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INDEX
READ THOROUGHLY
Please read thoroughly all this information. It will assist you in
deciding if WWOOFing is for you, and if you decide it is, making your
WWOOFing experiences safer and more meaningful.
The WWOOF China System
WWOOFers work about 4 to 6 hours a
day in return for all meals and accommodation.
What is WWOOFING?
WWOOF is an exchange program where accommodation, all meals, practical
experience and learning are given to the traveler in return for him or
her helping the host he or she stays with with the work the host does. Lengths of stay can be short such as a few days, a week or
two, to longer stays of some months. It is a fine means to get grass
roots experience in the ways of life of the local people, away from
mainstream tourism. WWOOFing is inexpensive and makes possible genuine
experiences of a quality not easily found elsewhere.
A Day in the Life of a WWOOFER in China
Let's call this WWOOFer a him. He reads all this general information.
He sends an online Application Form via our website, and included in that process his membership fee of US$40
for his 12 month membership. He immediately received his ID and Password to get access via our website to the list of WWOOF China Hosts. He
organizes his insurances. He contacts hosts and finds one that appeals
to him and that is available to host him at a time he wants to go,
usually but not always about one month in advance of arriving. He
arrives at the host as planned. He helps
the host with the work he or she does for about 4 hours a day, six days
a week. In return, he is given a place to sleep, and all meals, and
the learning that results from being at the particular host's place,
and helping him or her with the work being done there. When he is
ready to leave, he speaks to the host, arranges a day to leave, and
leaves. Before he leaves, he will probably use his Handbook to
arrange another host to go to, and the process will start all over
again.
Memberships are for 12 Months
WWOOF China memberships are for 12 months, and members can go to as
many hosts as they want to, for as long as they want to and can arrange to do with Hosts, during that 12
month period.
Timing Your Commencement
You can complete an online application form on our website now, and we will provide you full access to the WWOOF China System
including full hosts details immediately.
An Ideal WWOOFER's Attitude
WWOOFing is about giving and taking, learning, and working. If you want
to learn, are prepared to work, able to come to terms with
circumstances to which you are not accustomed, are interested in China,
the ways of the people and the language, then WWOOFing may well be for
you.
One Membership for One Person
Before hosts are contacted, each person who contacts and / or visits our
Hosts (including you contacting hosts on behalf of someone else) must
be a member of WWOOF China. We do not have couples or family
memberships.
Communicating With Us at WWOOF China
We use only e-mail to communicate with WWOOFers and people who want to
join WWOOF China. We do not offer phone, fax or postal communications
for general communications. You should put the words "WWOOF China" in
e-mails you send us, to make sure your mail does not get lost in junk
mail that goes about by the billions a day.
Your Questions about WWOOF China
Most of the questions most people have are already answered in the
general information we provide. You should read thoroughly all the
general information provided, before you write to us with a question.
If you write to us with a question that is already answered in the
general information provided, we may not answer your e-mail.
A Short History of WWOOF
Originally standing for Working Weekends on Organic Farms, WWOOF was
begun in about 1971 in Europe by people who were keen to support the
organic movement. The basic idea was, and still is, that a volunteer
receives board and accommodation and learns organic methods of farming
and other in exchange for work. Hosts and workers made new friends and
enjoyed the experience of working in common in an exchange of
assistance and knowledge. When the demand for longer periods occurred,
the name was changed to Willing Workers on Organic Farms.
Why People Go WWOOFING
Everyone is different, but a reccurring theme is people who want to
have genuine experiences with people and places, at a grass roots
level, away from main stream tourism, in a inexpensive manner.
