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?

And you are repeating the talking points of the companies and charities that make money from this.

Somehow I think I will believe the multiple people and organisations (not just the Guardian) who have actually researched the subject and have no axe to grind over the agencies that make money from voluntourism.

You do realise that you are repeatedly insisting that the only reason people have for giving to charity is if it benefits them? That’s really not true for most people, you know….

a few guardian articles on bad voluntourism projects isn’t evidence that it’s evil anymore more than the many articles of charity corruption/harm is evidence that all charities are bad and harmful.

The reason people don’t just give money is Because the money is for a trip and an experience for them as well as for the charity. It’s one way (many) charities raise money. Why do people in the uk volunteer rather than just work a few extra hours and donate the money? Obviously because they want to get something out of it too. And there is nothing wrong with that.

It was me who mentioned the need for Swahili.

I am sure the Tanzanians do all the work and the tourists look pretty in photographs.

The tourist part is racist, the other things look reasonable.

Sorry I think you have misunderstood me.

The basic idea of the organisation seems reasonable and better than others I have seen here.
Of course the tourist being involved in the interviews is wrong.

You’re repeating nonsense you’ve read in the Guardian. Many of the large global charities you are giving to use voluntourism as an income stream or way to fund their projects.

i don’t know where you get the idea that I said that people only give to charity to benefit themselves. But it’s one of the reasons people give and one of the reasons people volunteer. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Sorry but I'm not sure how you can detach the "idea" of the organisation from the worrying practice of charging unqualified foreigners to interview apparently vulnerable children twice a year.

I disapprove of these “ experiences” laughable that a bunch of teenagers have the expertise to build a house, sanitation system etc etc. the money they raise would be better spent funding operations there rather than flying them out. The way it is sold to pupils is disingenuous and sadly parents are deluded if they think it is the best way of helping the developing world. I know people who children have participated but when asked sent emails , Facebook requests I have ignored them.

Yeah…sure.

I really do think that travelling as a teenage and altruism are a good mixt. That helps people not saying stuff such as: « But should we really be using residents of poorer countries as teaching tools for our teenagers? »

Going out of…home? Country? Comfort zone?…Is litterally life 👀 you should try it.

actual research

https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2022/01/22/the-paradox-of-voluntourism-how-international-volunteering-impacts-host-communities/

https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/voluntourism/2019-09

Nobody is saying it’s not massively beneficial to the teenager in question.

The question is how much damage to the people they are pretending to help is acceptable in return.

My view is none. You are entitled to disagree.

Edited to say: By ‘pretending to help’, I fully accept the teenagers in question genuinely think they are helping. It’s just that usually isn’t true.

And you are repeating nonsense you’ve been fed by people who want your money while ignoring the multiple sources (not just the Guardian) explaining why voluntourism is a bad idea.

Your choice.

I wasn’t talking about the benefit only for the teenager but just the inherent fact that people do mixt one way or another.

voluntourism or else.

I also think that to say they create damage is soooo hypocritical…because centered onto your own way of thinking. I looked at the research by the way…

@CandidHedgehog you seem to feel strongly on this. Why do YOU think it creates so much damage?

I would look up and contact the company running the (dreadful) scheme as a teen advising grown adults is ridiculous. What is the company?!

A pp gave an example of a headteacher encouraging volunteering in the UK.
We live in quite an affluent area but there will be loads of people who can't afford the trips even if the student themself is fundraising for part of the cost (tbh most of the fundraising round here involves capital and/or skills from the parent anyway)
There are learning opportunities and volunteering opportunities close to home that can also be beneficial to a student and the charity or cause.

Depressing, too, to see the widespread thought and research that's gone into this - some of which has been linked - dismissed as "a few Guardian articles"

I'd have thought anyone with genuine concern for the disadvantaged would at least have read widely enough to appreciate the issues in the round, but apparently not

Already listed several times but:

1. ecological damage from flying in unskilled labour that could be hired locally
2. Economic distortion - volunteers doing work that could be done by paid locals (for a fraction of their flight / accommodation costs) thereby reducing the amount of paid work available
3. Orphanages - many children are not orphans but funding them living with their parents doesn’t draw paying volunteers like the opportunity to frolic for social media with a group of photogenic children
4. Emotional damage to the children from having a constantly changing set of carers who love bomb them for a couple of weeks then vanish.
5. None of the volunteers are DBS checked - the children are at risk of abuse.

