Voluntourism – Holiday or Help?

Leading British news website for the voluntary sector, Charity Finance, has revealed that the numbers of people travelling across the globe to be volunteers has rocketed in recent years. Catherine Raynor, media manager of international charity VSO, says that “the climate of redundancies is drawing in more people”.

The organisation received 2,813 enquiries for voluntary work between September and November in 2008, more than double the 1,233 that applied in the same period in 2007. “There’s an increasing sense that now is a good time to get away, spend some time abroad doing something worthwhile, and then return when the economy is back on its feet,” explains Raynor.

Oscar Garcia, professor at the University of San Martín, reports that the amount of volunteers arriving in Argentina will be on the rise in 2009, as a repercussion of the economic crisis. Most will look to help out in welfare and in activities serving basic needs of impoverished communities. He warns, however, that it is “necessary to implement infrastructure, so that the influx of volunteers can be managed and trained, because resources are lacking”.

Plenty of online agencies offer volunteer packages, with exotic countries in Latin America particularly appealing to would-be travellers. This would seem to be a good thing for worldwide NGOs. In many communities where help is desperately needed, extra hands are always welcome.

In theory, the rising number of people offering their services free of charge seems great. But it isn’t all plain sailing. Many volunteers arrive at their exotic destinations unprepared, or worse still, unmotivated. Placements can be set up at the click of a button online, and the attraction for the volunteer is often the place they are going rather than the organisation they are working with. This is not helped by vague descriptions being given by online agencies. Volunteers often cannot make contact with the actual project until they have paid a large cash amount. 

Clearly volunteers are allowed to enjoy themselves, but at what cost? With lower prices, lots of sun, and beaches aplenty, the sceptic could argue that a volunteer is volunteering for their own enjoyment and their CV. A line needs to be drawn between what voluntary work defines and what constitutes an extended holiday. If volunteers are not working for the right reasons, they can become detrimental to a project.

I questioned various people currently and formerly involved with worldwide volunteer organisations to discover whether all volunteers actually benefit projects and to what extent ‘voluntourism’ exists.

Gonzalo Alarcón, 55, Colombian, formed Voluntarios de Occidente ten years ago in rural communities in Ecuador, a project which assists poor families with improved housing and youngsters with education. www.voluntariosdeoccidente.org

Jesica Franco, 27 and Roxana Mauricio, 36, are coordinators of Argentine NGO Voluntario Global, a project which provides economical and educational assistance to poor families in Argentine communities. www.voluntarioglobal.org.ar

Neuza Nascimento, 49, director of CIACAC, has been director of a community project for children and adolescents at social risk in Parada de Lucas, a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro for six years. www.ciacac.org  

Liliana González, 31, has volunteered in Brazil, Mexico and the US, working in community projects with adults and children.

Finding a volunteer project

Many people thinking about volunteering in Latin America may be concerned about their personal security on a continent notorious for petty theft and gang wars. Therefore it is natural for would-be volunteers to want to have some personal contact with someone who has experience in volunteering, and who knows how it works.

This is where the big online agencies such as i-to-i, Frontier and Ikoporan step in. They are in contact with organisations worldwide. People who have never ventured so far overseas are inclined to trust them. But how much do you have to pay for this trust?

Gonzalo believes that a volunteer should pay for accommodation and food costs, so not to be a financial burden on the poor community they are helping. “My volunteers are placed with families, with 80% of the money going to them, and 20% to the project,” he says.

Roxana admits that for those who contact them directly, Voluntario Global charges just over US$300 to a volunteer who stays for three months because there is no other financial means of running the project, but those who go through online agencies pay a lot more. She admits she does not know where the rest of the money goes.

A quick browse on the Frontier website finds a placement for 12 weeks in Argentina which costs US$3,300. Volunteers get accommodation, airport pickup  - and a T-shirt! Renting a very nice apartment in Recoleta would cost US$1,500 for three months, but they are hardly going to be put there. Add a maximum of US$50 for an airport taxi and it appears that these companies are raking it in. Frontier does not deny that it takes a huge cut. “Although it is difficult to give you an exact figure, somewhere between 10% and 100% of the contribution will be applied directly to supporting the overseas project through financial support.”

