Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for Central Asia Institute. We are pleased to hear from so many people who wish to make a significant difference in the world.

On the domestic side, we currently do not need volunteers. However, if you would like to help, we invite you to assist in fundraising, so please visit our Fundraising Page.

On the international front, most of our projects are in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan, where volunteer programs for foreigners are unfeasible for several reasons:

1) Central Asia Institute’s financial resources are devoted primarily to community-based projects to promote sustainability and keep our overhead at a minimum. At this time, it is not feasible for us to manage projects as well as be responsible for volunteers.

2) Central Asia Institute is a small, grassroots nonprofit organization, with few staff, and is not set up to coordinate volunteers in the field. It is imperative that any volunteer have a positive learning experience, as well as offer something constructive in return. However, due to language and cultural barriers in this region, an intermediary is essential to serve as a liaison between the locals and foreign volunteers. It took CAI’s founder, Greg Mortenson, twelve years to establish relationships and build trust in the communities where CAI works — and it was hard earned.

3) Pakistan and Afghanistan’s governments are in a state of dynamic transition. It is difficult to predict what the regional long-term outcomes will be. The US State Department and British Council have warned US and UK citizens not to travel to Pakistan and Afghanistan. (Current U.S. State Dept. Travel Advisories)

4) There are inherent dangers in the region where CAI works and safety considerations are paramount. The war between India and Pakistan is ongoing. CAI has projects in the (Line of Control) border area that involve war refugees from the conflict. As one of the only agencies to work in certain restricted and closed regions, CAI is under the close scrutiny of government, military officials and intelligence agencies. For these reasons, we are uncomfortable with responsibility for other foreigners. Anyone assumed to be with us incurs the same risks we do. In Afghanistan, rural security has deteriorated making rural travel dangerous in some locations. Opium and heroin trafficking has escalated. The renowned aid agency “Médecins Sans Frontières” (Doctors Without Borders) pulled out of the region after 23 years, when five of its aid workers were murdered in 2004.

We do not want to discourage anyone who sincerely wishes to help. Your enthusiasm, curiosity and determination are appreciated. Although we are not able to offer you a volunteer opportunity with Central Asia Institute, we do encourage you to pursue your goal in another area where you could make a difference and learn a great deal. Thank you for your interest.

Here are a few organizations that may be contacted for volunteer information. Many more can be found with a simple browse on the Internet.

CSI
Cross Cultural Solutions
Himalayan Healthcare
Global Volunteers
UN Volunteers
Volunteer Abroad
Volunteer Nepal