Posted 25 Feb 2009

A young man who recently returned from volunteering abroad in Ghana has explained how the trip gave him the opportunity to do "something meaningful".

Richard Arlow, a medical student from the US, volunteered abroad in Ghana for seven weeks where he administered healthcare to locals and gained knowledge of a different county and culture.

His medial experience received a boost as he chose to take on more responsibilities. "There would be around a hundred to two hundred patients there a day," he told Action News. "Towards the end I would give IV’s (intravenous therapies) and injections and medications that people needed."

"I found out that there was this huge world of volunteering overseas," he explained. "I definitely want to do this again".

More graduates may choose volunteering abroad projects rather than heading straight into work this year, according to publishing director of Backpacker Trade News Martin Lane, who highlighted that the recession may restrict job opportunities.

Category: Africa