Amy E. Robertson
Hi Matthew, I don't think that most people are choosing between volunteering at an orphanage versus staying home and making a donation. (Donations are always great! But they are something else altogether.) I find the choice to be between a regular vacation and one that contains a service component. Once the individual has committed to a service component, the choice is about the type of service. Should someone be drawn to volunteering with children, there are many schools and day care centers that welcome short-term volunteers. A volunteer who already speaks the local language might be just the right person to come in and lead a music or crafts workshop, or a week of sports activities. I know that I appreciate it when a volunteer comes to my own kidsâ school to lead such an activity. In any organization, volunteers that are integrated into an organizational plan will have greater chances of being successful. Orphanages are another category, and I donât feel like I have definitive answers. Some countries, such as Cambodia, have been plagued by problems of exploitation at orphanages, but this isnât true in everywhere in the world. There are some orphanages that utilize short-term volunteers to help out in the office or kitchen, granting limited contact with the children. On the other hand, I know of one orphanage in Guatemala that accepts volunteers only for two to four week stints â long enough for the organization to deem it worthwhile, but short enough that the staff (which includes a professional psychologist) feels that the children arenât harmed by the development of long-term bonds. What I can say without reservation is that anyone who is considering volunteering at an orphanage should tread carefully. Read up on the issues. Ask the orphanage directly about their approach to volunteers and how they determined it. Additionally, ask if they support efforts to keep families together, and if so, how. Your best way to support a (would-be) orphan might be by volunteering at a project that provides income generation or day care for working parents.
Hi everyone, and thank you for this discussion. As Sallie has rightly noted, it is often the bad practices and mistakes that garner publicity, while the countless stories of successful collaborations between volunteers and communities get minimal attention. What we can hope comes out of the headline-grabbing negative experiences would be an increased awareness by potential volunteers about the kinds of projects to look for and the questions to ask. In a recent article for Transitions Abroad I noted that volunteering internationally makes you a global citizen, and as such&
<&citizenship comes with both rights and responsibilities. Finding a quality volunteer experience goes beyond thinking about what you want and what you have to offer. It also includes the responsibility to ask for accountability from the volunteer organization. By asking the right questions of hosting organizations, volunteers can better support well-planned, effectively-executed initiatives that have a positive impact.
As Shannon has pointed out, there is a wealth of resources on the internet about what kinds of questions to ask, but not every volunteer (perhaps not most) will take the time to figure them out or ask them. Thats where resources where someone else has already done the research - such as Shannons website Grassroots Volunteering , the certifying organization Vofair (Volunteering Fairly), and guidebooks like mine on Volunteer Vacations in Latin America (shameless plug, I know!) - can be especially valuable.
And while I love free and low-cost volunteer opportunities as much as the next person, one piece of what you pay for when you utilize a reputable volunteer placement agency is the research that they have done to find partner organizations that are suitable and of benefit to volunteer and community alike. (This is where organizations like Sallies people and places deserve a shout-out.)
Shannon raises the point of can this job be done better by locals? If not better, then at least as well, is probably true for the vast majority of volunteer opportunities. But I am not one to advocate staying home and sending your money instead, for a couple of reasons. First, I think that most would-be volunteers are choosing between taking a regular vacation or taking a vacation with a volunteer component, not choosing between vacationing and sending money. And second, while there are surely those in the community who can paint a wall or measure a sea turtles shell just as well as you can, they may not have the time or inclination, and your presence is a tangible sign of solidarity with the people or cause you are supporting.
Ken Budd highlights this in his book, The Voluntourist, when he recounts visiting a shantytown in Costa Rica that is home to marginalized Nicaraguan immigrants and spending an afternoon playing soccer with some kids. He questions the value of that outing with the program director, who responds that Sending volunteers to this neighborhood has an effect on the adults, the other people in the community, and the children& when they feel important, welcomed, and acknowledged by others& it enhances their self-esteem. And its a reminder to other community members& that these children exist and they need someone to give them better opportunities.
