World adventure - aibu

[Alwayswakeearly]

My son has chance to join a world adventure to Tanzania in 18m (he’ll be 16) working on an education project - all aspects from teaching, running extra curricular activities to labouring for local tradesmen on classroom build. The opportunity includes a safari at the end. They will also work on reforestation in the area damaged by Mt Kilimanjaro tourism. The cost is £3k and participants must fundraise to get themselves there. Other than flights to/from they must take charge of their transport, accommodation and provisions when there with a guide on hand. One school of thought appears to be - why should people contribute to someone else’s adventure holiday. Of course if he earns money through part time or odd jobs which he intends to then it’s his earnings to spend on his trip but some will come from fundraising. My view is that this is getting Gen Z to be independent, accountable, giving them a lasting desire to improve the lives of those with much less (not just abroad) and becoming active in trying to stop man’s destruction of the planet and the amazing beasts that roam it. I understand most kids come back changed forever by their experience. Would you support fundraising for this kind of project or are you turned off by it?

Thanks Spam, appreciate the feedback

Btw the company running the course do say that the majority of funds will come from participants earnings and not donations.

No way I’d donate to that, sorry.

That money would be better spent on charities that are already on the ground and working in those areas. A 16 year old has no useful skills to contribute that could be worth that investment.

Glad he enjoyed it :)

Perhaps an ice climbing one in Alaska might also be up his street. There is an OB in the US.

Thanks butt - that’s the conversation I’ll have. I wasn’t actually asking for support from MN, just views! Appreciate the pointer.

Thanks Elena. The trip is as much about equipping the 16yo with skills teaching independence and resilience. I do realise though that only those who love and like my son are interested in his personal development and so any additional support will come from those quarters

Thanks for feedback all - got what I needed

I personally would not contribute along the same lines i dont sponsor people to walk the great wall of china. Im dubious about the ecomomic and environmental impact, notwithstanding it would be a great personal experience.

My DD was interested in doing this. Her school organised it.
For fundraising they did things like bake cakes and sell them at school. Organise a quiz night and sell tickets for a small profit. Car wash in school car park.
I think these are all reasonable ways to raise funds without just holding out their hand and asking for money. I don’t like the supermarket bag packing idea. The brownies used to do it here and I always gave them 50p provided they stopped packing my bags.
However, I don’t like the whole world challenge thing. The organisers are just travel agents who are obviously making a profit. You mention the optional safari at the end of the trip. In my DDs case the optional element was a scuba diving course. They dress it up like a charity event but it is a holiday. Fortunately having been to the presentation DD had a think about it and realised this. She decided for herself not to go.
Your son probably will benefit from doing the trip. Travel certainly broadens the mind. And he’ll enjoy it. But if you think the local people benefit from it you're kidding yourself.

When I was a teen (30+ years ago) Operation Raleigh was the big thing for this sort of "world adventure". I remember thinking it looked incredible and being really interested. All the pamphelts made it sound like anyone could do it - they just needed to be organised and do enough sponsored swims and car washes and what have you. They talked about how great it was for partici[ants and how raising the cash was part of the personal development. But when I did the maths I couldn't see how I could ever manage to raise that kind of money. Once I got to Uni I realised that the sorts of people who actually managed to raise the cash and go did so because their parents paid, one way or another. Either directly, by getting them a well-paid summer job or via some quid pro quo sponsorship with other equally well off parents. It put a totally new spin on it in my eyes and I realised it wasn't actually a great development opportunity - it was just another paid advantage. As rich parents can afford tutors and music lessons and all sorts of experiences for their kids, so they can afford this. The kids don't have to be that resilient or even that organized (the company isn't going to let it fail). There's no adversity and it's quite voyeuristic and exploitational of the poor communities they often go into. they will see some things that they might otherwise not (though they could just watch a bloody documentary) but it's quite Common People really - they're going to come out alright.

I was poor when I was a teenager, but I'm pretty well off now and we will probably be able to afford things like this for our kids. I wouldn't pay for it though. I'd encourage them to do something less self-centered that showed real initiative and resilience, like setting up a company at home that raised money for a good cause. Or getting involved in social justice movements at the grassroots level in their home town. I won't support my fairly well-off friend's kids to do it either. I might support a charity that paid for disadvantaged kids to do something like it though.

With these types of activities I always think, "Would you like a group of African teens to come over an build you school, or would you prefer a local, experienced builder to do it?" And if you would prefer the latter (which I think just about everyone would), then why would people in Africa want foreign teens to come and build for them? Raise the money and send it to local charities who can employ local people instead.

