Life is made to be more beautiful when you lean into your interconnectedness with other humans, the rest of nature, and the entirety of this precious planet. Many people who are interested in reciprocity, love, and gratitude turn to volunteering. And many of those people who also love to travel turn to volunteering abroad—and sometimes, more specifically, volunteering in developing countries.
Deciding to volunteer in developing countries comes with serious responsibility.
Becoming a volunteer in developing countries is not a casual endeavor. In fact, in order to support developing countries, you will need to practice intentionality, deep reflection, accountability, and reciprocity.
So, when you are dreaming up all of the ways to help developing countries, don’t forget to pause, take a deep breath, and think about the bigger picture, and your role within it.
What is a developing country?
The world—no matter how much we idolize simplicity—is a complex and nuanced place. As such, a great place to start thinking about ways to help developing countries is by asking, what *is* a developing country?
Over time, the way we have spoken about different places around the world has shifted as we more intentionally acknowledge and understand complex global geo-political power dynamics.
Now, you will often hear terms such as developing countries—countries with lower levels of literacy, industrialization, and (quality of) life expectancy—and developed countries—countries with higher levels of those and other aspects of life.
When looking at a map, historically speaking, many countries that are considered developing are located in the Global South. It is important to reflect on why that is and what that means. Why are there countries that are more developed than others? Who developed those countries?
One straightforward thread to follow is the historical and ongoing legacy of global colonialism (and current day capitalism). Many countries in the Global North—namely white, western imperialist countries such as the United States, France, United Kingdom, Spain, to name a few—have exploited labor, human lives, and resources from places they have controlled by the means of power, force, violence, destruction, and oftentimes, death.
This is important to consider when thinking about volunteering in developing countries because the issues being addressed by volunteers are often rooted in colonization and capitalism. Because these systems rely on the status quo, they offer solutions that don’t directly address the root causes of these issues. Really, we need to divest from the systems of oppression that impact us all globally and hold us back from collective liberation.
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What do developing countries need most?
The world—and our liberation—is interconnected.
If all of our liberation is interconnected, then what do developing countries need most? Maybe a good question to start with is, what are the things *you* need the most? Here are some things to contemplate:
Autonomy, self determination and expression, safety, health, clean water, nutritious food, access to quality and affordable (read: free!) healthcare, housing, and transportation, community, play, joy, learning, growth, prosperity, rest, creativity.
What else would you add to the list?
The same systems, manifested in different ways, impact you in your hometown as they impact developing countries around the world. Your commitment to change and liberation at home has impacts globally—especially when you consider how relatively simple interactions have the power to reshape complex systems and patterns.
So, when asking, “what do developing countries need most?”, the answer may vary, especially when considering the how. But, it’s important to sit with the possible discomfort that what developing countries need most might be for us to stay home and get involved locally.
6 things to consider before volunteering in a developing country
1. How you define your why
Reflect on your decision to volunteer in developing countries—maybe your main motivation is solely to support developing countries, or possibly to “do good” while you travel during your gap year, or possibly because your academic focus and goals for the future could benefit from this experience. Understand the roots of those motivations, and let that influence the decisions you make.
It can also be helpful to consider what your non-negotiables might include. Maybe you want to volunteer in a medical setting, but you don’t have the skills to do direct support work. Choosing an experience that allows you to utilize the skills you do have and grow in the spaces that are new to you—but not beyond your skill set, like working on patients—will help you balance your skills, opportunities for growth, and staying within your means.
2. Good intentions and accountability
It is important to know that your actions have an impact, and sometimes that impact may translate into unintended consequences that cause harm. Be prepared to make mistakes and commit to accountability and repairing harm. Go in with an open mind and heart, and also the reminder that nobody is perfect.
No matter how good your intentions are, your responsibility extends to include the impact of your actions, presence, and intentions. You are responsible for your intentions and your impact when engaging with communities around the world—it can be helpful to practice active listening, relationship building, and understanding across differences.
3. History as a story of now
Responsibly volunteering in developing countries starts with doing your research and reading up on the place you plan to go.
