This article was written for the Good Weekend magazine in The Sydney Morning Herald, for the subject Media Writing and Production.
Voluntourism: Helping or Hindering?
No longer are holidays all about relaxing
with a cocktail by the beach, endless days shopping, or a spot of sightseeing.
Volunteering tourism or “voluntourism” is fast becoming a trend that combines
our love of travel, with our growing sense of social awareness. But is this new
trend truly helping the developing world, or are we just helping ourselves?
Volunteering and
tourism first intertwined when missionaries, teachers and doctors offered their
talents abroad to those in need during the nineteenth century. Organisations
offering voluntourism, such as Australian Volunteers International, which has
been in operation since 1961, started to appear over the years. It wasn’t until
the last 10 years however, that the trend really started to take off.
Anyone looking for a
feel good experience has access to hundreds, if not thousands of organisations
willing to send them on an ‘experience of a lifetime’ in exchange for varying
amounts of money. Some programs last only a week or two, while others, such as
those offered by The Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) can
last a year and volunteers are ‘paid’ through receiving living allowances.
Caring for elephants in Thailand, tutoring orphans in India, preserving
rainforests in Ecuador or building homes in Kenya are just a sample of the
countless projects offered to people who are willing to give up their time (and
money) for the benefit of those less fortunate. With a quick search of the
Internet, you can find a volunteering position allowing you any opportunity in
any developing nation in the world you desire.
Voluntourism is
sometimes seen as an appealing alternative to donating money to charities. You
can see the tangible impact of your efforts when donating your time, whereas
when donating money it’s hard to be sure how much the starving and homeless
really benefit. Major charities such as Amnesty International and the Red
Cross, are known for their prolific fundraising budgets and use the services of
Cornucopia Fundraising. The company supplies trained street fundraisers in
return for up to 95 per cent of all first year pledges made to the charity.
Only if the pledge is withdrawn within the first 100 days does the charity get
to keep the lot. Many charities spend a high percentage of their fundraising
revenue on administration fees; seven of Australia’s most prominent charities
spend over 40 per cent each year. While these charities undoubtedly do amazing
work to support their cause and it is unreasonable to think they can do so
without spending money, they have been accused of misleading the public by not
being transparent enough on the issue of their financial distribution.
It can then be argued, is ‘voluntourism’
really any better? Volunteer organisation Projects Abroad offers two weeks in
India assisting in building schools and orphanages in India and costs well over
$2,000 not including airfares. In return, the volunteers receive accommodation
in a hostel or with a local family, three meals a day, insurance and 24-hour
staff support. Being the notoriously inexpensive country India is, you would
expect a significant amount of money left over. It is claimed a majority does
reach the community, though just like charities volunteering companies often
have large marketing and administration costs. With no financial reporting standard for charities it
is impossible to know exactly where the money is going.
There are concerns that voluntourism is
simply another tourism product, a commodity that can do more harm than good to
the developing world. VSO, a UK organisation that matches skilled volunteers to
projects abroad, even likened unskilled voluntourism to colonialism. They argue
wealthy westerners take away local workers jobs, often waste money on useless
projects and can traumatise abandoned children further by showering them with
care and affection, only to leave. A report released by the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) earlier this year revealed some disturbing statistics
relating to Cambodian orphanages, leading to a government investigation. It was
found only 28 per cent of ‘orphans’ have actually lost both parents, some of
which are stolen or rented by their parents and kept in intentionally neglected
conditions. They appeal to foreign aid appearing as a refuge for the needy, but
are really operating as a profit seeking business.
It is not only the recipients of
voluntourism who may be affected by bad experiences. A Facebook group has been
set up ‘Beware of Volunteering Solutions’, in reference to a company that runs
volunteer projects throughout the developing world. The page, and various
forums such as Lonely Planet show stories of corruption being rife within the
organisations such as a scarce food supply for volunteers, no support and money
not reaching the project or host families. Past volunteer Heather Newgen warns
of her trip to India with the company “only 4% of fees paid reached the
dilapidated orphanage I worked at; the majority of the fee went straight into
the pocket of the company directors”.
If a prospective volunteer does their
research however, it is possible to avoid the scams and have an enriching,
valuable experience. Among the corrupt organisations lay legitimate
not-for-profits that pair skilled professionals with beneficial projects.
Australian Volunteers International offer programs such as Lawyers Beyond
Borders and Cambodian Midwives Volunteer Project, which utilise volunteers in
areas where their skills aren’t available from locals. For all the negative
information on unskilled volunteering, there are the positive stories too.
Unskilled volunteers can also make a difference, if not always to those in
their placement, to themselves. Numerous forums and Facebook groups are teeming
with stories of volunteers having an experience they’ll never forget, being
immersed in a culture they would only glance at as a normal tourist, and a
desire to do more for the cause when they return back home.
18-year-old Sydney resident Ella Crowe had such an experience
when she volunteered in Tanzania with volunteer company United Planet. Volunteers
like Ella often return to their friends and family feeling compelled to help
further, to spread the word of what can be done, and feeling grateful for
everything they have been given. “I woke
up every morning with a purpose and spent the day learning a valuable lesson
about patience, love, acceptance and gratitude. I honestly can say it has
changed my life."