Talking about children brings me to the last aspect that id like to comment on: volunteering with children.
This is a controversial and highly-charged topic within the world of voluntourism yet it is also probably the most popular form of volunteering. I think we need to keep talking about best practices, so that we can push volunteers, volunteer placement agencies, and local NGOs to follow them.
I think of when my parents came in to my kids school to volunteer when we were living in Honduras my dad came in to the PE class for a two-day workshop on the basics of baseball, and my mom did a couple of story read-alouds. It was drop-in, drop-out volunteering and the activities themselves did not require a specialized skill set, but the volunteering still provided value. The students had the chance to have more exposure to native English speakers, the children benefitted from a fresh new activity, and the teachers got a short break from their routine. Although the volunteering was super short term, it was successful also because my parents had come prepared, and because I had made the effort to coordinate in advance with the school so that their activities fit into the curriculum. Coming prepared and making sure your (or your volunteer's) activities fit well with the project are two good practices.
I believe that there are lots of good opportunities for volunteering with children out there, but that its an area where there may not be enough information on the web about what kinds of questions to ask, and its probably the area where it is most critical to do so. One good question is if the volunteer will be alone with the children (the answer should be no! - unless they are asking for references and running a background check on you the way a daycare agency in the US would run on a potential new hire, and I have seen a couple of organizations that do ask this of their volunteers who work with children). Another question is how your activities will fit in with the ongoing activities at the school, daycare center, or youth program. Sallie, Shannon, what other questions would you add?
I couldn't agree more with your comment that not every trip is right for volunteering, and I didn't mean to imply otherwise. As you rightly say, there are many types of exchanges that have a positive impact on the community, such as community-based tourism, cultural tours and experiences, and simply making the effort to give your business to establishments that are locally owned and environmentally friendly.
That said, there are also good volunteer opportunities out there utilizing an incredibly wide range of skill sets, so when the volunteer component is the priority, some research and good questions can help the would-be traveler connect with the right experience for them.
I'm doing some research today on community based tourism (CBT) in Kyrgyzstan - who knew??? They have a well-established network of CBT associations, with guesthouse and yurt stays, horseback riding, and more. I am putting it on my bucket list.
Hello Sallie,
I was hoping that we could talk at the Hangout about one of the points you raised here, but we didn't have the chance so I wanted to come back to it here. You say "direct volunteering in country is fraught with dangers and pitfalls and is not a way forward I'd encourage"
I'd like to understand what your concern is on this. I have seen many, many excellent direct volunteering opportunities, and have included many of them in my guide to volunteering. Shannon lists several of the same organizations on her website GrassrootsVolunteering.org, and also is a proponent of direct volunteering. Many of the local organizations that are included in my guide are partners with volunteer placement agencies, and accept both volunteers from placement agencies and those who arrive independently. If the volunteer makes the effort to find a reliable local organization - either by doing their own legwork to find it or by looking for an opportunity with the help of someone else who has done that research (such as Shannon through her website or me through the guide), then what is the concern?
I don't in any way mean to diminish the value added by responsible placement agencies. They have done the legwork to find the partner, and take some of the burden off the local organization by helping to make sure that the volunteer fits the volunteer opportunity. They also often offer additional services that the volunteer needs or wants - pre-departure assistance, organization of accommodation, language lessons, social activities, and opportunities for learning to accompany the service, and as you mentioned, can help mange expectations of all parties. But not every volunteer needs those services.
I mentioned this point to another passionate volunteer I admire, Serena Star Leonard, founder of the website FivePointFive.org, who volunteered with 18 organizations (mostly in Latin America, and a couple more in Australia and New Zealand) over the course of two years. The majority of those volunteer experiences were direct volunteering with local grassroots organizations. I'd like to include here what she had to say about it:
"Many of the small grassroots organisations we visited in Latin America rely heavily on drop in volunteers. They are generally created out of a specific need in the community and don't have the time, experience or money necessary to "market" their organisation to the world.