Part of your responsibility in volunteering in developing countries is to do your research about the place you will be traveling to, as well as the community you will be volunteering within, and, finally, the root causes of the issues you hope to support with your time, labor, and presence. Understanding the context—historic and current—can help you map out the constellations of global interconnections of the legacy of colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism, to name a few.
Even if your hometown, or your college campus, feels so far away from where you hope to volunteer, you are experiencing life under similar systems of oppression as the community you hope to help.
To further contextualize what that means, learning the history of that location may help you understand the history of your own home country, perhaps, or even complicate your understanding of global history. Embrace the messy—life is full of paradoxes and contradictions.
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4. Whose voices are centered, and whose voices are excluded?
In an effort to expand on the earlier questions, “what do developing countries need most?” and “what is a developing country?”, you can also start to ask questions about what your experience will entail based on the who, what, why, and how of it all.
Who is running the volunteer program? What is the program focused on? Who is defining the needs of the community?
Who is being supported? Are the impacted communities also involved? Do they have power within the project/organization?
Who holds the power? What are you being asked to do? Does that align with your skill set? Will you receive the support you need to succeed?
5. Be ready to ask questions and repair harm
Pay attention to your experience—from your initial search and research process, to your departure and arrival, to your experience on the ground, and finally, to your integration back home. Look through a critical lens at how the program is structured, and for whom.
If you notice something that doesn't feel right, you have the responsibility to say something to your program staff. If you have questions or concerns that arise, use your voice. These programs are not perfect—nor are we—but we can play an active role in shaping programs to be more ethical.
6. Take your advocacy to your local community
Find ways to volunteer in your local community and amplify your impact.
Don’t let your experience end when you step on the plane to come home. Stay connected with the organization you worked with, and the people you cultivated relationships with, and find ways to continue to support them from home.
Your experience in-country is only one portion of the entire experience, and also only one way you can continue to impact the work you began while you were abroad.
Are there organizations doing similar work in your home town or on your campus that you can connect with? How else can you advocate from your home community for change that could impact those abroad? Getting involved in local politics, local community organizations, and local happenings can have ripple effects.
3 ethical ways to volunteer in a developing country
1. Reciprocity
A major component of ethical volunteering is reciprocity—both extending gratitude and thanks for the experience you are having, and also recognizing that the people you are spending time with are impacting you, too.
In your research, you can learn more about Indigenous histories, practices, and wisdom in the places you are volunteering. Learn about the local rituals and practices for reciprocity and community support. Remember that you are likely gaining more from the program than the community may receive.
2. Accountability
You will make mistakes; you may even cause harm, unintentionally. That is expected and does not make you a bad person. Similarly, your program won’t be perfect either. You may notice some things and end up opening conversations about what you see.
Be willing to acknowledge your mistakes, apologize and make amends, and find ways to repair harm, if possible. Be willing to hold others accountable, with grace and compassion, as well. This isn’t about knowing more or knowing better, but rather choosing to do better the more we learn.
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3. Humility
How do your identities inform how you show up?
We all hold a unique positionality—intertwining our various levels of power, privilege, and identities—that influences how we show up in the world, and therefore, our impact. Reflect on your role and how your identities influence how you show up, as well as how you may be perceived.
Your responsibility lies with you. You don’t need to do things to seem good or to make sure people like you. Instead, it can be much more impactful to lead with your heart, knowing that we are all interconnected and imperfect.
The more you show up to learn—especially when it challenges what you thought you once knew—the more you can embrace the expansiveness of life and nature and connection through community.
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If you want to support developing countries, it’s important to do so responsibly
Move forward with compassion, accountability, and reciprocity when you’re looking for ways to support developing countries.
Slowing down, taking time to reflect, and intentionally creating a pathway forward integrates intention and purpose into your experience. There will never be the perfect time, or the perfect program, or the perfect person—moving forward with grace, with compassion, and with humility will help you connect more deeply and make the most out of your experience. And committing to accountability and reciprocity will shape the way you move forward and interact with those you come to know.
Let yourself be challenged. Let yourself be open-minded and open-hearted. Let yourself be amazed. Let yourself be part of collective liberation.
The Third World is not poor. You don’t go to poor countries to make money. Most countries are rich. Only the people are poor. Ordinary people pay the costs of empire. These countries are not underdeveloped, they are over exploited. -Michael Parenti
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