In my view it also encourages a ‘white saviour’ / racist / colonialist attitude in the voluntourist who is told they are needed (with the implication the locals can’t manage for themselves). Not appropriate in the 21st century to say the least.

Edited to say: Not a finalised list - I’’m sure there’s more

Orphanages - many children are not orphans but funding them living with their parents doesn’t draw paying volunteers like the opportunity to frolic for social media with a group of photogenic children

It can sometimes be even worse than that, @CandidHedgehog
You're probably already aware, but if not look up Haiti, where families were actually paid to give up their children to "orphanages", where they were then used as funding bait

I see where you are coming from but you kinda state things that are not of your choosing…

1. ecological damage from flying in unskilled labour that could be hired locally —-> same kids will take planes to go in holidays instead
2. Economic distortion - volunteers doing work that could be done by paid locals (for a fraction of their flight / accommodation costs) thereby reducing the amount of paid work available ——> probably will not get done as funding comes from people sending their precious
3. Orphanages - many children are not orphans but funding them living with their parents doesn’t draw paying volunteers like the opportunity to frolic for social media with a group of photogenic children —-> not understanding that.
4. Emotional damage to the children from having a constantly changing set of carers who love bomb them for a couple of weeks then vanish. —-> emotional damage??? Na.
5. None of the volunteers are DBS checked - the children are at risk of abuse. —-> volunteers are normally dbs checked if working with children. If not working with children then of course not necessirly.

Could it be better? Yes of course. Is it Western fault? Yes of course. Is it volunteerism fault? Na. Is volunteerism bad…still not convinced that what it brings to the pop is not outweighing the bad you talk about.

Orphanages - many children are not orphans but funding them living with their parents doesn’t draw paying volunteers like the opportunity to frolic for social media with a group of photogenic children —-> not understanding that

Useful piece below, @laraitopbanana
It's from 2018, but note in particular that the estimated funding received was in excess of 100 million dollars, and then consider the motivation such a sum will provide to those whose interest certainly isn't the needy

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/20/health/haiti-orphanages/index.html

In regard to ‘not understanding’ the orphanage point:

https://www.hopeandhomes.org/blog/orphanage-volunteering/

https://www.savethechildren.org.au/about-us/save-the-childrens-charity-work/orphanage-tourism-and-voluntourism

1. Parents cannot afford to feed their children.
2. Volunteers want pictures of themselves playing with a group of pretty children - not possible if the children are living with their families.
3. Rather than provide support to keep families together, orphanages are set up and parents told they are the only option (or worse - see Haiti orphanages).
4. Volunteers pay thousands to spend a couple of weeks playing with the orphanage children (all carefully filmed - no concerns about plastering children in care all over social media the way there would be in the UK).
5. Profit!

As the links show, volunteers in many orphanages in developing nations are not checked in any way.

As for constantly changing carers not causing emotional damage, would you be happy if your children’s nursery changed staff every two weeks with no continuity of care? You can ‘nah’ as much as you like - experts in early childhood development don’t agree.

The first two points are addressed by actual experts in the links I’ve already posted.

Yep same thing happens in universities. So they’ve come up with this thing called ‘ethical volunteering’

Read, very useful.

so the cause is profit/money really and not volunteerism. Like many thing, it started with a good idea, been used as such and then some companie(s?) have used it for their own benefits.

I wouldn’t slag voluntourism still though…more the org which were in charge of these particular fiasco.

Then it will probably be upgraded to equitable volunteering.

I did try it.
Many times, backpacking for months on end. Brilliant!

What I didn't do was travel as an experience for me under the guise of "helping" others.

It's the pretence that is the problem. Or ignorance, for those who really believe they're helping.