To not donate because I dislike voluntourism?

[notstevienicks]

I was in a charity shop today, passing the time before an appointment. I was in there maybe 10 mins. I arrived at the start of a speakerphone phone conversation between 2 women working there and another woman on the other end. They were talking about an upcoming trip and the itinerary etc. I was idly listening as I browsed and assumed they were planning a holiday but then the shop worker mentioned Uganda and I made the connection between that and the charity shop itself. It’s not a chain, but an independent Christian shop whose aim is to raise money for vulnerable single pregnant women in Uganda (including delivering health education to schools and churches in the country) according to their website.

I left the shop and noticed a sign in the window asking for donations towards the repair of a damaged water well and got out my purse to go back in and donate but then stopped myself. I’m already about voluntourism/ white saviourism and had just heard these women (at least 3 of them, maybe more are going on this trip I have no idea) talking about getting a good deal on their £2000 flights.

In their defence, they did chat about getting the cheapest flights possible even if it meant long layovers etc, plus they were talking about their garages full of donated items that would be shipped to Uganda (I have no idea what specifically) but I can’t help thinking about the fact that the 3 of them (at least) are taking £6000 (at least) out of the donations to travel to Uganda. Perhaps they’re good value and the work they do is worth it. Maybe they bring skills and knowledge that local people don’t have and therefore are invaluable. But I hate this “my 18 year old is going to Africa to build schools for 6 months” thing because they quite often do a shit job, take jobs away from local workers and it’s generally a huge waste of money that could be better spent directly helping local people. This explains my concerns well: afropunk.com/2018/06/white-savior-your-volunteer-trip-to-africa-was-more-beneficial-to-you-than-to-africa/?amp=1

Considering these women were of retirement age (and therefore not on a fun but meaningless pre uni gap year) and have been to Uganda many times before (according to my googling), AIBU to have put my purse away because I got annoyed by the thought of my measly £5 getting swallowed up by travel costs?

YANBU but I don’t think they meant their flights were £2,000 per person (I’m assuming they were flying economy, which would no way cost that much).

'African' charity is a massive industry in parts of Africa, of course headed up by white people at the most senior leadership positions. It looks like a very cushy gig. Yanbu.

YANBU
I know someone who is trying to help fundraise for her grandchild to go on one of these trip. They need £3000! Surely sending the money to people already on the ground would do more good?

How do you know they aren't funding the trip themselves. I'd be appalled if it was coming out of the donated funds.

So don't. My mum does some of this and self-funds.

If you don't donate though, make sure you do donate to charities that are considered good value and low on admin. Fistula Foundation and Against Malaria Foundation to start you off.

With you all the way. I have "sponsored" a child for decades and am pretty sickened when their newsletter is full of other sponsors going on trips to see "their" children. I do not even write back to the child they allocate (which changes over time) as it feels so patronising. I send some dosh and hope it will be used for the community.

I don't think the trip money generally comes from the organisation, but, as others have said, the same amount of money could be better used to support the community in whichever country it is.

My mother was involved in something through the church taking things out to Uganda. She paid for her own flights and accommodation. They only used donation money towards the costs for excess luggage due to the amount of stuff they took out there.

what is the issue with a sponsor visiting? I think you are man not to write to your sponsored child, the charity representative will be arriving with letters for everybody else, and one gets left out.

At this point you have no idea who's paying for the flights. Which won't be £2000 each. In April they are just over £500, so maybe £2000 in total for those going?

I travel to an African country in the same region of the continent regularly, am involved in projects there and take recyled items such as phones and other technology with me. I pay for my own flights and accommodation.

I hate voluntourism, but you can't be certain that that's what these women are doing.

I've been asked to help raise funds for teenagers to go to Uganda to build a school. I declined. I can't see how a bunch of teenagers would be any help building a school.

maybe, it depends exactly what they are doing - some countries require charity directors and staff to attend certain procedures in person, or they might be teaching, for example, or they might simply be delivering donated goods

but if you don't want to donate, then don't.

Everyone has charities they are comfortable donating to, and one s they are not.

I do think this "white saviour" meme is a bit silly, it is quite often just one person caring for another, and skin colour doesn't come into it.

I have noticed that is I take in a refugee trafficked from Nigeria I am mocked and jeered at as a "white saviour" - but if I take in one from Ukraine , or Afghanistan I am not

but I am doing the same thing for all of them

I think it massively depends on whether the person is paying for their own costs and only raising money for the charitable elements like the new well - so they're effectively going on a personal self-funded holiday as normal but combining some of their holiday time with helping out/fundraising whilst there - or if they're expecting a free holiday, all paid for by people's donations.

