Creating social Impact as a Nomad

Let’s say you have been location independent for a while, you make enough money to live and you are now worried about social impact and how to become more humanitarian. Not everyone thinks this way, but a lot do. I do. So let’s chat.

What can you do to help the globe on a humanitarian basis?

Give money to charity.

Donating money to charity, or tithing (the old fashioned way), is traditionally defined as giving 10% of your income to your place of worship- your place of spiritual sustenance. It has always been considered a way to spread the abundance of what this world gives us and in fact a way to open the door to receive abundance. In this day and age, we may not necessarily have a religion but we may still want to give back, so why not set aside some cash each month, quarter or annually to do this?

Here are some charities who do amazing work:

Give a child education with 22Stars

This is a small charity that works directly with the women and children of Uganda. In just giving 60 Euros a month, you can provide education, blankets and toys for a child. Stella Airoldi, a fellow nomad, and Susan Laker have over 300 children sponsored, which is amazing! And as someone who has visited this charity in Uganda, it is really incredible to see what a difference is made to the lives of the children.

MacMillan Cancer Support

Most of our lives have been touched by cancer in some way, so this charity might hit home for you. MacMillan Cancer Support provides practical, medical and financial assistance to people facing or undergoing cancer treatment. They not only work with patients directly but also with government to shape policies around cancer care.

World Wildlife Fund

The world wildlife fund for nature is one of the biggest and most well known animal welfare charities. It focuses on the living conditions of animals around the world and on stopping all the ways human intervention has negatively impacted animals welfare.

The Carbon Fund

The Carbon Fund (thecarbonfund.org) is an amazing charity that focuses on helping you calculate your carbon footprint and then donate to the charity’s carbon offsetting projects. Recent projects have included tropical forest conservation and collecting and destroying landfill gas (methane) which is one of the most detrimental to the Earth’s atmosphere. In my opinion, this is the charity most nomads should give their money to as we travel more than most, so this is our negative stamp on the world.

Volunteering

If you can’t afford to give money to charity because the pennies aren’t quite there yet, volunteering is another good way to give back.

Animal Rescue Shelters and Nature Reserves

There are animal rescue shelters everywhere you travel helping abused and abandoned animals. There are shelters dedicated to cats and dogs but also to animals rescued from terrible living conditions on industrial farms and in circuses. There are also nature reserves in India and Thailand that focus on elephants and more exotic animals. It’s fun and a good way to connect with wonderful souls if you have time.

Offering your skills to smaller charities

If you have time, why not offer a few hours a week of your skill set to a charity. It’s a great way to help a good cause, practice your skills, and enhance your CV. Admin work, marketing, consulting, fundraising and structure is always welcome in smaller charities.

Carrying a polaroid Camera with you when you travel and giving the pictures to those in Poverty

Did you know that a large majority of people in Poverty have never really seen themselves in a mirror or have a photo of themselves? One thing that I have started doing is carrying a polaroid camera with me and offering a picture (with no intention) to them so they can keep it as something special. You can make someone smile and give them something incredibly special. However, in some cultures, they may see pictures as unholy, so please be careful with this.

Help out at a refugee camp

They aren’t scary, the chance of you getting hurt is unlikely, and you can do your bit to make someone smile through conversation and activities that you can set up. The place I went to help was in Greece.

Spend your time making a product that will help raise awareness around social impact or contribute to fixing it.

As it says on the tin, spend your time focusing on making change happen as a day job. It will give you a sense of fulfilment and service to the beautiful world that we live on.

Either way, there are many different things you can do to fulfil your need to help our planet. Choose your method.