There’s been a lot of skepticism and criticism over the last few years over the concept of “voluntourism.” This is where people travel to other states, or countries, to do volunteer work for a certain amount of time before coming back to the place they come from. Typically, these trips last around one or two weeks, and I’ve seen friends and peers go to places such as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Guyana.
This was never a topic that I thought could be controversial. It always seemed like such a positive experience, for those traveling and volunteering as well as for the people living in the places they volunteered in. But now, these trips are being picked apart for some questionable morals behind choosing to do the trip, and in wondering if they really help at all.
The first time I saw this topic questioned was through the documentary “H.O.P.E Was Here,” made by Mark Denega, a Boston University graduate, in my COM 101 class last semester. In the documentary, Denega showed both the positives and the negatives of these trips. He showed that the people in the community were really touched by what the volunteers provided, and that many of the students took away a lot from the experience. He also showed that most of the kids on this trip, which was to Lima, Peru, didn’t speak any Spanish. This provided a difficult language barrier between the volunteers and those they worked with, making doing the work in the short amount of time that they had even harder.
This controversy has been prevalent recently in the BU community because the university’s Alternative Service Break trips have also been labeled as voluntourism. I saw a few friends go on these trips this year and have a good experience, doing great work in the states that they went to. The issue definitely arises from the short amount of time spent in the areas that people are volunteering in. While good volunteer work is being done, it’s only being done for a short amount of time.
Another argument against it is that people are only doing these volunteer trips to pad and expand their college applications or resumes. This may have been more of an issue a few years ago, compared to now. With the popularity of these volunteer trips rapidly increasing, it becomes less and less unique or special when put on an application or resume. Most people I know have a community service hour limit that they have to fulfill in high school. I chose to do my 40 hours locally due to convenience, but what’s the issue with going somewhere else to fulfill them? Especially when there is no incentive such as an hour limit, I think it’s more of a positive than anything.
There is one argument that resonates with me, and it’s the argument that those who go on these trips should just send the money they would use for travel costs to those in need, instead of spending the money to make the trip there. This is a valid point and definitely a question that should be asked. However, it’s better to go out and volunteer yourself instead of just blindly sending money. This is especially relevant in communities with children, especially orphaned children. Even if it’s just for a short amount of time, the volunteers can provide support and love to the children that they probably do not receive on a daily basis.
When it comes down to it, any volunteering is better than no volunteering at all, especially if a person goes out and does it consistently. I don’t think we should discourage people from volunteering by putting these projects under a microscope and looking for flaws. College students could be doing the “typical” spring break activities, such as going to the beach or partying, but instead they’re choosing to go out and provide help to areas that need assistance. That’s important and shouldn’t be ignored.
The short time of these volunteering trips sometimes causes the work that is done to not be helpful in the long run. However, I’ve also seen people build wells and schools, aspects of a community that will help for years to come. It also definitely provides a positive change of perspective and worldview for both those on the trips and the people who live in the communities, which is a great thing in itself.
Regardless of the setbacks and controversies, I really do think projects that are thrown under the category of “voluntourism” do have good intentions and outcomes. These trips overall are beneficial, and the growing popularity is a sign of good change in the world, not the other way around.
