At Freepackers, our priority is to support and guide volunteers throughout their journey, ensuring they feel confident and well-prepared for each stage of their mission. We understand that embarking on a volunteer mission abroad is a significant commitment, one that generates as much excitement as it does questions. This is why it seems essential for us to clarify the role we play in the selection, follow-up and development of projects as well as in the support of our volunteers. In this article, we detail the actions we take to ensure impactful, secure missions that align with our values and those of sustainable development, providing you with a rewarding experience on the ground.
Freepackers’ primary role is to conduct sustainable development audits, whether for NGOs, foundations, or animal shelters. These audits allow for a rigorous evaluation of a project to ensure that it meets the ethical and impact criteria we consider essential. Our goal is to have an in-depth understanding of the needs and challenges of each mission in order to support their development and ensure the sustainability of the projects.
These audits serve several purposes:
The audits help plan the actions needed to provide tailored solutions. By directly engaging with local teams and observing their methods, we assess the resources required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.
We analyze the relevance of the actions being carried out on-site to guarantee that they genuinely benefit the communities or the environment. This is crucial to ensure that you, as a volunteer, are contributing to initiatives with a positive and tangible effect.
Through this audit, we are able to ensure the alignment of solutions with the needs of the field. This allows us to be certain that we select qualified individuals to address the specific needs of each mission. We want the projects we support to be managed by competent teams. Additionally, a phone interview helps us get to know you better and guide you toward the project that best suits all parties involved.
These regular audits, conducted by our team on the ground, ensure a thorough and up-to-date understanding of the projects. Through this process, we ensure that the missions offered address the concrete needs of local organizations and provide volunteers with a rewarding experience aligned with the values of sustainable development.
One of Freepackers’ key roles is to recruit profiles that are coherent and relevant to each mission, ensuring that volunteers do not replace local teams, but instead provide tangible support. Their role is to assist, alleviate, and enrich the projects on a daily basis, collaborating with the on-site teams.
The audits we conduct are essential to ensure this alignment between volunteers and the needs of the field. They allow us to match the skills, experience, values, and aspirations of volunteers with the missions that best suit them, thus promoting their successful integration and a positive impact. To ensure the best possible match, we communicate with volunteers in writing, by phone, or through direct meetings. For more details on the selection criteria, please refer to our dedicated article here: Selection of volunteers.
Once we have selected profiles that we are confident align with the needs of the field, we provide support to volunteers from start to finish. We assist with administrative preparation, including any necessary visa procedures. Freepackers also takes care of sending the required documents for mission registration and transmitting them to the on-site NGO. We ensure regular follow-up before, during, and after the mission, making ourselves as available as possible by email, WhatsApp, and phone. Our teams on the ground are present to guide and advise you whenever needed.
Our mission is to ensure that you leave under the best possible conditions and are fully prepared to make the most of this amazing experience!
Upon your return, we follow up via email, message, or, if requested, a call to learn about the impact made on the ground and gather each volunteer’s feedback. This follow-up is an integral part of our process to offer increasingly enriching missions, aligned with the needs of local communities, and to enhance our expertise.
The role of Freepackers extends to projects that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For each mission, Freepackers ensures that the actions on the ground are in line with these goals. For example, educational projects promote SDG 4 (Quality Education) by supporting teachers and enhancing activities for children in high-need areas. Similarly, our efforts in wildlife conservation and reforestation contribute to SDG 15 (Life on Land) by participating in the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. To see a more comprehensive overview of our actions that support the SDGs, we invite you to visit this page (Objectifs nations unies) or explore all of our programs.
Finally, at Freepackers, our in-depth knowledge of the field allows us to grow and co-develop projects. With over 15 years of experience worldwide, Freepackers is able to respond to the needs of on-the-ground NGOs in an efficient and sustainable manner.
This expertise was particularly demonstrated in an educational project in Africa, where only three educators were responsible for supervising over 80 children. To address the concrete needs on the ground, we were able to identify and integrate volunteers whose mission was to bring new activity ideas and support teachers and educators on a daily basis.
These years of experience ensure that you are guided towards missions that are well-suited, where your presence will truly benefit local communities. Our role in support is based on a thorough selection of projects in which we have complete confidence. To maintain this trust and expertise, we continue to conduct audits each year in 5 to 8 countries.
