Knowledge and understanding - of the history, politics and culture of the communities the project relates to. Flexibility - an ability to change tactics, work and opinions. Practical skills - computers, bookkeeping, writing, library skills, group skills, knowledge of labour unions, familiarity with rural communities, photography, cooking, musical abilities, and many others have been useful on PBI teams. Each project has its own particular arrangements, so you should check the volunteer page of the project you are interested in for details. The expenses of travel to the country of work are sometimes covered, and sometimes not.
Volunteers are responsible for purchasing health insurance coverage.
Volunteers from some developed countries are expected to raise money in their own communities to help with the costs of maintaining our volunteers on the team. PBI's scale of operations is sometimes limited by lack of funds. If you have read this far, the next step is to get an volunteer application form for the project of your choice and three reference forms. The application is long and will take some time and thought to complete, but we hope it will be a useful reflection process for you, as well as a way for us to get to know you. Ideally, the training is a mutual discernment process - it helps you decide if volunteering for a PBI team is what you want to do and helps both you and us decide if you are adequately prepared for the experience.