Those working daily with community projects are disgusted by these statistics. Neuza alleges that it is unethical to charge such prices, especially as they see little of this money. “It’s a crime. It’s something imposed on the volunteer by these organisations and distorts the meaning of volunteer.”

Jesica is not as harsh in her criticisms. “I don’t think it’s bad. It’s a business. Although maybe it’s not fair on the volunteer, they do nothing against the law.”

However, no sympathy is left by Gonzalo for the volunteers that pay excess amounts. “The problem here is the volunteer. If they pay such vast sums of money, they are not really volunteers. They have other intentions, like tourism, fun and adventures.”

But many projects have no option but to work with these big businesses to recruit volunteers. For them, something is better than nothing.

The role of the volunteer

There are lots of different projects out there requiring various skills and knowledge, which the volunteer can use for the benefit of the project. Teaching experience, construction know-how and leadership skills are all valuable. As well as this, working in a foreign country may require the ability to speak another language.

It can be difficult to find a perfect speaker, but Jesica argues that it is key to a volunteer’s contribution. “It’s necessary for communication. The language and respect for a new culture are fundamental. A volunteer is limited without language skills, and is restricted to basic tasks, such as helping out in the kitchen.”

Liliana asserts that language should not be made a barrier, but admits that it is important. “I don’t agree with excluding someone from volunteering because they do not speak that language. Those who may not have the language capability may have other skills that will prove valuable to the project, and in turn the project strengthens. They should, however, make the effort to learn.”

Although volunteers with training and qualifications are often desired in their own countries, many of those going abroad fall in to the gap-year or young adventurer category, and are not guaranteed to be experts in any field. With this in mind, Jesica argues that the principal quality desired in a volunteer is “the willingness to help”.

Even if someone is heavily qualified, Neuza explains that this is not always an advantage. “A volunteer could be an expert in finance for example, but might not make the most of it due to a lack of interest and motivation.”

In order to demonstrate that they are truly motivated towards the project, it could be argued that the volunteer should treat it as if it were a paid job, and put everything into it for a substantial length of time.

“They should do five days a week, all day,” coincide Roxana and Gonzalo, “they should be 100% committed.”

Roxana explains how volunteers would ideally stay for a minimum of three months. “The first month, you are getting to know the project. In the second month, you begin to realise where you can use your skills to the best effect. From the third month and onward is where the real difference is made.”

There can also be an issue of trust between the volunteer and the organisation that employs them. There is no point in having a volunteer that does not turn up on time, or treats the experience as a holiday. “If you have committed yourself,” says Liliana, “then you should have the integrity to carry out your responsibilities.”

If the volunteer does not show true desire or interest Neuza suggests that volunteers are dispensable. “I had a young woman come along to do a drama workshop. She felt that she was above the children and didn’t treat them with any respect. I kindly told her not to come back the next time.”

Jesica finds that actually sacking volunteers is not very common. “If someone doesn’t know how to be a volunteer, they usually stop coming after a week or so.”

Has the volunteer made a difference?

When a volunteer takes part in a project, progression should arguably be seen. “If they didn’t make a difference, what would be the point?” asks Neuza.

Liliana admits that it goes a little deeper than that. “You can’t change the world or a community and make huge impacts in a month, six months, or even a year. It takes a continuous effort, and many people collaborating to accomplish a difference. All we can do is contribute, and work from the heart. Good things always result from that. You must focus on the present, and if you can help just one person, then than that makes a significant difference.”

Gonzalo finds that many ex-volunteers send friends to help with projects. They consequently do not have to pay large fees to help out and there is an additional element of trust because of they way they were recruited.

All agree that ‘voluntourism’ exists in some shape or form. Gonzalo is thankful that he has experienced little of this phenomenon. Neuza is willing to take the risk on most volunteers, and whether a person becomes a ‘voluntourist’ is unfortunately something learnt and dealt with later. Jesica advises would-be ‘voluntourists’ in Buenos Aires to save themselves the hassle and instead head down to Puerto Madero or walk the Caminito.

Liliana has a firm message for people thinking about volunteering just for the sake of it. “Naturally, as a visitor to a new country you will have opportunities to explore, party and enjoy. But if, as a volunteer, you lose sight of the reason why you are going in the first place then just be a tourist and don’t ‘fake the funk’. Don’t disguise yourself as a volunteer. Be honest about your intentions.”