I agree with you about the Pay to be a volunteer: i mean, how daft do you have to be? I think it's an insult.

HOWEVER, your comments on Yemen where a bit unfair. Firstly, i know people who live and work in Yemen, some of whom have been there for several decades!
They do not have any horror stories to tell and say that the Yemeni people could not be more welcoming.
I come from Glasgow [the most violent city in Europe] and i can honestly say that i'd fear for my life walking around certain parts of my own city-so no country's crime free or without its dangerous elements.
Secondly, i'd like to point out that no one forces people to take crappy jobs for crappy pay. It's your job to 'shop around' and look for the best deal, as it where.
I have seen several programs that look promising. Not only do you get a decent salary [and let's not forget that the cost of living in Yemen is so cheap] but they also look after you whilst your out there. One computer company I looked at, gives you room and board, meals and a salary, as well as free Arabic and IT lessons, and they take you on little trips around the city to make you feel at home. Sure, i'm not going to Yemen to work for peanuts or be exploited: but the fact is, that the organizations Ive looked at offer much more than a basic salary that you have to 'survive' off of.

Latterly, i would like to point out that many new TEFL teachers need people who will employ them without formal teaching experience. Many u.k. based language schools will not employ a teacher without who has not had AT LEAST 12 months experience. Many oversees schools and companies WILL give you a job without experience, and sometimes, without TEFL certification. Once you stick out your first teaching jobs and build up a resume [and let's face it, having the courage to work and live abroad, especially in the ME, must be good for your career). The language jobs in the U.k. are scarcer but very well paid and harder to get. Thus, it is often necessary to cut your teeth, abroad, and be thankful for the opportunity.

There are excellent opportunities out there for TEFL tutors. You just have to keep on looking for a 'package' that suits you.