lots of volunteering actually benefit more the person volunteering than the people receiving the help.

How much of the 6k will the local population/cause she plans on volunteering for, see of it?

I think volunteering is only beneficial when the person volunteering has actual skills she can share and teach the local population so they can use it themselves later.

Regarding the money 6k is A LOT of money and I don't think it should be given to her lightly, I genuinely think she should try to raise as much of the money as she can on her own and you top up what's missing.

Do have an extensive look at the program she plans on joining though.

Goodness me 600 quid for some lentils and a bed A WEEK !

I'm always pretty sceptical about what a person without any experience in a field realistically offers to communities.

^This with bells on. At £6k, it's almost certainly more about self indulgence and less about doing some good.

My DD did a project in India whilst at Uni, inky 2 weeks though. She had to raise funds herself for the charity. I paid for her ticket for her birthday and Christmas present. She needs to fund it mostly herself.

A month sorry but still £600 bloody hell

The great majority of volunteering opportunities abroad will do precisely nothing to help with future career prospects whatever job she intends to do.

If she wants to something valuable on her CV the majority of employers would respect her far more for working very hard for 6 months in a supermarket or bar to pay for her trip than they would for her swanning off to 'volunteer' in a baby elephant sanctuary in Thailand funded by the family trust fund (for example) and she'd almost certainly gain more useful skills along the way..