The Unexpected Danger of Volunteering in the Developing World

In 2009, I’ve spent 7 seven months volunteering in Asia. The experience was very interesting on many levels, so this year, I was thinking of going somewhere again for a couple of weeks or a month to volunteer on some other projects.

Over the last few years, there have been a number of companies that popped up that specialize in voluntourism – where instead of lying on the beach in the Bahamas, you can choose to spend your vacation in the developing world working on some volunteer project.

I started looking into it, but couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong with the concept of short-term volunteering in the developing world.

Why Do People LIKE To Volunteer in the Developing World

Thinking back about my own time in Central Asia and in India, as well as the experience of many other people who did something similar, one thought kept crossing my mind.

It was really a good experience for us to volunteer there.

On one level, it satisfies our internal ego and wanting to perceive ourselves as doing good for the world. Whether or no, we really made a sizable contribution, it felt that we were making a difference.

As a Western volunteer in a place like Africa, Asia, South America, etc. – you get a lot of attention. Depending on where you are (i.e. living in a small village or a community), you even become your own pseudo-celebrity, where everybody wants to talk to you, be your friend, offer you meals, and so on. Because you stand out and are perceived as a Westerner, you get treated very well. And compared to back home, where you could be an average Joe or Jill, that feels good.

And lastly, although you are living in a developing country, in conditions that are likely way below your typical level of comfort, deep down, you know that this is only temporary. You may not have running water or electricity for the time being, but you are able to comfort yourself with the thought that in a couple of weeks, you’ll be going back home to your regular comforts. As such, it feels more like an adventure or a “discovery” – which just adds to the overall experience.

So, what can I do?

The purpose of this article is not to turn people off from volunteering, but rather to get them to re-evaluate the reasons they are doing it and their expectations.

- Don’t approach this as if you’re a white knight coming to an impoverished community to save them. The reality is that your contribution will likely be quite small – not insignificant, but small nevertheless.

- Make the commitment to do the work. Some of the voluntourism programs offer you to travel there, work 2-3 hours a day, and then spend the rest of the time on excursions and relaxations. I think that undermines the whole purpose. If you want to travel and relax, travel and relax. If you want to volunteer, commit to it fully, make it the focal point of the trip and make the most of your time there.

- Understand the reasons why you’re doing it. To some people, it will be the desire to see another culture and learn something about themselves and others. To others, it will be to satisfy their internal ego and desire to make a difference. Whatever the reason is – be honest with yourself and what you want to get out of it.

- Turn it into a longer trip, if possible. Your impact will grow exponentially the more time you spend there. Keep in mind that it will take a few weeks just to get settled in, understand the project, get to know people and establish trust from the locals. To really connect with the community, you need to give yourself time.

- Consider what skills you can bring. Granted, if you are a doctor or an engineer and you’re going there, you will be able to contribute significantly more, as your skills would be very valued there. But whatever your strong points are, make sure that you’re able to give something – rather than ending up a drain on the resources of the host organization.

To conclude this, I have to admit that I am just as guilty of most of these elements. When I started to volunteer, I had a lot of misconceptions over what it will be like, what I’ll be able to accomplish, and what impact I’ll be able to make.

But at the end of the day, we have to be honest with ourselves – do we really want to go and make a difference or do we just want to feel better about ourselves and have a good story to tell?