The exchange is two-way : Experiences of hosting visiting volunteers participating in short-term experiences in global health

Journal article


Bishop, Nicole, Riley, Meg, Sundeep, Manoth, Wearn, Jayme and Grills, Nathan. (2025). The exchange is two-way : Experiences of hosting visiting volunteers participating in short-term experiences in global health. Christian Journal For Global Health. 12(1), pp. 61-73. https://doi.org/10.15566/cjgh.v12i1.389
AuthorsBishop, Nicole, Riley, Meg, Sundeep, Manoth, Wearn, Jayme and Grills, Nathan
Abstract

This qualitative study explores the multifaceted impact of volunteer engagement at a range of healthcare organizations in North India. Volunteers can play a pivotal role in advancing program goals by bringing in new resources, ideas, and skills that help to fill gaps and support existing staff. However, the effectiveness of their contributions is influenced by several factors, including group size and length of engagement, personal characteristics, training and preparedness, coordination efforts and community perceptions. Effective short-term programs rely on volunteers' cultural sensitivity, flexibility and a clear understanding of their roles. This study explores the perceptions of 10 program leaders in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who were interviewed about their experiences of hosting volunteers. Participants described the qualities of short-term experiences in global health (STEGH) volunteers and programs which they found to be effective, such as longer trip lengths, and highlighted the potential benefits for a mutual learning exchange when programs were approached with collaborative, respectful and relationship-building mindsets.

Keywordsshort-term experiences in global health; ethics; cross-cultural health care; cross-cultural training
Year2025
JournalChristian Journal For Global Health
Journal citation12 (1), pp. 61-73
PublisherCenter for Health in Mission
ISSN2167-2415
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.15566/cjgh.v12i1.389
Scopus EID2-s2.0-105001271336
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Page range61-73
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
OnlineMar 2024
Publication process dates
Accepted20 Dec 2024
Deposited29 May 2025
Additional information

© Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly cited. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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License: CC BY 4.0
File access level: Open

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