To think voluntourism needs to be called out?

I think you’re wrong in that they’re ‘turned loose on children’, yes. Why would a charity helping the children do that? Supervised meet-ups do happen I would think.

That would be why I said UK / Ireland to make it clear they weren’t the same?

I accept Ireland calls the pre-working with children checks something else - a police clearance certificate, I believe. However, in practice the two are very similar. I was simply using the term with which I am most familiar.

I can see no indication that any sort of background check is done for a short term tourist visa to India (which also covers short ‘courses’ so I
presume is the one you mean). If you can point to where it says otherwise, I am happy to be corrected.

Otherwise, I will continue to believe that random unskilled, unchecked Westerners are being turned loose on children in return for cash.

Even if I am wrong, that still doesn’t address using children from developing nations as entertainment / educational tools for Western teenagers. Which in my view is still abuse.

@CandidHedgehog
You are right in that I don’t know much about what happens on the trips so I can’t address those points.

I don’t know why you mention the costs of the flights, visas etc. Why are they relevant? Individuals pay for these themselves out of their own pocket.

Many of the posts upthread — and yours— seemed to assume that these costs are covered by fundraising, but in this instance at least that’s simply not true.
That does make me doubt the veracity of some of the other points being made here but it’s something I’ll look into, thanks.

@CandidHedgehog while I agree with some of what you’ve said, you’re really reaching with this child abuse/safeguarding angle. A Garda check is very likely part of the visa requirement, it usually is, however a UK DBS for Irish teens who have lived in Ireland is a preposterously useless requirement that would simply waste the time of UK civil servants and Irish teens alike. Just like it would be very silly for UK teaching jobs to require everyone to get police clearance from Malaysia first.
You do know Ireland hasn’t been part of what is now the UK since 1920… right?

Interesting you haven’t mentioned the points I’ve made about the exploitation of the children but rather concentrated on the money.

I have read your post and in regard to the financial points you have responded to, I note with to (3), you carefully failed to mention the cost of the flights, vaccinations, insurance etc. A return flight from Dublin to Kolkata alone costs roughly €1000

You have said that of the €2500 you have mentioned, €2100 goes to the charity. You have not said how much of that €2100 then goes to administer these programmes, the cost of transporting the voluntourists / photogenic children around etc. I suspect you don’t know - it’s fairly common for that information to be well hidden.

So yes, I think the majority of the money does go fund the trip not to the charitable aims. Even if I’m wrong, what level of child abuse are you suggesting is acceptable in return for the cash? Because that’s what is happening even if you only look at the emotional exploitation the charity are admitting to. If you also take into account what is likely to happen when you facilitate access to vulnerable children with no DBS checks, in some cases the abuse is likely to be significantly worse.

As for 6, if there weren’t a constantly changing cast of voluntourists, activities with the children would have to be done by trained, qualified professionals. Who yes, would be paid for their work. So that is what’s happening, even if (again), the charity does their best to conceal that fact.

Children in the developing world are being used to make comparatively wealthy Western teenagers feel good about themselves in return for cash (much of which doesn’t benefit the children in question).

As a rule of thumb, if it wouldn’t be acceptable for untrained teenagers to be doing this in the UK / Ireland (and there’s no way it would be allowed), it’s not acceptable just because the children in question are in a country in the developing world.

I'd say it's awfully naive of you to assume a charities only aim is to help. The good ones help without exploitation. Selling access to vulnerable children isn't ethical fundraising.

I'm sure the Hope Foundation sees the benefit of it. Doesn't mean its good for the community though.

Why would the foundation allow it if it didn’t benefit the community? Assuming they’re legit, which I believe they are, their aim is to help, not exploit. Genuine question.

But your no. 3 is wrong just for a start. And 6. As in, that’s not what’s happening. Did you read my post?

The Hope Foundation that I’ve found via Google seems to be one of the more problematic organisations. It works with street / slum children and I’ve found several posts online of the volunteers pictured with the children in question.

So:

1. No proper safeguarding. Check
2. Random people given access to vulnerable children. Check.
3. Majority of money spent to fund the trip not on the aims of the charity. Check.
4. Visitors / carers washing in and out of the lives of vulnerable children with no consideration of the emotional damage this can cause to the children in question. Check.
5. Children (non-white) being used as teaching tools for (usually white) Western teenagers with no consideration given to the welfare of the children. Check.
6. Activities done by Western volunteers rather than paid locals, distorting the local job market and preventing locals obtaining paid employment. Check.

This sort of voluntourism isn’t ‘helping’ and it’s deeply sad the children in Ireland are being convinced it is.