Safety
More than anything else, consider your safety first. You go WWOOFing
entirely at your own risk. WWOOF China does what we can to ascertain
that hosts are decent people and that their place is a safe place, but
we can't and don't guarantee it. You should ask questions when
contacting hosts in an effort to ascertain for yourself that the host
will be a suitable and safe place for you. You might ask for example,
how many people live at the the host, are there other WWOOFers there
now, is the host in an isolated place or are there neighbors and other
people close by, how many WWOOFers they have had to date at their
place, what kind of work they do, what motivates them to be a WWOOF
China host, ask of the hosts interests and hobbile, ask of the hosts
occupation, ask about the host's family members, etc. You might
communicate back and forth a number of times in order to see if the
situation the host is offering is what you want and that you feel safe
about going there. When visiting a WWOOF host, you should take all the
precautions you would take when visiting someone you do not know. If
you are traveling alone, make sure you can leave easily if things don't
work out the way you expected them to, and don't be dependent on the
host for transport. WWOOF China does not know all hosts personally and
does not have the resources to visit the hosts in our listings. If you
have a complaint to make about a host for any reason, please contact us
immediately. When you go to a host, do not do any work the host may
ask you to do if you do not understand it, are not familiar with it, if
it is outside your competence to perform. or if it seems in any way as
though it may be dangerous to you. Consider your safety and well being
first and foremost, above anything else!
WWOOFING is a Do-It-Yourself Thing
If you feel worried about going WWOOFing, insecure or unsure about
having to check on hosts yourself before you go to them to make sure
they are safe, then you should strongly consider not going WWOOFing at
all, and instead participate in a form of travel and experience that is
more organized with tour people and others to oversee and check daily
events, accommodation, etc. WWOOFing is a do-it-yourself means of
travel and adventure. WWOOFers contact Hosts themselves and make plans
with those hosts. The WWOOF China office does not get involved in the
plannings and goings on between WWOOFers and hosts.
Visas
You cannot use your WWOOF China membership as a means to be eligible to
obtain a visa of some sort for China. It is your responsibility to
obtain any necessary visas. WWOOF China cannot assist with visas in any
way, including answering questions about visas, providing papers or
letters of introduction for visas, and the like. There is always a
possibility that you will be held at the point of entry and returned to
your home country if you arrive without the correct documentation.
Please direct all your questions about visas to the Chinese visa office
in the city where you live, or you might ask your travel agent. We do
cannot give advise to WWOOFers or would-be WWOOFers on how they can get
a particular visa for China. Many people who go WWOOFing in China from
outside China, go using a normal tourist visa.
Insurance
WWOOF China membership does not include insurance of any kind. We
strongly recommend you take out comprehensive and quality insurance to
cover yourself for health, accident, travel costs, theft, and
liability. Hosts may or may not have insurance and you will be wise to
assume that they don't and arrange you own.
Travelling in China
We suggest that you buy a travel guide for China and find out as much
as possible about China before you visit. The following points may seem
obvious, but it is surprising how many people don't realise that in
other countries:
Many people do not speak english, and some who say they speak English
may only speak it to a limited extent.
If you do speak some Chinese, you may not speak it well enough to
understand what people say to you, nor they understand what you are
saying to them
Telephones work differently and use different ringing
sounds.
Banks and post offices operate differently, and there may not be money
exchange or cash machines that will accept your bank cards. Cheques
other than travellers cheques are usually not accepted, and cashing
travellers cheques often involves a service charge.
It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary visas and work
permits before making travel arrangements.
Your Membership Material
Immediately after we have received a completed online Application Form and payment from you, you will be sent automatically and immediately your own personal ID and Password to all you to login to the WWOOF China website and get full Hosts details.
Your Email Address
Be mindful of the e-mail address you type into the onlline Application Form, check it, and be sure it is correct. If you make a mistake with it, your application will NOT go through.
Joining While Travelling
No problem - the web has no boundaries.
Hosts can be All Kinds of Places
Hosts can be farms, family homes, small businesses, and more. WWOOFers
should understand that hosts are sometimes running a business while
being a WWOOF host. The work done at some hosts can be demanding and
WWOOFers should be prepared to adapt to the hosts' ways.
Membership Card
We have no membership card system in place at this point in time.
