#NoWhiteSaviors No White Saviors
I remember looking at volunteering abroad in my older teenage years - young twenties and being super uncomfortable about 'voluntourism' but not knowing exactly why... the fact that trips were costing what they do, extortionate prices coupled with the short-term placements indicated that only rich kids should be able to do this, and the value of the experience would be low to non-existent.
I was well intentioned when looking, but nothing about these trips sat right. I've never volunteered abroad, but I've done a lot in my local communities over the years, the areas where I've lived and worked, and know that those experiences have had a huge benefit to other people and areas.
Consider if something is self-serving vs whether you're truly invested in helping the people in the place you've paid to go to. Why are you doing it?
If it is self-serving, that is not to say it is 'bad' by itself of course. Indeed, one of my volunteering roles totally led to my landing a job I love. In that role, I was 100% volunteering to support my career progression into an area without the relevant education or previous experience, but I was also 100% invested in what I was doing, and serving in that role the best I could for the message.
It's usually well intentioned when people make these trips and yes, of course there are those that do genuinely benefit the community, not themselves, but that is a small percentage.
This podcast episode offers some insights into voluntourism that might not have been considered by many well intentioned people, myself included.
