Volunteer Tourism: Doing It Right Through Proper Organizations
Over the past decade, the concept of volunteer tourism has taken off across the globe with thousands of people seeking meaningful excursions that lend a helping hand to communities as opposed to just taking photos of monuments. But while intention is powerful, execution fails. Unsuccessful volunteer tourism programs waste time, effort, resources and populations are disrupted while travelers leave disillusioned.
What is a good volunteer trip and what isn’t? What makes it mere volunteer tourism? If well-constructed organizations bridge the gap and truly understand community needs and future efforts, then it’s worthwhile. If unconstructed efforts bridge the gap through no research and development in advance, then it’s an unworthy endeavor.
Risks of Independent Connections
The ease of connecting on one’s own seems more organic (and perhaps cheaper) but ultimately it runs into complications that travelers would never think about.
First, populations do not always know what they need and request things that sound good in theory but ultimately build reliance. A village may request a new school built after one year spent teaching with foreigners but the flaw lies within teacher retention. The new school will end up being moot if teachers continuously reapply for foreign year-long contracts. Additionally, building things sounds like a good initiative but becomes complicated by language barriers. Without culturally mediated translations, assumptions are made about what people think are acknowledgments of construction are actually polite gestures that do not mean agreement.
Second, insurance comes into play – safety nets and risk management come into play in emergencies. There are policies in place for workplace safety for a reason; independent placements rarely have such coverage.
What Organizations Provide
Established organizations serve as a middleman who provide the opportunity to connect from afar – something not everyone is capable of doing on their own. Established organizations take on liability and responsibility for successful connections that yield long-term benefits as they understand what communities need over time.
A vetting process is established for both sides. Volunteers are vetted for skills and realistic expectations. Communities are vetted for appropriate collaborators and legitimate needs.
Pre-placement training can go a long way. Understanding cultural norms and how to address vulnerable populations respectfully can save time and errors.
Meanwhile, support during placement when issues arise can set people straight. During communication problems or project issues, an organization can step in to mediate volunteer challenges.
How to Connect Legitimately
There are varying levels of volunteer tourism – from ethical organizations to those who seek easy financial gain.
Red flags include organizations that will take anyone (without a skill set), claim life-altering experiences are possible through two weeks and promote how much fun it is to help out as opposed to focusing upon real benefits for communities. Additionally, placing untrained people in sensitive situations without guidance lends even more cause for concern.
Researching an organization is key. Established groups with organizational infrastructure boast interested parties with levels of reporting responsibility for safer bets. Click here for networks that connect with established organizations who vet opportunities for placements that are truly beneficial to communities.
Appropriate Time Period
Short-term volunteer tourism fails when one or two weeks is not an adequate timeframe to realize where people come from and/or finish substantial projects that warrant matchmaking.
Better matchmaking in one-time volunteer settings comes from conservation work, festival preparation or projects that beg for unskilled manual labor that genuinely could help (think cleaning).
Long-term connections – months versus weeks – help foster real connections. Skills can be learned. Projects can be completed. Serious commitment can be established with time.
Money Matters
Money matters. It’s not free to participate; accommodations, food, transportation, insurance, registration fees and community compensation all factor into the equation. What’s important is whether they’re nominal or exorbitant fees.
Transparency matters; clearly outlined fees allocated to things like community engagement help volunteers see how much goes directly to them versus overhead compensation.
Direct compensation to communities outside of organizational fees is a good sign; when host families receive direct payment from volunteers, funds go directly into community members’ pockets.
Pre-Trip Knowledge
Humility over savior mentality makes all the difference. Learn from locals. Ask questions. Keep in mind there was a community long established before the volunteer arrived with their perfected skills. Doing the research ahead of time – basic language skills, cultural settings, historical conflict/controversy – all key elements in transforming volunteers into contributors.
One way to show respect is following through on promises made – a half-finished project only wastes community time when resources could be compounded elsewhere; showing dedication through finished work (when able) fosters respect.
Post-Assessment Impact
The best volunteer efforts take place when sustainability goals will happen after volunteers leave the picture – this means careful pre-planning of what realistically can be done.
Short-term volunteers with relationships fostered by long-term employees make it easier to build upon what’s been done before than start from square one every time.
Community ownership trumps volunteer contribution; when communities drive work and volunteers provide necessities, projects maintain momentum after departures; when volunteers lead the charge without community investment – and communities merely support the efforts – the projects dwindle.
Making It Meaningful
Effective volunteer tourism connects established systems that legitimately help communities while providing meaningful opportunities for participants when properly matched with enough time and humility as a prerequisite.
If desire fills the need as opposed to skill sets, it’s a lost cause – a feel-good endeavor with multiple failures across the board.
The best participant experiences realize their preconceived ideas were wrong or learn through volunteering thatcommunities are strong – and outsiders have so much more to learn than teach.
When this process happens successfully, volunteer tourism reaches its ultimate success.
Choose established organizations with proven efforts and transparency while compassion and respect for communities trumps any effort watered down by prior selfish applications for personal gain.