He should put the money in a savings account. There are plenty of FREE volunteer opportunities in the UK - remember charity begins at home. national parks etc can be adventurous you dont have to go to Africa.

This is a rip of and the wrong people are profiting. Find a 'free' trip he can volunteer on.
National Trust have good opportunities for replanting etc if he is keen on that-you dont have to go 100os of kms away

My Son is about to do this. He raised the emtire amount selling tuck at break and lunch in school.

I think most of these schemes are money making scams.

It is a holiday.

It’s a bit patronising to send a bunch of clueless teenagers out to Tanzania to ‘teach’ and build a school...? I mean really?

I went on a World Challenge trip at 16 and it was amazing. Definitely a jolly though.

I raised half the money through a weekend job and running some car boots (which I did get items donated to from friends and family). My family paid for the other half in lieu of birthday and christmas presents.

Coming from a developed country and being white is unlikely to cut it.

Exactly, how patronising. OP isn't interested though, DS is doing it anyway. No, I wouldn't support it. If I knew and cared for someone then I still wouldn't contribute but at least I'd be close enough to them to call them on it.

My DD was interested in going on a month long trip to Africa with a similar scheme that provides medical care.
One of their selling points was that the teenagers would get some hands on experience in administering medical care to locals, including immunising children, using syringes etc.

Lets send some unqualified 17 year old go practice on the black kids.

Again the trip was to cost around £4K.

This is a holiday, don't try to dress it up, it's a lovely £3000 holiday. I would be against fund raising which just asks me to donate money for nothing... Yes, I'd rather donate to people that need it rather than want a holiday but ds has 18 months, that's plenty of time to earn £3000 if he really wants to go.
Car washing, gardening, doing shopping for people who can't get out, babysitting, helping with removals, cleaning...... Now that would be a real character forming experience in itself with the holiday as a reward at the end.

I would support a young person to do this however I may be slightly biased.

I went with a youth pilgrimage to Lourdes, where we went over with over 100 adults with disabilities and who were elderly. They would stay in the hospitals and we would go up at 6am, help get them up and dressed, give breakfast (a lot needed assisted feeding), and you would help take them to mass (by pushing their wheelchairs), taking them where they wanted to go in the afternoon (looking around the shops, going for a coffee), etc, before taking them back later and helping with tea etc.

This was done by fundraising for each young person to go. That's why I said I may be biased- but it was such an amazing experience. I am sad the boys school no longer runs it. But then ours was 10 days not over a year. I think some people will be put off by supporting it, as some have said above, as it could seen like a 'jolly'. But I think it ones down to your social group. Are you in a position where a lot of your friends have children that have done things like this, or so you friends where a trip abroad, no matter where, is only a dream? If it's the latter, people may not support something that they can only dream of for their own children.

I gave my nephew some money towards something similar, buta) he was spending time with DS so I would have given him something anyway and b) I dont really approve of these things but I love him and thought it woukd be good for his self esteem.

OP you may get a few hundred from close family and friends but unless they're loaded there will still be a big shortfall which will need a lot of car washing, bag loading and babysitting to fill. I would get him to sit down and come up with a plan on how to make that money and see if its sustainable.

Sorry, but the majority of 16/17 year olds have very few useful skills to offer. Most friends and family are just too polite to say this to you though, and donate for a service (car wash/bag packing/bake sale?) which is unnecessary and often unwelcome.
Maybe when your socially aware teen has a useful set of skills or a job, they can donate their own money or time in a more effective way. There are plenty of ways to 'raise awareness' which don't involve flying abroad (v bad for carbon footprint!) on a thinly disguised 'opportunity'.
The majority of the kids who return and continue with similar work after being on this type of experience show great dedication to the ethos before the trip, often researching these opportunities themselves. Not the case of just having the opportunity to go on the trip...
(Tbh he sounds privileged enough already. Also not sure exactly what him doing the monthly (?) food bank shop with your money is meant to be teaching him exactly, I wouldn't use this as great proof of his interest in bettering the lives of others. )

Nope I wouldn’t donate.

It’s just a jolly for rich kids to have a holiday and feel good about themselves yah

£3k could pay for local experts to do a better job than a bunch of 16 year olds, and for a lot longer than a few weeks.

And it’s hardly saving the planet when you’re flying halfway round the world to do it.