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?

Peas- not sure that your school's project is comparable. It is a long term relationship built up between two schools and the volunteering is between professional adults and presumably what is exchanged is balanced if everyone is happy.

Objections to the girls' trip are completely different.

I would be genuinely interested to hear how someone who works in international development would critique the project. They may think that actually the airfares would actually be better spent on local training- or they may think the long term relationship of the two schools is beneficial enough to tip the balance the other way.

Its an interesting one.

Yes, of course, the hordes of professionally qualified and experienced local social workers, teachers, doctors, engineers...just queing up outside the orphanage's gates, offering their services for free?

you think there arent qualified professionals in Africa?? you think they don't donate their time for free to charitable causes?? you think doctors dont forgo consultation fees so they can treat the poor-consult after consult all day long?

but yes, a lot more resources would be available if the air fare were sent over to fund wages. Do you know what the average teachers wage is in Kenya? The equivalent of £140 a month

Exactly peassabovesticks. I am not suggesting that they take the part of trained workers and experts or are given responsibility-no one in their right mind would let them do that with vulnerable children. However, I can't see that an extra pair of hands can be anything but good.
As a Beaver leader I could take a teenager as a one off-they wouldn't be a leader but they could go in the kitchen and get drinks for me, they could set out paints, help a child with a model etc. If a horse mad one turns up to help with riding for the disabled you are not going to give them a child but they could groom a horse if they were used to it, if they want to help in school you are not going to give them a class but you could let them play a word game with a small group. I don't see the difference.
It isn't the best way to help but if they are going anyway and are keen you might as well use them than tell them to go away!
Both sides gain something.

yes, a lot more resources would be available if the air fare were sent over to fund wages.

But they are not going to do this with the money. I can't see an 18yr old who has saved up the money for a travel adventure saying 'I will just send it to a project in Kenya'-they will use it on a pure holiday.

I know the school situation isn't identical but it would still be deemed to be a throwback to colonialism by some people on this thread. I beleive there will be some brilliant schemes where people, whoever they are, will be able to make a real difference to people who are in desperate need of help and some dodgy schemes which benefit nobody other than the middle man or in some cases do more harm than good.

exotic which is fair enuf- but we cant then argue that 'it is of equal benefit' to the 'orphans' or it is in their best interest/ their interests wouldnt be better served by receiving the cash-money....

YABU to mention; private school, blonde, Uggs - makes you look jealous.

Procrasstinator. With the best will in the world the teachers at the school our school assists are nowhere near as well qualified as teachers in the UK. This is why they are helped with training in certain areas when they come over to visit us. If that's patronising and colonial in your view, then that's too bad because these teachers value the opportunity to gain more training.

OPs kids are in the same school life

Volunteering in schools is one thing. Volunteering in orphanages is another. There is very compelling evidence out there that orphanages are very bad for vulnerable children, that these kids should be in foster care in order to thrive and that these programmes for gap year volunteers etc. actively keep the orphanages open because they attract foreign attention and money. Can you not see that there are issues beyond just the kids playing together? this stuff is complicated- it is and there IS evidence of short, medium and long term damage out there for anyone who is interested to find it. NONE of this is about teenagers not being great or being socially engaged or having things to offer.

peas i havent mentioned colonialism once

a teacher exchange is completely different to what is being discussed

I should add they are in a particularly poor, war-torn part of Africa.

My comment was reacting to your comment about there being qualified professionals in Africa.

And I mentioned the teacher exchange because of those posters who say aid to Africa is patronising. So it isn't completely off- point to mention it.

I don't think that it is a useful way of giving aid, but since they are not going to just send money and sadly it isn't easy to close orphanages and find foster parents you might as well use what is offered. There seem to be plenty of animal ones-maybe that is better. I still think that contact with the youth of different counties is enriching. It seems a shame to say to idealistic young people-'you can't help-just send the money'.

I never like the solution that you do nothing but just throw money at things.

i think what really riled the OP was that the other parents of the schools were asked to fundraise for the girls' trip as though it was a charitable project, when clearly it is of no benefit to the children at the orphanage (and quite possible damaging to them). I think she felt that if she was being asked to give a charitable donation she would like it to actually go to a good cause -not what is essentially an ethically dubious holiday for already privilidged teenage girls.

You are not obliged to give!

I think a lot of us are intelligent enough to fathom why the OP was annoyed without it being explained to us.

I just think it a huge mistake to tell anyone, particularly the young, that they are not needed or wanted except to give money.

I also think it's wrong to come on here and tell us how stupid and naive we are. There are so many ways in which we can contribute to charities and most of us ate capable of deciding for ourselves whether a particular scheme is 'ethical' and helpful or not. I have sponsored a child through an organisation I felt was reputable and met the kids actual needs. I also support our school's efforts to help in an African school. I do not support any of the evangelical charities and have severely pissed off a teacher (this was at another school) by saying I wouldn't be sending a shoebox in.
I wold like to think my dc would want to spend time in developing countries doing something useful to help out. I would only let them do it if I was satisfied it was a good scheme.

exotic but it is even more of a shame to tell deprived orphans that there are no funds for another teacher/ new kitchen facilities/ school uniforms/ books because the partner school has been donating the funds so that visitors can fly over

?The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.?

― Stephen Hawking

It's often the case though that I'd there was no partner school there'd be no funds whatsoever.

If