If you are looking for an adventure and a fulfilling experience abroad, volunteering can be a good idea. More and more Icelandic companies, especially in the field of tourism, are calling for volunteers. However, learn about your hosts and what they expect from you.
Volunteering in Iceland
In some situations, the role of volunteers is a bit too much like that of employees. And sometimes the position is abused. Inquire about your workdays and schedules. The legislation does not allow volunteers to work full days of work even in exchange for bed and board.
Think twice about whether you are willing to volunteer in Iceland. Unless you want to improve yourself in a particular professional area that justifies your volunteer position in the likes of a café or a tourism company, there are better opportunities for volunteering. Those will bring you closer to a true Icelandic experience.
In exchange for a small financial contribution, the agency Ninukot looks after you to find a family in which you can be an au pair. Or find you a position on a farm! The advantage of going through this agency is that it has precise rules regarding the number of working hours, wages, and other working conditions.
Wwoofing is not very popular in Iceland. There are only three ads in Iceland on their site, but you can publish an ad on the Bændablaðið (farmers’ newspaper). Or look for ads on the social networks of groups that offer experience in an Icelandic family or on a farm.
The Polar Fox Centre, located in Súðavík in the Westfjords, hires volunteers every year to discover the world of Icelandic polar foxes. A good way to learn more about these creatures.
SEEDS is a non-governmental organization that offers various volunteer opportunities in Iceland; Cleaning up the western fjords’ beaches, repairing hiking trail signs, participating in the reforestation effort, renovating monuments, etc. These are examples of activities offered by SEEDS. With them you can be a volunteer for anything from 3 weeks up to a year; The projects are wide-ranging and take place throughout Iceland.
Other opportunities include: working in the Skaftafell National Park, helping to build a barn and helping on a farm during the lambing period in May.
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