Mixing mortar and hauling bricks around a construction site may not be everyone's idea of a dream holiday, but for Bob Boileau it's going to be the two-week vacation of a lifetime.

The retired electrical contractor from Gibsons, B.C., and wife Rosalee are anteing up $1,300 each — in addition to their own airfare to Guatemala — to join a growing number of Canadians who transform their holidays into volunteer trips to help out on aid projects.

Volunteers Albert Ngai of Canada and Piyush Anad of India work on a volunteer project for Habitat for Humanity in Lonavala, India in 2006. (Habitat For Humanity)

It's a trend that has boomed recently as travellers ask whether their travel is ecological, sustainable and fair to the countries they visit.

In fact, so many are signing up to forego hammocks and take up hammers or help organize activities in overseas communities during their vacations that there can be waiting lists. Boileau, for example, didn't get his first choice.

"We've done a lot of travelling in the Third World and we know there is a lot of need there," he said. "So when we found out from the Habitat for Humanity Canada website that they were running volunteer vacations to rebuild an area of Thailand devastated by the tsunami, we tried to sign up," he said.

But that project already had more than enough volunteers. So instead the Boileaus are going to Guatemala for two weeks to help in the construction of a community of small tin-roofed cement-block homes.

Boileau is excited by the prospect. "I don't call it a vacation. I call it an adventure," he said.

Some things to consider:

But is it right for you? There are a number of things people need to consider before signing up for volun-tours.

What are your interests? The internet is loaded with opportunities to volunteer, but there are so many options that you'll want to limit your search to an area of interest. Do you want to help organize sports, teach English, assist seniors or help build homes? Ask whether you need training in advance. In most projects that involve construction, local craftspeople do the actual masterwork and volunteers are there to provide them with the untrained grunt work.

Who's behind the program? How long has this organization been running projects in the area and what kind of reputation do they have from previous volunteer work? It's wise to do a background check on an organization you're interested in (the internet is a great place to start) because, sad to say, there are such things as less-than-altruistic groups that exploit free labour.

Mexico's Clemen Cruz Molinas and Canada's Heather Bell donate their time helping to build a Habitat for Humanity project in Puebla, Mexico. (Habitat For Humanity)

Is the project self-empowering? Has the community requested the assistance? Will creating a steady stream of volunteers in the community put the local people into a cycle of dependence on the support of outsiders? It's a tricky question, but vital.

Are there problems? Ask bluntly about whether the program has faced issues of corruption and bribery, which can be a part of doing business in the developing world. Denying that there have been problems or dismissing them is probably not full disclosure. The organizers should be upfront about how they have dealt with challenges and how they measure success.

What if something happens? How far are you from medical care in case of an accident, and do you need extra insurance?

Who is in charge? Does the tour operator or non-government agency team have local support and know the local opinion leaders? Do the team leaders understand the local language or are you just parachuting in from "somewhere" to try to tell them what they should be doing?

Are you prepared to learn at least a few phrases in the local language before you go? A few simple courtesies can gain you a lot of support, and let local people know that your experience should be considered valuable.

Will there be followup? Installing a water pumping system for a village is admirable, but will there be spare parts available and someone who knows how to fix it once you leave?

What do you expect in terms of accommodations, surroundings and other amenities? Remember, most volunteer projects are not in holiday hot spots.

Boileau was told this bluntly when he applied for Habitat's Guatemala program. "They screen you. This is not for people who expect five-star or even three-star lodgings or a choice of menu items. The facilities are basic and you eat what you are given," he says.

But he's there for the experience: "We will be working shoulder to shoulder with the local people, and that gives you a completely different viewpoint than you get as a tourist," he says. "You get to know the people better, how they live, how they eat and how they survive.

"To work side by side with them will be the ultimate for me. And we hope to give something back to a world which has been pretty good to us," Boileau said.

Resources

If you'd like to look into volunteering, here are some places to start:

• Volunteer Canada lists Canadian groups that welcome volunteers.
• A new internet microsite from the travel book publishers Lonely Planet lists dozens of international volunteering organizations, although none from Canada.
• The Canadian Red Cross enlists people to assist with domestic and international relief efforts and local Red Cross chapters.
• The Massachusetts-based Earthwatch Institute organizes two-week research projects that include many in Canada.
• I to I is a British non-profit international volunteer organization, for teaching, conservation, community and health projects in many parts of the world. It also recruits teachers for English language training courses.
• The California-based VolunTourism organizes trips for leisure and business travellers that include some kind of service to the communities that are being visited and opportunities to meet the people and understand local culture.
• The Minnesota-based Global Citizens Network, organizes volunteer vacations in Kenya, Nepal, Mexico and Guatemala and in several U.S. states.

And consider specialty groups, such as:

• The Land Conservancy of British Columbia, a charitable trust that supports environmental projects on a range of scenic, historical and recreational sites in the west.
• WWOOF-Canada (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) places volunteers on farms. In exchange for 5½ days of labour a week, you receive accommodations, meals and a better understanding of organic farming methods. The vacations are mainly available in spring and fall.
• Mingan Island Cetacean Study is a Quebec-based group that organizes one- and two-week trips in Canada, Iceland and Mexico in which tourists go along with field biologists on wildlife projects that include observation and research photography of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

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