Thanks to the positive feedback from numerous local organizations, Freepackers strengthens its commitment each year to missions with impact, tailored to the specific needs of the field. Several NGOs trust us for our rigor in selecting and supporting volunteers, highlighting the importance of our support in the development of their projects. This collaboration allows us to offer enriching experiences, where each volunteer adds real value, complementing the local teams. The renewal of projects over the years particularly reflects this trust-based relationship, which we strive to maintain by providing reliable, secure, and sustainable impact solutions to local NGOs.
The local organizations we have worked with on the ground testify to the quality and impact of our work. These feedbacks help us strengthen the relevance of local initiatives while offering an enriching experience to the volunteers. We sincerely thank them for their trust and their valuable testimonials.
An organization that has been working with us since 2019 shares its support in the following words:
“We are pleased to inform you that Freepackers Care has been a valuable partner of the SAVE Foundation since its creation in 2019. Over this time, Freepackers Care has significantly contributed to the success of our projects through both financial support and the provision of dedicated volunteers.
Their contributions have been instrumental in advancing our work across various initiatives, including educational programs at schools and vital wildlife conservation efforts. Freepackers Care representatives regularly visit our sites, providing on-the-ground support and assisting with the management of our projects. Their ongoing commitment and collaboration have been essential to our mission, and we deeply appreciate their partnership. We look forward to continuing this fruitful relationship and working together to make a lasting impact.”
Another testimonial comes from an organization we have been collaborating with since 2018. Its co-founder shares these words with us:
“Since 2018, we have been working closely together. In 2019, we coordinated a project for a group of 16 French volunteers from families who had recently gone through an immigration process. With the support of Freepackers, they received a scholarship to travel to Argentina and connect with a community of young people in a similar situation in the country. Through various educational, recreational, and cultural activities, they were able to form strong bonds. This intercultural encounter proved to be transformative; the volunteers returned deeply touched and enriched, fostering a sense of belonging and a deeper understanding of social issues. The participants in the local project had the invaluable opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture, discovering different religions and languages they otherwise would not have known.”
Then she continue with:
“I am extremely proud of our collaboration with Freepackers, as they have understood the needs of the projects we support and have sent us volunteers who were particularly well-prepared for specific missions. Last year, we had the visit of Justine and Nicolas from Freepackers Care, who dedicated two weeks to deeply understanding the current reality of Argentina and each project in order to coordinate joint actions to strengthen them. I hope this letter conveys the spirit of our collaboration.”
An organization that we have supported on several projects shares its feedback with us:
“Freepackers Care has been an invaluable partner in supporting our initiatives across various countries, particularly in Asia and Africa. Their contributions, both financial and practical, have allowed us to expand our reach and strengthen our impact in the regions where we operate. For example, their funding helped us establish and sustain educational programs in Bali, where we were able to provide quality education to underprivileged children in rural areas. Similarly, in Tanzania, the support from Freepackers Care played a crucial role in improving our health initiatives, enabling us to provide essential medical services in remote villages that are very difficult to access.”
In addition to their financial support, Freepackers Care has shown deep commitment to our projects by actively getting involved on the ground. They have regularly taken the time to visit our local projects, meet with stakeholders, and engage with the communities we serve. Over the last 2-3 years, representatives from Freepackers Care have visited several of our key sites. In 2022, they visited our women’s empowerment project in Bali, Indonesia, where they met with local NGOs and community leaders to discuss sustainable development strategies. Similarly, in 2023, they actively participated in our conservation project in Zanzibar (Tanzania), where they worked alongside local volunteers and environmental experts to protect endangered wildlife.
Freepackers Care’s involvement goes far beyond mere visits; they are genuinely invested in the success and sustainability of our projects. Their hands-on approach and willingness to collaborate with local NGOs and communities make them an indispensable partner. Whether it’s providing resources, offering advice, or simply being present, Freepackers Care has consistently demonstrated their dedication to making a lasting impact.
In conclusion, I cannot speak highly enough of Freepackers Care and their contributions (…). They have proven to be a reliable and compassionate partner, and their involvement has significantly enhanced the effectiveness of our projects. I wholeheartedly recommend Freepackers Care and am confident that they will continue to make a positive impact in the years to come.”
The role of Freepackers is therefore multifaceted: we are present at every stage of your journey, ensuring that your mission on-site has a real impact. Sustainable development audits are a key part of our role. Through these audits, we select the most suitable profiles for each mission, thereby enhancing our expertise and ensuring impact and satisfaction for all stakeholders involved in the project. Finally, the trust of local NGOs allows us to renew projects each year, offering them to you and continuing to contribute to our main goal: democratizing humanitarian engagement.