I presume the 'helping' with building will be doing simple labour jobs like digging holes or moving piles of materials and the (local) builders will be leading on it and doing all the skilled parts.

That said, I did hear a report of one place where it was said they had the exact same project ongoing for years, i.e. voluntourists go out and help build the orphanage, then it gets taken down in time for the next group of voluntourists to build it again: basically just a vanity project to keep the white saviours occupied, feeling like they're helping and keeping the donation channels open.

I do completely agree about the vast majority of people who do this, where they expect their own holiday/pleasure costs to be covered by the donor money, as well as the fun-but-unnecessary fund-raising parts. After all, that's what attracts many of them to help in the first place. It's interesting how many British people want to trek Machu Picchu or the Great Wall of China 'for charity' as opposed to the number who would willingly do a sponsored sewer clean-up or toenail-clipping marathon in Croydon - even though the latter would most obviously be a short-distance, far-more-efficient way to raise maximum usable funds.

Incidentally, I wonder if it also works the other way: with Peruvian and Chinese people coming over to the UK to trek the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct 'for charity'?!

The money used for the longhaul flights and hotels would be of far better use donated directly to the charity. The visit would be meaningless to the sponsored child, it's purely for the sponsors benefit.

I also sponsor a child but don't write letters (or expect the child to write to me) - I just want the child to be able to get on with being a kid and not having to feel grateful to a stranger thousands of miles away.

YANBU, there was loads of this around when I was in sixth form/uni. No, I don’t want to sponsor an unqualified teenager to piss around in a Malawian orphanage for 3 weeks, I want to fund the orphanage so that they can hire a proper local worker, but that doesn’t provide as many photo opportunities for Facebook to show off what a good person you are, does it.

well, people travel, and supporting a charity does not mean that you are going to donate all your holiday and travel money to that charity, does it.

It can mean the world to the child, I know people still treasure the memories of sponsor visits decades later.

I would say it can bring huge pleasure and a deeper connection for both

Re: child sponsorship, I believe most reputable charities do not actually use the money directly to support an individual child these days but for schemes that benefit all the children in the community- the sponsorship aspect is mostly a gimmick to make you feel connected to what happens with your money. It used to work that you would sponsor an individual child directly but there were studies done showing this was obviously distressing for other children and families in the community.

I have noticed that is I take in a refugee trafficked from Nigeria I am mocked and jeered at as a "white saviour" - but if I take in one from Ukraine , or Afghanistan I am not

Anybody calling you a white saviour for doing something very kind and practical like taking in refugees is clearly not very bright (or nice) at all.

The phrase is normally levelled when Brits do the African equivalent of 'taking coals to Newcastle' - assuming that being lucky enough to live in a much wealthier country makes them just as good as, or even better than, a skilled local. Poor people in poor countries are not unskilled, lazy or stupid - usually very far from it - they're just poor.

Staying in the UK and taking a trafficked Nigerian who arrives in your own town into your own home is the exact opposite of being a 'white saviour' - you are doing a genuinely very kind, helpful, essential thing.

The money used for the longhaul flights and hotels would be of far better use donated directly to the charity.

In my case, my trips are my annual holiday. It just happens that I'm able to combine it with my involvement with supporting certain projects (not a charity, and the projects arenow becoming self-sufficient and run entirely by local people). I'm no white saviour, I simply found somewhere that I love to visit, and am able to quietly support the community while I'm there.

I know, I dont get this - you cant visit a place you support, because it is somehow wrong to spend your money on airfare because you want to visit! You have to give them ALL your money instead!

people support projects and the same people are still allowed to travel where they want!

Yes, although sponsoring a specific individual child does sound like a really nice thing to do in theory, it's actually highly inappropriate.

Siblings and friends not getting anything like the same benefits; their parents feeling like you're muscling in and taking over their job, just because you're (to them) rich; the devastation if the sponsor suddenly decides/needs to stop the sponsorship. Infinitely better to just give to the charity as a whole and allow them to direct the funds where appropriate.

Yanbu but I think you need more info. I did some work with a particular charity in a part of Africa and it was headed up by local people who were employed through it. I paid for my own fights accommodation food and spending money and fundraised the portion of the money that went to the local community. I think you could ask about where the money is going and the structure of the charity and how sustainable it is in terms of white saviourism vs local community initiative that they are supporting financially.