Hi ,

A friends niece is going to volunteer for dragonfly thailand ( and will be working with children so i have been told)....i have never heard of them before. Does anybody else have any info about this organization? I found a website but not much more except that volunteer work isn't cheap ....

Any advise info is welcome ,

Thank you,

rcm

I've had a look at the website and done a 'who is' domain search.

It is almost certain that the organization is a money making (and work permit platform) business.

I personally have a number of reservations about these businesses, the most significant being that they are selling uncontrolled access to children via their 'volunteer' programs.

Organizations like Oxfam, VSO, The Peace Corp etc, all have in place stringent personality and police record checks which they apply to staff who will be given access to children - Not so your sham volunteer organizations, of which this is one in a growing number.

Dragonfly seem to be operating out of Korat, by coincidence the base of ANOther organization (the name of which escapes me right now) which had been posting itself as supported by the US Embassy - The US Embassy has made a clear statement that it does not support any such organizations.

A secondary concern is the con being pulled on the 'volunteers' who are usually paying large sums of money to 'Volunteer' (read work illegally - since it is almost certain that no work permits are provided).

You should suggest to your friend that he enquires on this specific matter, if no work permits are provided (and I'd be surprised if they are) he should then consider discuss the risks with his daughter and perhaps consider demanding a refund.

To be frank, I would agree with GH but extend this.

The number of basically unregulated and unsupervised orphanage operations that are been set up around Thailand by foreigners worry me a bit.

Of course there are the well meaning and honest, and more power to them. I would hope they comply with the law. But the opportunity for profiteering in an unregulated operation, and abuse in the sense I think we all understand, are quite disturbing.

Notice said Dragonfly offer a 3 day teacher training course, at a price