What inspired you to work for Freepackers?
- The lack of structures giving access to sustainable projects.
- A growing demand for impactful travel.
- My willingness to support projects in need of workforce and funds
- A growing awareness about volunteer travel and giving access to young people and students with limited resources to a network of trustworthy partners worldwide.
Beach cleanup day in Barcelona with family and friends—working together to protect our oceans.
Describe a typical day at work.
There is no typical day for directors and entrepreneurs… What I am trying to achieve on a daily basis is to find new ways of making travel a force for good, to look for people with the same mindset, and to get them involved in our mission.
Education and awareness have become a key to sustainability. We focus a lot on these aspects on the top of our recruitment efforts.
Why do you do what you do?
Because I believe that everyone can contribute to a better world, you don't need specific skills or an educational background to make a positive impact, and you don't need to spend huge amounts to be able to travel. Volunteering abroad can be accessible and inclusive. It only takes motivation and training.
At a wildlife shelter in South Africa, sharing a playful moment with one of the resident animals.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Finding new partnerships and synergies. Whether with my team or with outside organizations, what I love to do is bringing people together and having them work on common projects.
Connecting is the key. We need each other's skills if we want to move forward. We cannot do much on our own, so basically, meeting potential B2B partners during networking events or local communities on the projects is what I like most.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenge in the volunteer and humanitarian sector is the lack of regulations. Many operators treat volunteering as a product and sell humanitarian missions from catalogues without even knowing who is behind the project and what motivates them.
Together with experts and professionals, we have published many articles about best practices and put together codes of conduct and other processes to protect both projects and volunteers, but it's not enough. There should be laws and regulations to avoid abuse.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Never stop dreaming—you can do this! Take a gap year and think about what matters. Be conscious about what you are learning and the people you are meeting.
Every step of your journey counts, make the most of it, and take care of other people. Be open-minded and tolerant; you will be happier. And always do what you want because you won't regret it.
In the Galápagos Islands, while participating in a research project—an unforgettable experience by the beach.
Why should someone choose Freepackers over competitors?
Because we are 100% involved with our partner projects – we audit them, support them, and talk to them on a regular basis. My team and I have visited 80% of our partner projects to ensure they were ethical and that they provided the necessary guidance to participants.
We know the projects and their staff personally. We know why they were implemented and how they are evolving. This is why we put ourselves forward as experts, thanks to our in-depth knowledge of the assignments we offer.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to make volunteering more inclusive and accessible and to make travel a force for good. We need to encourage international youth mobility combined with sustainability, cultural exchange, and volunteering. Young people should not have barriers such as money or skills; we should all work on helping them to achieve their goals. Travelling should be a new way to learn and grow.
What do you hope participants take away from Freepackers’ programs?
New skills, a new mindset, and new horizons… From the feedback we get, we know that our projects are transformative and they help participants grow, both personally and professionally.
We hope they find some answers and keys that will help them with their challenges. We also hope that they understand more about the world they live in and the complexity of things, and become more tolerant of other cultures and people.
Enjoying a sunny and inspiring day by the beach with my amazing Freepackers team—grateful for shared moments and great company.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Knowing is understanding, and understanding is accepting. Travelling should be seen as education, a starting point towards tolerance, respect, and empathy. Once we understand history, behaviours, and customs, we grow stronger and more confident. We remove negative feelings like fear and defiance and reconnect with our humanity.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means two things – doing something good and learning from it. It does not have to be necessarily volunteering; it can also be learning a language or having an immersive experience in a different culture. From the moment we make a step towards opening ourselves and understanding others, travel starts to have a real meaning.
