weltwärts
informs
weltwärts
informs
How satisfied are participants in the weltwärts programme after their return? It is now the tenth time running that our volunteer survey, carried out by uzbonn, has investigated this topic. North-South and South-North volunteers alike consistently report being satisfied to highly satisfied with their assignment. All feedback is used to manage the programme and helps us to keep improving the weltwärts programme on an ongoing basis.
With an increase of 3% against the previous year, 92% of volunteers in the North-South component report feeling satisfied with their weltwärts assignment as a whole. The South-North volunteers also report 92% satisfaction – a high figure, albeit with a 2% fall on the previous year.
92% of all volunteers are (highly) satisfied with their weltwärts assignment
At 71% (North-South) and 59% (South-North), it is still predominantly female participants embarking on trips to distant lands. However, the proportion of male and non-binary participants rose by 2% in the South-North component. With an average age of 25, South-North volunteers are five years older on average than North-South volunteers.
Depending on the question’s topic, 71–95% of North-South and 82–93% of South-North respondents reported being satisfied to highly satisfied with the support they received during preparations: this applies in particular to general preparations and assistance with matters such as health insurance and healthcare. Among South-North volunteers, satisfaction with the handling of visa and residency questions dropped from 94% to 89%.
79% of North-South respondents reported being satisfied overall with their place of assignment, as compared to 85% in the South-North component. The most positively rated aspects were the opportunities to actively contribute and the personal interaction with colleagues. In this regard, 79% of all North-South volunteers and 81% of all South-North volunteers reported feeling sufficiently socially integrated in their working environment. Furthermore, 80% of North-South participants and 81% of South-North participants were able to make personal connections outside of the place of assignment.
In terms of personal support and mentoring during their service, 80% of North-South volunteers felt they received good support during their assignment as compared to 77% in 2022. This is an encouraging increase of 3% on the previous year. At 87%, South-North volunteers were also still satisfied on the whole, despite a decrease of 3%. 62–71% reported feeling satisfied with the support they received in handling critical situations.
80–87% of respondents were satisfied with the personal support they received
In the North-South component, education and mentoring during the stay were rated more positively overall than in the previous year at 77–96% (74–92% in 2022). In the South-North component, the figure was slightly below the previous year at 84–92% (88–94% in 2022), but still pleasingly high. The topic of exchanging experiences with other volunteers was rated highest by all participants, followed by the self-reflection of their own role as volunteers.
In particular, satisfaction figures went up for the topic of post-assignment activities in the form of events and seminars. In the North-South component, satisfaction figures rose by 6% to 82%, while in the South-North component, they rose by 2% to 82%.
Another key point of the survey is the volunteers’ personal development after their assignment. In this regard, 70–98% of North-South volunteers (compared to the yet more impressive figure of 93–96% among South-North volunteers) reported developing personally during their volunteer service and coming back feeling motivated. The vast majority of all volunteers reported developing a stronger awareness of global inequalities (North-South: 98%, South-North: 96%). 86% of North-South returnees report greater motivation after returning and would like to take part in projects for the common good. Among South-North returnees, this figure is even higher at 93%. By way of context, 45% (North-South) and 50% (South-North) of volunteers were already involved in charitable activities prior to departing for their service. After returning, 71% of all respondents reported an interest in getting involved – especially in child and youth development, development policy or development cooperation.
Three months after they return home, we ask all former volunteers for an honest assessment of their volunteer service experience. The survey is carried out by uzbonn, an independent institution.
1,508 of 2,340 former North-South volunteers who returned to Germany between November 2022 and November 2023 took part in the survey. Uptake in the South-North component was also reassuringly high. 260 of the 543 former volunteers sent us their feedback, compared to 155 of 445 in 2022.