These projects are usually low cost to participate in - like a $50-$300 upfront fee with no additional costs. In the places we went to, these fees were the bread and butter of the organisation and make the work possible, sometimes it is their main fundraising opportunity.
Everyone wins in these situations as the organisations get help financially and with hours and the skills of the volunteers and the volunteers get an unplanned experience to make a difference and know a community in a way they never could by simply travelling in the area. We have heard from dozens of people who have watched our videos and then dropped into volunteer (from 1 week-3 months) and had the most memorable experience of their travels.
It is in these tiny organisations that you can make the biggest difference with your time and effort. Not only when you are there but when you leave with an understanding of how people really live in other parts of the world and can then share their work with other people and hopefully fundraise for hem from time to time."
Amy E. Robertson (not Amy Robinson) ;)
We didn't get the chance to have participants from receiving organizations at our Google+ hangout, but this article is in line with what I have heard from receiving organizations - most want international volunteers to keep coming!
Thanks Sonja! There's lots to think through before heading on a volunteer vacation, and I'm glad if the article help sort out some of the aspects.
What fun! Here are a few others...
Afghanistan: A Fort of Nine Towers by Qais Akbar Omar - a memoir of the author's growing up during the war and Taliban regime.
Bosnia: The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric - a masterpiece that tells centuries of Balkan history through the story of a bridge
Cambodia: In the Shadow of the Banyan Tree by Vaddey Ratner - fictionalized account of a royal family's tribulations during the Cambodian civil war
Chile: anything by Pablo Neruda
Italy (Sicily): Yes, the Leopard is fantastic, totally agree. I also thought Midnight in Sicily by Peter Robb is an excellent account of the ravages of the Mafia.
Lebanon: The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, or anything by Hanan al-Shaykh or Amin Maalouf
Liberia: The House on Sugar Beach - memoir of an Americo-Liberian whose family was forced to flee their home when President Tolbert came to power in 1980
Malawi: I Will Try by Legson Kayira - the memoir of a poor villager's journey by foot from then Nyasaland to Sudan in order to attend college in the US (disclaimer, Legson was my uncle by marriage)
Nigeria: Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan - short stories that take place across Africa - powerful stories about children and youth, but not for kids or for the faint-hearted.
Norway: I found Jo Nesbo's mystery thrillers fun, or for something rather more "literary" and a bit bleak, Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
Pakistan: In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin - linked stories of a feudal home in Pakistan. Or of course, Malala's memoir.
Palestine: Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa - the story of a young Palestinian girl whose journey starts in 1948, and encompasses Jerusalem, Beirut and Philadelphia.
Portugal - anything by José Saramago.
On my "to-read" list is Ishmael's Oranges by Claire Hajaj, a love story between a Palestinian man and a Jewish woman, inspired by her own parents.... - takes place part in London as well as in the Middle East.
I took a trip to Yellowstone this summer with my parents and my kids. Used the guidebook written by Don Pitcher, my colleague at Moon Handbooks, and found it helpful in sorting through priorities and planning a reasonable agenda for the days we had. There is a LOT of info out there to sift through. It is key to take time to get off the beaten path even a tiny bit. I LOVED all the highlights, but it was exciting to spot bears from a back road detour in the vicinity of Mammoth Springs, and exciting to spot a buffalo across the field while hiking on a short off-the-main-path hike. We did a mix of very expensive in-park accommodations and cheaper outside of park.
@BlackSheepInn First, let me say that I am so happy to "see" you here - I had thought the inn had closed! Glad that you are open. My husband and I have fond memories of spending his birthday there with our kids many years ago.... Second - you make excellent points. Real sustainability exists only in rare places such as Black Sheep Inn, where every aspect of the experience has sustainability as the focus: from the environmental toilets to the horseback rides led by community members whom tourists pay directly. All that said, I agree with Nat Geo in that there is a trend in the right direction - environmental sustainability at least is becoming increasing important for suppliers in the mainstream tourism market, because us tourists ask for it. Social sustainability looks farther off from where I sit, what do others perceive? How can we better demand it?