I'm sure the Hope Foundation sees the benefit of it. Doesn't mean its good for the community though.
It's deeply problematic to allow western children to have pay per view access to disadvantaged children. And funding these schemes almost always leads to a market in creating the very problem the organization is claiming to be solving.
Why can't they just go on holiday to India and donate to some grassroots organisations?

I’m in Ireland and lots of local teens are fundraising for the Hope Foundation. They need to raise at least €2500 to go to India for a week. Of this €400 will go towards their food and accommodation while there (so into the local community). All of the remainder goes directly to Hope. All flights, vaccinations, visas, insurance etc must be paid for separately and fundraised funds cannot cover these expenses. The trip is mainly for educational/tourist purposes. It’s specifically not for work as that would require a different kind of visa.

The Hope Foundation obviously sees benefit to this method of fundraising as they’ve been continuing with it for years now. And maybe some of the kids will go on to become long term fundraisers? I don’t see a problem with it. I don’t think we should put restrictions on which causes or people you’re ‘allowed’ fundraise for and which causes or people you’re not allowed help.

I remember as long ago as the early 80s when one of my modules for A’level geography was West Africa being told that there was a problem with modern machinery being provided but the parts and skills for repairs were not available and more basic, easily repairable equipment was what was needed. Our teacher told us about Schumacher and small is beautiful. Since then I have supported a number of charities which work at the local level to make a practical difference, such as Practical Aid, Send a Cow, Christian Aid and Lend with Care.

On this, I'd really recommend Pippa Biddle's book Ours To Explore : Privilege, Power and the Paradox of Voluntourism.

I too find this type of volunteering inappropriate on a number of levels. There are numerous volunteer opportunities in the U.K. some of which are residential and entirely free. On a similar note I feel it is not in the spirit on the D of E when the residential aspect cost a fortune and is akin to type of holiday when they are volunteer or cheap options. I honestly to my think that some parents are so obsessed with their child participating in either that they fail to think about the bigger picture.

Agree completely.

its not just racist, but also incredibly patronising to people on low income.

there is a pervasive idea that poor people are foolish with money ( spending it all on booze and fags and not saving it in ISAs)

the reality is that many people on low income are financial wizards and very resourceful because they have to make money stretch.

I heard an economist saying that when these people are given a chance, they are actually very good at running small businesses etc.

the average MC person I see in my part of London wastes money all the time. How often do people ‘throw money’ at a problem?

Apparently when the teenagers go to build something it taken down again, it is just an 'activity' for.them to feel useful.

Yanbu

I had one of these pop up on fb last week. The mum wanted donations so her daughter could do one of these trips in Mexico....

Next post up for her was the same daughter embarking on her flying lessons to get her pilots licence. The sheer brass neck of it! Pay for it your bloody self.

Actually 16+ year old can do construction apprenticeships in the UK, and work on building sites as part of this, as they should be able to.

In the UK I'm pretty sure if you worked/volunteered with vulnerable children you would specifically be asked not to take photos, and/or not to post them on social media dye to safeguarding.

Similarly I imagine insurance and health and safety regulations might prevent inexperienced under 16 year old on building sites

These voluntourist programs are at best just as much based on tricking the person handing over the cash and many are actually worse - they don’t just con money out of someone, they do that plus hurting entire communities

Exactly, @CandidHedgehog

Upthread someone suggested a more honest approach, by selling these things with the emphasis more on the holiday and some of the money paid going to a good cause, but I rather doubt it would be as appealing if the potential for Insta pics with kiddies was removed

Edited to add you're also correct about the views of many who carry out selection processes with young people
My own experience is with employment more than Unis, but the questions over judgement are indeed a significant concern no matter what kind of spin is put on the activities

This.

Plus often the teenagers are also victims - they put a lot of time and effort into first fund raising then doing physical labour and none of it is actually useful and much of the work can be actively harmful.

It can also damage their university applications / CVs. I work in a field where research / reading around a subject is important. If I saw one of these trips on someone’s CV it would raise questions about their judgement and be a black mark. I wouldn’t be surprised if universities see them the same way.

Just out of interest do you feel the same way about other scams? If someone you knew was falling for a romance scam or some other sort of financial fraud, would you just shrug your shoulders and ‘move on’ with no attempt to warn them?

These voluntourist programs are at best just as much based on tricking the person handing over the cash and many are actually worse - they don’t just con money out of someone, they do that plus hurting entire communities.

I'm not donating, don't worry.

But, I do feel the need to highlight to people they're giving money in good faith thinking they're supporting a charity or similar, when I'm fact they're paying for a teenagers holiday 🤷‍♀️

Here's a novel idea, if you don't agree with it, do not donate, then move on and forget about it.

Yeah which is fine, bit don't fool yourself into thinking your funding something other than an expensive holiday.