Apr 2 2011
Is Volunteering Overseas Sensible Or Destructive?
The Voluntourism sector has become very popular now with the industry worth over $2.6 billion. There are roughly 1.6 million people from the UK who volunteer on projects around the world. Due to these very large numbers lots of people have now stopped and begun to take note of what’s happening in this industry. Due to the boom in Social media sites such as Twitter/Facebook/YouTube many people have begun popular debates about volunteering. The most common conversations being had are if volunteering abroad is sustainable or harmful to the local people.
Volunteer programs
Most of the problems in volunteering abroad usually involve projects that directly affect the local community. This is usually only an issue with companies who only care about profits and draw up badly run projects for volunteers to participate in. Companies that listen to local communities across the globe usually have a lot more success with their volunteers and the projects are usually well thought out and productive. Badly run projects are a waste of time for all involved including the volunteers and the local communities. Whether you are volunteering in Uganda watch out for these dodgy projects.
Desire
For a person who is passionate not only for helping their friends or family but for helping strangers too, volunteering in for you. There are a lot of problems in the world which are even more evident when you travel abroad which need solving and volunteering is a step in the right direction. There are still people who take advantage of the industry and who are not in it for the same reasons many others are. When choosing any volunteer projects in Africa, ensure that you research the company which you are booking it with.
Independent volunteers
Unfortunately some companies are simply in the business to make a profit and care very little about the industry and the effect that the volunteers are having on the local people. To counteract these problems it is essential that volunteers do more research into volunteering with a company that has the correct ethical policy and then, only then will you have a wonderful, beneficial time abroad.
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