Should Girlguiding have used this photo?

[FullFatCoke]

I saw a post from one of the Girlguiding Regions earlier on Instagram - Girlguiding London & South East region put up a post about applying for international trips, and posted a photo of presumably, a participant on a previous trip.

The Girlguiding participant, who is white, is in a photo with several black children sitting on and around her.

Girlguiding are pretty hot on getting photo permissions for members they feature online. They have strict guidelines to ensure that photos of children aren't used without parents permission.

I felt on seeing this that it shouldn't have been used - I doubt anyone knows the children's names, or that their familes know their photos are online. To me, it looks like a photo taken because the children make a cute accessory to the young woman in the photo. They're "African children" and we're not encouraged to see them further. There's no info on where the photo was taken or the context.

My immediate reaction was to email and ask that that they reconsider using similar photos in future, but I don't know if I'm being over the top in my reaction or not!

It's a bit of a dated white saviour-type image, which isn't great. But they may well have had the permission from the Ghanaian end to use those children's images in their campaign, so I don't think I'd pull them up on that unless I was sure they hadn't.

Perhaps they already have permission? I work with orphanages and schools abroad and they often send us photos like that for our Facebook page. The schools and children love the photos being seen... I agree that they should have perhaps labelled it better, with children’s names or name of the placement.

Why do you doubt they didn't go through the proper channels regarding photo permissions?

Well she is in Ghana working with children.

Thanks for replying, I wasn't sure if anyone else would care!
That's just it, I don't know that they don't have permission, and she is indeed working with children - in Ghana maybe, but again that's not confirmed.
I guess as well I think it's portraying volunteering in this way as a chance to get your own photos like this - again this is my perception, maybe skewed by my circumstances and the Girlguiding unit in an area of high deprivation where I volunteer, if a similar photo was taken and used of my units girls I feel Girlguiding wouldn't have used it.

I suppose laws and rules are different. A parent probably wouldn’t want photo taken in the UK of their ‘deprived’ children at a club or activity.

I suppose laws and rules are different. A parent probably wouldn’t want photo taken in the UK of their ‘deprived’ children at a club or activity.

I think that's what I don't like about it, really - it wouldn't be OK for UK children/parents, but it's different with Ghanaian (?) Children.

But if it’s in the country where you live people might know you?

I get photos sent from an orphanage in Sudan where we sponsor a child and I have no idea if anyone even asks him now (he was a baby when we started and he is now obviously a lot older) if he wants his photo taken and sent to people he doesn’t know.

Oh lord! Of all the reasons to think twice about it!

FFS. It's a lovely photo. The kids look happy and they are well dressed and well fed. Nothing "saviour" about it. Get a grip, OP, or worry about something that really matters.

I’d be more concerned about other girl guide issues these days to be honest.

worry about something that really matters

This does matter. I recommend you have a look at @nowhitesavious on Instagram who complain against these sort of things.

I have a really basic understanding but this kind of imagine perpetuates the idea that non-white countries need the white man to save them from problems that are largely caused by slavery, racism etc.

You wouldn’t go to a poor white area in the UK and take a photo with the children and upload it onto ur instagram so why do it with poor black children ?

I agree with Daisies
It is advertising a 2 week volunteering opportunity in Ghana. What exactly would you like the picture to be of ?

I’m so glad I live on a different planet to most people.

It’s just a photo of a volunteer and the children she has been helping and is the ideal image to use to promote volunteering.

Half the planet is sunk in apathy and not caring what goes on in the world and it seems the other half are looking for pointless things to moan about.

I’d be more concerned about other girl guide issues these days to be honest.

Hugely concerned about those too - I name change to talk about them though, so they don't kick me out!

Would we promote volunteering with children in the UK with photos of physical contact between children and adults, children sat on an adults knee? Probably not is my gut feeling.

OP, I emailed.

Exactly! What other kind of photo do you expect? Camp America show pictures of employees having fun with their kids on their photos, I have similar photos of the kids I au paired with abroad, or the kids I taught horse riding to. Why are my photos from places abroad that have poor kids a problem? And as you said in your later post, you have no idea whether whether there was parent or guardian permission for the photo anyway. If a fuss over nothing.

I would be less worried about the data protection concerns of those featured and more bothered that the trip itself feeds into the much criticized dynamic of ‘white saviour’. Why just the picture, why not be worried about the trip itself? It’s very much a dated idea and I am sure the funds used could be better utilized in a more ‘ground up’ operation.

Why is it "white saviour"? Are other ethnics not allowed to volunteer or get involved??

God if they just showed white children on a Ghana trip there would be questions. If the showed a black guide, there would be questions.

There only wouldn’t be any bloody questions if it was a boy in a Girls GG uniform...

@HoneyRoar

Have a google on it if ur really that curious.

Of course white people can volunteer in non-white countries

Why just the picture, why not be worried about the trip itself? It’s very much a dated idea and I am sure the funds used could be better utilized in a more ‘ground up’ operation.
I don't particularly like the idea of the trip itself either, I feel like the photo encapsulates the things that aren't good about these trips.

sincethereis I'm going to email them too, with a link to the Instagram you mentioned - thanks!

Considering that in London and the SE, in a lot of places the girlguides aren’t white, this is actually whitewashing reality.

I don't need to google, I regularly go out to India and Africa with donations to schools and orphanages, as do my colleagues. I wasn't asking whether white peoples could volunteer, I was asking (a tad sarcastically) whether it was only open to white volunteers, or else it's a bit strange saying its "white saviour".

I guess they just took a picture of a girl and some kids who were there... nice to see it’s not a carefully staged like an old Benetton as.