Handbook Only Available via our Website
The WWOOF China Handbook is not available in paper format. It is only
available via our website.
Emergency Travel Money
You will be wise to make preparations in case you have an emergency.
The most common way WWOOFers do this is to travel with a credit card
that has sufficient available credit. The sorts of situations that you
may have to deal with could be for example, a member of your family
falling seriously ill and you wanting to fly home immediately to be
with them, or you falling ill yourself or having an accident and
needing to pay for medical bills. In the case of you wanting to use
your health and accident insurance, you will usually have to pay for
the costs yourself first, and apply to your insurance company to be
reimbursed later. Some people ask, how much money will I need while I
am WWOOFing, and this is hard to say. Your main expenses are the cost
of transport to hosts.
Your food and accommodation costs covered by the hosts who has you at
their place.
Will I Find a Host for Me?
Hosts can be busy and some hosts are in demand more than others for
reasons of what they do, or their location, and it can be that at such
times a given host will be unable to accept you. However we have not
known of a WWOOFer who could not find a host somewhere to take them.
How Long will it Take to Find a Host?
This depends on variables such as, the time of year, the host you want
to go to, whether the host already has a WWOOFer, the nature and
quality of the your communications to the host, the work the host is
doing, etc. Most WWOOFers it seems find a host in a week or two.
WWOOFers should remember that WWOOFing is a do-it-yourself adventure,
and an exchange between host and WWOOFer, so it can on occasion
depending on circumstances take time to find a host. WWOOFers should
not expect to find a host quickly, or to fit in with a set timetable of
plans or fiscal limitations, as one woud if paying for a package tour
or homestay of some sort, where the WWOOFer is "the customer" and the
host's job is to work to satisfy the needs of the WWOOFer. Please be
prepared to flexible and take a host that might not be your first
preference. Be patient, and ask yourself firstly, what value you can
bring to a host, and secondly, what is in it for you. The latter should
be a product of the former.
Do I Need to Speak Chinese?
No, most hosts speak some English and many WWOOFers are from outside
China using English to communicate.
How Much is Membership
$40 American dollars, or the same in any other currency.
Can I Change my Membership Commencement Date?
You cannot change the commencement date of a current membership. The only option open to you membership renewal.
How to Contact Hosts
E-mail is fast and convenient and many Hosts have it.
Your Communication to Hosts
We recommend you write in concise point form, to make it easier for
then if they are non native speakers of English to comprehend your
communications, in the following format:
Your name
The date you wish to start WWOOFing at the host's place
The period that you wish to stay
What
is your purpose to go WWOOFing to this host's place Something of your
own history, interests, knowledge Something of your own history,
interests, knowledge
How Early to Contact Hosts
If you have the time, it is probably better to plan ahead in order to
make it more likely that you can stay at the places you prefer. Some
hosts like it and others prefer not to commit so far ahead. Ideally a
few weeks to a month is ideal time in advance to make plans with hosts.
Cancelling Your Plans with a Host
If due to unforeseen circumstances you must cancel your plans to visit
a Host, please be sure to contact the Host promptly to inform them.
Please do not cancel flippantly.
Problems with a Host
If you have problems with a host, please tell us right away and write
to you with what we find out.
Refunds
We do not give refunds under any circumstances, so please read and
understand about WWOOF China before you join.
Tell Your Family Where You Are Going
Please ensure you tell family, friends and those who will be interested
in you and your well being while you are away, where you are going, the
name and contact details of the host(s) you are going to, and be sure
to update this information to them as you move about.
WWOOF Organisations Around the World
When there is a local WWOF organization, you must be a member
of the WWOOF organization in the country you want to go to. About
twenty countries have a WWOOF organization. Some of the more active
ones are: New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, UK, Italy, USA,
To find out information on each WWOOF organization, type in the name of
the WWOOF organization into a search engine such as google, and you
will find their website.
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Becoming a WWOOFer
