To think voluntourism needs to be called out?

[icreaminbarnsley]

I've had numerous requests this year by parents of teen dc who are going to various African countries to contribute to their crowdfunding "to help the people in [insert country]". They further explain that said child will be building schools/wells, teaching English, designing sanitation projects....but the latest I received was that their child would be "advising locals on how to set up a business". This in particular has really annoyed me, as the child is doing A Levels, has no business of their own, and no business acumen that I'm aware of. How can you be so brass necked and unaware to be spouting stuff like this? I totally get going to a different country is going to be a fantastic experience for the dc, but who is dressing it up to make it sound like these teens have something important to offer and are needed abroad, in areas that they have absolutely zero experience? I also get that the locals might benefit from the money that the dc need to pay to undertake such an experience, but is it really the locals who benefit, or is it the mainly the 'charitable' organizations that are based in the UK?

AIBU to feel we need to call this a unique opportunity to experience life in [insert country] and not delude ourselves into thinking the locals are benefitting from groups of western teens, who are not builders, engineers or business advisers?

This is really sad. So much effort put in by a well meaning child to fund what is most likely a scam that at best won’t help and at worst will actively damage the community she thinks she’s helping.

Totally poverty porn as well.

Further to my post above, Pippa Biddle (anti-voluntourism campaigner) ‘worked’ in Tanzania.

www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jun/10/voluntourism-new-book-explores-how-volunteer-trips-harm-rather-than-help

Sad indeed

All credit to the lass for working so hard to fund her trip, but why on earth didn 't someone point out the obvious about donating the money so that it could do so much more good than funding a flight, accommodation for visitors and the rest?

And on top of everything else, going on trips like this can actively damage university applications / some job applications.

That is particularly the case if the young person is applying for a field that is actually adjacent to where they volunteered - for example, actual child care professionals are likely to be horrified by a non-stop rotation of teenagers caring for orphanage children for a couple of weeks at a time with no background checks. That’s enormously damaging for the children (and doesn’t even go into the fact many of these children have parents but are in the orphanage because that’s best for raising cash from voluntourists - supporting children at home isn’t nearly so profitable).

The ‘building’ projects just show a lack of good judgment (common to most teenagers!)- but for some reason one the teenagers in question are encouraged to put on an application / CV

Would they be as well off going on an actual holiday to those locations and spending their money in the local economies.

What is she planning on doing in Tanzania?
That fairly critical information is missing from your comment. If a safari is included then there will be almost no money going to the project.

I don't know if they still exist but I'm pretty sure 20 or 30 years ago you could go on volunteer holidays to build dry stone walls in the UK (I imagine other options were available, I can't remember)

@Fizbosshoes there were! British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, plus the National Trust did slightly less crusty ones, or there were ones that involved working in cathedrals. I went on several, they were about £30 for a week back then and I learned to dry stone wall, lay a hedge and generally to slash scrub about. (I haven't maintained any of those skills unfortunately.) I looked into them again and they have got hugely more expensive but I would still see them as an eye-opening and sexually exploratory positive thing for any youngster to do.

This is a good start:

traveltrade.visitwales.com/fact-sheets/wellbeing-outdoors/volunteering-holidays

They still exist, Fizbosshoes, though I rather doubt the pics would earn as many "likes" as those with a bunch of saucer-eyed smiling kiddies

Probably more chance of getting a phone signal though

https://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/travel/hedges.shtml

I would still see them as an eye-opening and sexually exploratory positive thing for any youngster to do

Brilliant, @PermanentTemporary!!

It is acceptable if the person is bringing skills: for example as a doctor, midwife or nurse. Unfortunately, this is still looked down on by some people, despite their being a huge deficit of skilled healthcare professionals in many developing countries.

Would people here object to an Obstetrician volunteering with MSF, for example?

Sometimes. It's almost always more sustainable to fund local skills than to use temporary foreign imports.
You've only got to look at the number of foreign NHS workers to realise that the issue isn't lack of skills, it's lack of opportunity.

Not if it was for an extended visit, no - though there's still the point that local people know their own issues best and could well make better use of the money spent - but most teens certainly aren't trained medical staff

Interesting, too, that for all the cries about "It really is worthwhile", absolutely nobody's responded to the many posts about simply donating the money raised instead

What would you suggest when the local skills aren't available?

I agree that the NHS does recruit extensively from abroad, but we cannot blame individual healthcare workers for moving to developed countries when they are offered far better pay and working conditions.

The local skills are available. Name me a country in the world that doesn't train medics? The best, most sustainable and ethical solution is to pay locals so they don't leave in the first place. But it isn't as glamorous to fundraise for, so it doesn't happen.
I didn't say NHS recruitment was to blame. I merely pointed out that developing countries have medics, and used the NHS staff as evidence.

To have a real impact the Obstetrician would have to build a good rapport with the local community. They would need a solid understanding of the local community, custons and norms. They would have to stay years not months and obviously be training other health care professionals coming directly from the targeted community.

These things are never blank and white.

Anyone coming into a community for say 12 months may do something good during their time, but they will not be able to implement change. Only a long term, generational change will make MSF dissappear. That takes time, training and needs proper local government support to have lasting effects.

It's wishful thinking to rock up with our values and norms and expet everyone in every country adopting them.

Not if he/she volunteered for an extended period, was prepared to look at the bigger local picture, spending time with local birth attendants and understanding their role. And then looked to train and support such attendants to use locally available supplies to improve outcomes for women. And then use their network and contacts to fundraise and send regular supplies or cash to purchase supplies, again ensuring improved outcomes for women were sustained. I mean,that would be worthwhile and would make a difference, don’t you think?

Again, employing a local obstetrician would almost always be a more sustainable use of funds. It ought to be the default, foreigners only involved when there is truly no alternative.

The numbers trained in many countries if far below the minimum required for safe care, even without emigration. This is the point.

Right. But supporting the ones that are trained should be the start point. And it isn't.

There are actually charities that support with this. I'm not sure why you think that there aren't.

Of course there are. But they weren't what you asked about...