How many times have you heard a fellow voluntourist say something to the effect of “I just want to give back?” Maybe you’re in the throes of a major harvest on an organic farm in Colombia and the importance of the work — the many families the food you’re collecting will feed—lands on your travel buddy and she pauses to let you know that this is what she feels like she’s meant to be doing. Or, perhaps this enthusiasm is observed in a less noble, but no less sincere setting, over beers with locals after a long day of picking up trash on a beach in Cuba. Either way, this idea, this desire to put yourself out there, to take risks that truly make a difference in the communities you visit, extends far beyond the basic principle of giving more than you gain.Truly giving is not simply about volunteering time and energy.
Photo credit: IOI Adventures
It’s not, at its core, about righting a wrong. Ethical volunteering is about paving the way for generosity by opening yourself up to your surroundings and to the people you meet in your travel adventures. It’s about offering your skills, perspective, and heart in ways that open doors, and leave a positive imprint long after you’re gone.
For all you out there who want an ethical volunteering experience abroad, here are six tips to ensure your time abroad is as impactful as you hope.
How to avoid voluntourism
1. Don't sign up for programs offered by travel businesses looking to bank on their bottom line.
These voluntourism operators tend not to prioritize local needs, and instead develop programs around the preferences of the volunteers themselves (i.e. whichever global issue will generate the most “likes” and “shares”). This is an especially reductive strategy for addressing environmental and humanitarian issues, which can easily, and often do, end up creating more harm than good.
KEEP READING: How to Ensure You Are a Responsible Voluntourist
Photo credit: IOI Adventures
2. Volunteer and travel with a nonprofit.
Nonprofits that are based in the communities they serve are much more likely to understand not only the specific needs of a place, but also the particular ways in which support can be delivered most effectively. Cultural and environmental awareness are critical components when it comes to intentional giving. Local nonprofits know how the right small, or large, act can ripple out into a community and generate tangible impact long past the initial intervention.
This cultural competency—which is often somewhat imperceptible to those approaching the work from the outside—can not only help to extend the benefits of the work, it can also prevent problems that result from a lack of cultural knowledge. Plus, this way you can be sure your hard earned travel cash is going straight into a fund that supports the projects, not the pockets of the organizers.
3. Make sure volunteer projects are executed with, or supervised/approved by local institutions.
As with nonprofits based in the communities they serve, local institutions that oversee and participate in important projects, the kind that attract serious volunteers, are better equipped to handle the specific needs of the beneficiaries. Additionally, supervision or approval by local institutions ensures that local laws and customs are properly adhered to and observed.
START NOW: Search for Verified Volunteer Programs on GoAbroad
Photo credit: IOI Adventures
4. Familiarize yourself with the place in which you’ll be volunteering and learn how to be considerate.
This one sounds obvious, but it’s worth repeating. Researching the culture, its customs, traditions, social cues, etc., before you’re in country can make a substantial difference in not only how quickly you adapt to a place, but also in how effectively you’re able to give. In exotic locations, for example, learning a few, key phrases in the indigenous language, even if you’re fluent in the national one, engenders respect and increases the likelihood that the local community will support and rally around your work. Always be sure to ask yourself if you have what it takes to volunteer abroad, before you get on the plane.
5. Stay local while you are volunteering abroad.
You know the concept: think globally, act locally. In the case of international volunteering, it’s very important to also think locally while you’re acting globally. Buy food and clothes from local vendors, introduce yourself to people and say hello (in their language), and of course, be kind to anyone you meet.
KEEP READING: How to Volunteer Abroad Sustainably
Photo credit: IOI Adventures
6. Consider your expertise before you choose a placement.
This means really thinking about how your values and experiences align with the work you choose to support. If you’re young and spry, and you’ve spent your formative years flippin’ burgers and slingin’ lattes, perhaps you should volunteer your time and energy with an organization that prepares meals for refugees. If you’re a seasoned adventurer with a diving certification and a basic understanding of marine life, perhaps link up with an organization that prioritizes marine preservation efforts.
No matter what you do, play to your strengths, even if that means sending a donation to an organization instead of heading out to address the issue yourself. These considerations are critical as there are a variety of factors at work anytime a volunteer sets foot in an under-resourced community. Labor intensive work in a low labor cost country, for example, is more likely to take away a job than address a dire need that couldn’t be dealt with locally. To give well, and to give authentically, think before you act.
Ethical volunteering depends on YOU
Photo credit: IOI Adventures
It is your duty as a future volunteer abroad to do due diligence on the projects you seek and to find ethical volunteer organizations. There's always someone there quick to take your dollar and give you an experience, but in order to have a responsible and more ethical volunteer abroad experience, you must be conscious of where you spend your money, how it's being spent, and who is benefiting (and how) from the work that you do.
At the end of the day, remember that the most effective way to accomplish ethical volunteering give is genuinely. No, that’s not a Hallmark inscription, it’s a philosophy and a methodology. Giving is most effective when it’s not about you—when the motivation is truly rooted in doing what’s best for the community and populations (species nonspecific) that you’re supporting. Learning how to avoid voluntourism is easy when you commit to doing the hard upfront work and educating yourself!
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This article was contributed by IOI Adventures, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing sustainable international programs in Latin America.
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