I recently read an article published on the Guardian website, entitled ‘In defence of voluntourists’.  This has long been on my mind – voluntourism, that is, rather than defending the practise.  As someone who loves travelling, and having lived abroad for extended periods, including spending the best part of a year in East Africa myself, I have certainly witnessed ‘voluntourism’ – at its best, and at its worst, and have developed an opinion of my own on the matter.

At a time when it is harder than ever for bright young graduates to make their first steps into employment, volunteering can be an attractive prospect – particularly if it brings with it the opportunity to visit far-flung parts of the globe.  And the Charity sector should be delighted that volunteering is such a popular option with students and young people, if it can mark the beginning of a lifetime of engagement with giving.

The problem comes when (as is so often the case) charitable resources could be far better spent employing trained, experienced individuals to undertake their in-country work.  There is a reason why Oxfam, CAFOD and other major International Development charities don’t send 19 year olds to deliver project work in the developing world – they lack the experience often to undertake what is needed.

Is this really an effective way to help the developing world?

When it is done well, there is no doubt that ‘voluntourism’ will benefit the ‘voluntourist’; opening their eyes to new cultures and ways of life, and allowing them to (hopefully!) integrate into society in parts of the world they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to visit.  But the neo-colonial culture of some charities and organisations operating such gap-year ventures must be guarded against – Western teens are rarely better qualified than local teachers, for example, and very unlikely to have gained a significant insight into solving the problem of world poverty in an eight week sojourn.  Not to mention the promotion of an assumed Western cultural hegemony.

There is no doubt that the willingness of young people to volunteer is a positive thing, and something which the charity sector should seek to capitalise upon.  But perhaps those who wish to do so should be encouraged to participate in volunteering locally, in places they know well and with causes they can offer some expertise or experience in – a re-emergence of the Big Society?  Volunteering should of course benefit the volunteer, but the principal beneficiary should always be the community or area in which the charity operates.

What do you think? Have you been a ‘voluntourist’? Do you think it can ever be a positive thing? We would love to know your views.