02-13-2010, 05:24 AM
why skills do you have that you can gift to the people you wish to help? do you have experience of supporting people with mental health problems or learning difficulties? Do you have any practical skills - plumbing, joinery, gardening - that will make a tangible difference in areas of poverty?
i think it can be easy to glamourise working in impoverished parts of the world. if you do so i suspect it is wise to make sure you are equipped with skills that will make a tangible difference
perhaps learning a trade, doing some local volunteering, going to college etc may mean that in the longer term you are able to make more of a difference in the longer term
try to recognise the valuable work, serivce and the perfection of the world that is local to you before running away to a different part of the world. if you look for ways to be of service locally you will find them, these opportunities may not be obvious in your local community but they will be there. for example in the areas that are of interest to you i'm thinking local to me i have a charity that supports people with head injuries, providing day care, respite, days out, learning activities - lots of fun things. there is also a biodynamic farm run by people with learning difficulties. there's a food service that does the shopping and delivers it to people who are unable to physically do it themselves. there are mentoring opportunities where young adults can support and befriend teenagers who are having difficulties in their lives. lots and lots of very valuable opportunities to be of service.
you also sound as though you have some issues relating to money... i recognise as i did too. have you read Carla's wanderer's handbook? i found her writings on the issue of money very very helpful.
i think it can be easy to glamourise working in impoverished parts of the world. if you do so i suspect it is wise to make sure you are equipped with skills that will make a tangible difference
perhaps learning a trade, doing some local volunteering, going to college etc may mean that in the longer term you are able to make more of a difference in the longer term
try to recognise the valuable work, serivce and the perfection of the world that is local to you before running away to a different part of the world. if you look for ways to be of service locally you will find them, these opportunities may not be obvious in your local community but they will be there. for example in the areas that are of interest to you i'm thinking local to me i have a charity that supports people with head injuries, providing day care, respite, days out, learning activities - lots of fun things. there is also a biodynamic farm run by people with learning difficulties. there's a food service that does the shopping and delivers it to people who are unable to physically do it themselves. there are mentoring opportunities where young adults can support and befriend teenagers who are having difficulties in their lives. lots and lots of very valuable opportunities to be of service.
you also sound as though you have some issues relating to money... i recognise as i did too. have you read Carla's wanderer's handbook? i found her writings on the issue of money very very helpful.