If you’re looking for an international work experience opportunity, you’ve likely encountered the term ‘voluntourism’.
What is 'Voluntourism'?
Voluntourism is exactly as it sounds – volunteering mixed with tourism. It’s when people travel abroad and participate in voluntary work.
Voluntourism has become popular in recent years. People are trading their tan lines for the chance to do something different and make a positive impact. While most embark on their volunteer experience with good intentions, some voluntourism can have the opposite effect in the long run.
In some cases, vital resources can be spent on supporting volunteers instead of locals, and volunteers may be inexperienced in the work they are completing – taking jobs from local people. Many volunteer experiences are also too short to truly experience local life. Unfortunately, there are also those who take advantage of the good intentions of volunteers for the purpose of making a profit.
Voluntourism can also come with more complex, deep-rooted issues – such as creating a dependency on volunteers in the area and feeding a saviour complex: the belief that Westerners are here to ‘rescue’ less fortunate others.
This can leave people feeling disappointed – many want to travel, gain work experience and make a difference – but definitely don’t want to add to these issues.
How can you find an ethical volunteer opportunity?
If your volunteering opportunity is ethical and sustainable, you’ll be able to make the impact you’re striving for.
A 2014 article by Eric Hartman, Cody Morris Paris and Brandon Blache-Cohen explained recommendations for ethical standards for volunteer tourism. They advise how to maximise benefits and minimise the negative impacts of voluntourism. These suggestions are called the ‘Fair Trade Learning Principles’- and they do what they say on the tin. They proposed lots of interesting principles and strategies, and the article is well worth a read. It can form a good basis for when you are researching for your own volunteering programme.
In short, however – they stress the importance of having clear outcomes which benefit everyone – as well as the importance of communication. They also emphasise the need for transparency in the funding and spending of the programmes.
What they emphasise the most, however, is the involvement of the community to which organisations are sending volunteers. Many of the principles relate to community voice, local sourcing, diversity and cultural immersion. For example: how many volunteers do they need? How often do they need them? How long do they need them for? How will volunteers experience the community?
Also, local sourcing is encouraged to maximise the benefits to the community. By hiring local staff and using local businesses, the local economy receives support and the programme is sustainable for everyone.
They also have recommendations for students and volunteers – to ensure you get the best out of the experience as well. So don’t worry – you’ll be well looked after!
They encourage constant communication between the volunteers and the organisations. So volunteers also get a say in the length of their programme, what they experience, what they need, and their feedback. They also recommend that volunteers embrace feedback too, and are always given the right guidance for their programmes. The care of the volunteers is also paramount – to make sure they get home happy and healthy.
Where does Vocational Impact come in?
If we may take a moment to toot our own horn – we are very proud at Vocational Impact to already align with most, if not all, of these standards.
We are a non-profit organisation, operating under the registered charity Arms Around The Child. This means that the programme fees we charge are reinvested into the organisations and projects that we work with. Because of our status as a registered charity, we are overseen by the UK Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator and a board of trustees – so you know your money is being spent with your best interests and the best interests of the projects at heart.
We are always transparent about where your programme fees go. The money goes in part towards supporting you before, during and after you travel – to the food, housekeeping and wages. Another chunk goes to the people and projects who are teaching and training you. Finally, another part of the fee goes directly into the projects – to ensure they can carry on their essential work.
How sustainable are our international volunteer projects?
Speaking of our projects – they are all local NGOs run by local people. This way, they understand the issues they are facing and how best to sustainably and sensitively address them. For example, our psychology and mental health programmes in Ghana address mental illness and mental health issues from a perspective that is very different to that in the UK. Beliefs surrounding mental health are often faith-based, and so by learning from locals, volunteers are better placed to assist.
Our accommodation is also run by locals! Volunteers stay in secure accommodation and are fed and watered by local people providing local food and local hospitality. For example in India, we have worked with a wonderful lady named Smriti for many years. She always welcomes our volunteers with open arms and ensures they are well looked after. Her accommodation has been described as ‘perfect’ and Smriti provides ‘a clear sense of love’.
We also ensure that we take on volunteers who are studying or have studied relevant subjects. This ensures that volunteers are versed in the field in which they are volunteering for the maximum benefit to both the volunteer and the community they wish to help. For example, our criminology and law programmes are more beneficial to everyone if the volunteer has background knowledge of law! In addition, volunteers are always accompanied by local professionals – so the work as well as the training is always up to standard.
By working with local people we ensure we empower them, create sustainable resolutions, and ensure cultural immersion for our volunteers!
Collaboration is an alternative to voluntourism
Vocational Impact stays in constant communication with both our projects and our volunteers. We regularly speak with our projects about their requirements and how your experience is going, and we personally visit each project at least annually.
In terms of our volunteers, we always keep in touch. Your in-country volunteer coordinator is always available to talk to and we in the UK are just on the end of the phone. From the moment you sign up you have our support, and we love to check in on how you’re getting on and are available for some advice.
We also invite you to complete feedback after your trip. Past volunteers have told us that they always felt they could communicate with us, called the communication ‘helpful’ and ‘amazing’ and said we ‘always have an open ear’. Why not read some of our Volunteer Stories here to see what they’re saying for yourself.
Speaking of communicating with our projects – we ensure we respond to their requirements. They tell us what they want when they want it, and how long for. Collaboration with our NGO partners has determined things like programme length and volunteer responsibilities. Although we are flexible and we have shorter options, we also encourage you to volunteer for as long as possible for maximum benefit to everyone. Our partners also advise us on the best number of volunteers – hence our small group sizes. We often only take around two or four volunteers at a time per programme, because this ensures that you get all the training and guidance you need.
We also tailor your programme to you, to ensure you have the best and most educational experience possible. If you have a preference or particular interest in one area of your programme, we can make it happen. Or, if you want to try a bit of everything, we can do that too!
Okay – so that may have been more than a moment of horn-toting – but we take ethics and sustainability very seriously!
Ready to make a real impact volunteering abroad?
While all of this may seem daunting to try and navigate, it will help you to make the right choices for your volunteering experience and the communities you wish to help.
Remember to thoroughly research programmes and organisations to ensure you are being true to your values and intentions.
You’re now well versed in Voluntourism, you understand how it can be a force for good (and not-so-good), and you know what you’re looking out for when you choose your volunteering abroad experience. You’re armed with awareness – so go for it! Happy researching, and happy travels!
