To think if teenage girls from a private school can afford plane tickets ...

[Morgansports]

.... To visit the orphanage in Africa that they have been fundraising for, then the orphanage would be better served by just receiving the money they spent on their tickets. Seriously, what actual use to the orphanage is a group of hair-flicking, ugg boot wearing blondes???

And the bit that made me laugh is that other parents at the school were asked to help fundraise for the girls' trip.

AIBU?

Eternal, please don't say third world. You mean developing world surely. I am describing rather accurately a group of SCHOOLCHILDREN who are currently getting their 'experience of a lifetime' at huge expense and courtesy of some poor, hugely disadvantaged African children. They're not bad kids these girls - they are just unskilled, how could they be anything else?? They are children.

Peasabove - and therefore what? Child protection is bunk?

It would not be ok for UK care homes to be staffed by foreign exchange students on two week work experience trips.

And it is not ok just because the children are in a poor country.

Yes it is a wonderful idea-no one is expecting them to give care without supervision, but from the DCs point of view having new faces who have time to play games can only be good. Just because you are an orphan doesn't mean that you are not an individual -I'm sure they would like a bit of individual attention-rather than being a general charity case. Orphans can still benefit from contact with other cultures.No one is suggesting that they take the place of trained staff or are left alone.

It would not be ok for UK care homes to be staffed by foreign exchange students on two week work experience trips.

This isn't the point at all-it would be wonderful if foreign exchange students went into care homes and played carpet bowls, chess or helped serve dinners or helped them eat with the old people-or just practised their English. Both sides would gain-it is a pity they don't. No one is suggesting they take the place of staff. I bet the elderly would love it.

I bet the children would be very disappointed if they were told 'we had some visitors from England who wanted to meet you and play with you and help but we sent them away because they are only around for a week and not trained'.

@exotic fruits- you are being jaw droppingly naive.

Depressing that so many adults on this thread are unaware of the (huge) amounts of evidence that this stuff is damaging in the short, medium and long term.

Not read entire thread, but you could say the same about fundraising balls, events etc. why not just give the money? Well because people don't. Most people are happy to spend a100 quid on a ticket, knowing that after costs, monies will be going to a cause. A lot less likely to just donate same amount. Fundraising is expensive . Those girls from a private school, presumably a relatively privileged background, probably have the contacts and will have the profile to continue to raise monies and awareness. The kids that go on these things are generally sensible and have strong work ethics. Are you supporting charity op?

From a childlike point of view I can't see why they wouldn't want a few extra helpers from a different country. DCs go into schools for work experience for a week and both sides gain. DCs love it. Most primary schools get a work experience student each year. Many DCs go into care homes for the elderly as volunteers-both sides benefit.
I would rather be naive than so cynical and turning down the good will of teenagers who may well become the doctors etc of the future.

Teenagers can be helpful and responsible. I am very saddened by the amount of people who wouldn't have one as a babysitter for their own DCs-as on a recent thread -just a blanket ban without knowing the individual.

You are seriously comparing visiting an orphanage with a fund raising ball?

What - the visit makes fundraising fun?

Funny, I thought this was a mercy mission to read the poor orphans a bed time story.

How can playing football with a DC be damaging?

Gosh, Smithson, do all ao us naive people a favour and share the evidence.

If they were going to go in and be used as staff and left in a caring role of course it would be damaging. But to go in and play and do some practical tasks under supervision is quite different. Orphans want fun too-they are not different from other children! Half an hour's game of rounders is just pure fun-does it matter if they are not playing rounders next week?-by then they know how to play and can do it themselves.

Visiting people in institutional settings and bringing a bit of fun with you is a bad thing now? Damaging?

Exotic - because there is no one suitable in the country who could be trained and employed as a playworker?

If a Chinese teenager were to come over here and volunteer in a school, for a week, a class would be desperate to be the class chosen to have her-DCs like it! They would also love to be taught a bit of the language-even if it is only counting to 10 and please and thank you-and some different games.
Probably the problem is that some of you are not naive at all and can't get in a child's shoes.

La Queen - have you read any of the links ive posted?

I don't understand that-can you only be a play worker in your own country?

Ask a UK child if they would like to have a local teenager for a week or one from China, come especially to see them and I bet they would vote for the one from China-they like to learn about different cultures.

Himalaya of course you can, but you're going to need quite a bit of cash to get someone trained up and working permemnantly.

See if I were running an orphanage and needed a play worker, I'd invite lots of rich flicky haired girls to come over and see just how badly I needed one.

Said rich flicky haired girls might be very motivated to sort me out.

Personal interaction galvanises real action. Tis human nature...