I recently read a mini article in the Economist that said that consumers feel better about themselves if they bring their own bags to the grocery store instead of using plastic ones. But they tended to splurge on other items, like stuff wrapped in plastic, and so the impact was controversial. Are we doing that with travel also? Are these "sustainable" choices helping us to feel better about the long-haul flights that the earth could really do without? (This is not a criticism of others - I'm as guilty as the next person of that, but it's been on my mind lately!) For that reason I appreciate the comment from @eurapart about greentraveller. I'd also like to give a shoutout here to a hotel booking site that I only recently discovered, www.bookdifferent.com, which cuts through all the greenwash lingo to tell you the carbon footprint of your desired hotel room (and you can book from the site directly). And 50% of their booking commissions are donated to charities to boot!
@hitriddle I liked this question a lot and was hoping to see responses, with more ways that travel bloggers have been touching on the refugee crisis. While in Italy, I did read in a newspaper a story by a travel writer vacationing in Greece who ended up getting involved helping refugees that were arriving to the island she was visiting.
Came across this today - it's not about the current crisis, but along the same lines - how the blogger saw migrants forced out of a makeshift camp in Paris - and appreciated that she chose to include a mention of this and not just her visit to the Eiffel Tower.
@hitriddle I will also say that it is easy to be somewhere and know that all this stuff is going on around and yet not come into contact with it (and subsequently not write about it). Even here in Beirut, where there are clashes tonight between protesters and police downtown tonight, I am reading about it on Twitter and online like everyone else, not witnessing nor hearing.... And I'm not a news writer, so not planning to head to the protests so that I could write about it.
@hitriddle thanks for flagging me on the pieces you've come across. I especially appreciated the piece by Barbara Weibel (@holeinthedonut) because it was what we're talking about here - a travel writer who has used her platform to shine a light on a piece of the Syrian crisis. The pieces you flagged on the NYTImes and Latterly were excellent, but written by regular journalists who are seeking out the Syrian stories, rather than travel writers who are filtering it through a different lens. All valid POVs, but as a fellow travel writer, I'm especially interested to see the stories by other travelers. :)
Delighted today to see Travel + Leisure published a piece online about meeting with refugees on the island of Chios/Lesbos, Greece (and especially pleased as it is by fellow Moon handbook author Zora O'Neill). http://outbounding.org/articles/view/traveling-during-europe-s-migrant-crisis
thanks for sharing this!
I read this related piece yesterday on AFAR.com, and was struck by it. http://www.afar.com/magazine/why-this-controversial-cruise-is-a-big-deal The cruise expert who rode along for part of the cruise wrote about all the precautions Crystal Serenity took, but also wrote: "Expedition team members patrolled with rifles should a polar bear approach."
Without knowing more than what has been presented in these two articles, I remain with serious concerns.
While I don't share Mark's opinion that one should never pay for an international volunteer experience, I do think that there is a LOT of good advice in this article.
Personally, I am comfortable paying a small fee to support an organization's administrative costs, when my volunteering has taken up time on the organization's side in emailing me, organizing the placement, and supervising my volunteer work. I am also comfortable paying a higher fee if I am then provided room and/or meals. For me, the key is to know what my money is going toward, and making sure that it makes sense to me as well as in the larger context of the organization, its impact on the community, and the impact of my contribution on the organization and community. I donate to non-profits in my hometown, and don't mind if a portion of my payment is a contribution toward the work of the non-profit where I'll be volunteering internationally.
What Mark's article highlights is that it takes time, effort and commitment on part of the volunteer to be effective. I couldn't agree more.