Travel can be more than sightseeing and souvenir shopping. For a growing number of travelers, it’s about connection, contribution, and cultural understanding. In episode 84 of the Agritourist Podcast, we meet Kimberly Haley-Coleman, founder of Globe Aware, who conveys how short-term international volunteer programs are redefining what it means to explore the world.
What started as one woman’s awareness while traveling abroad for work has grown into a global nonprofit operating in 26 countries, connecting everyday people with meaningful service opportunities.
From Tourist to Changemaker
Kimberly didn’t set out to build a global volunteer organization. The idea grew organically from her own travel experiences.
“I was looking to fill time over the weekends… thinking volunteering would be a good thing to do, and I was really just shocked how hard it was to find volunteer opportunities for someone not from that country to just jump into short-term.”
Instead of giving up, she began creating her own service opportunities. That personal initiative evolved into structured programs that now make it possible for people with no special skills or language background to contribute in meaningful ways.
“It’s not as if I started out with this grand vision… it was, in many ways, incidental to what I was doing. But once I started doing it, the joy I got from it just fed everything else.”
What Is Short-Term Volunteer Travel?
Unlike long-term service commitments like the Peace Corps, these programs are typically one-week structured experiences. Volunteers join small teams, are guided by local coordinators, and work alongside community members on practical, high-impact projects.
These aren’t massive infrastructure builds. Instead, they focus on projects that can be completed quickly and sustainably with unskilled volunteers:
- Installing concrete floors in homes in Guatemala
- Building traditional homes in Kenya
- Assembling wheelchairs for landmine survivors in Cambodia
- Supporting community gardens and food programs in South Africa
“We’re not building hospitals and roads. It’s small-scale infrastructure… things we can finish in a week, where we’re learning something that is being done differently in that country than something we would be doing at home.”
More Than Work: Cultural Immersion & Reflection
Each week blends service, cultural experiences, and personal reflection. Volunteers typically work in the mornings, then spend afternoons learning about local traditions, history, and daily life.
“We try and incorporate exercises that quickly point out aspects of the culture that might not be obvious… something you wouldn’t know if you were just a tourist.”
Evenings often include guided reflection.
“It might be, ‘What is a kindness you observed today?’ or something you’re grateful for — to give people a chance to absorb the experience in a deeper way.”
This structure transforms the trip from a volunteer task list into a powerful personal growth experience.
Who Is Signing Up?
The typical volunteer has changed over the years. What once drew mostly solo travelers now attracts:
- Multi-generational families
- Book clubs and friend groups
- Corporate teams from companies like Salesforce, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms
- Solo travelers seeking connection
“This kind of travel is very open to solo travelers, where they’re meeting like-minded people, working side-by-side as equals on some compelling, meaningful project.”
Post-pandemic, Kimberly has also noticed more people traveling with unique pairings, like grandparents and grandchildren or siblings reconnecting through service.
A Standout Impact Story
One project that deeply moved Kimberly took place in South Africa just before the pandemic. Volunteers helped install community gardens and build a kitchen. When COVID hit and travel stopped, that project became a lifeline.
“They were able to serve 700 meals a day… using those community gardens and that open-air kitchen. The fact that it has survived and done so much and continues to grow has been really impactful.”
It’s a powerful example of how short-term volunteer efforts can create long-term community resilience.
Why This Work Matters
For Kimberly, the impact isn’t just on the communities served — it’s on the volunteers themselves.
“People often will be motivated by, ‘I want to do good,’ but they don’t know the joy that’ll come out of the other side of it… It’s actually a beautifully selfish thing, because it causes such joy.”
She believes these experiences build empathy and global understanding in ways traditional tourism cannot.
“This kind of experience helps you see how we’re like other cultures… and what we have in common with one another.”
How to Get Involved
Programs are structured, guided, and designed to be accessible to people without prior experience. Volunteers choose a country and a project week, and Globe Aware handles the logistics on the ground.
As Kimberly puts it:
“You get yourself to the gateway city… and then you’re taken care of once you get there.”
For travelers seeking purpose, connection, and a deeper understanding of the world, short-term volunteer travel offers something far more lasting than a typical vacation — it offers perspective and purpose.
To listen to the full Agri-Tourist Podcast Episode with Kimberly, please click here.