Voluntourism - should you do it?

I first volunteered overseas in 2001 with a children’s home in Guatemala at the age of 18. This was still in the early days of the voluntourism ‘boom’ when it was common for UK gap year kids to volunteer abroad, but nobody was really questioning yet whether or not it was a good idea. I found the orphanage online, sent them an email and they accepted me explaining that I would just need to pay $300 and stay a minimum of three months.

I didn’t speak Spanish and I had no particular childcare qualifications or experience, so after a couple of days our volunteer manager decided to put me to work sorting out the store room. This room was full of donated supplies from around the world and one of the first things I came across was a pair of donated skis. This children’s home was located in the Guatemalan jungle where it never gets much below 25C/75F. So as beautiful as the skis were they weren’t exactly at the top of the list of much needed supplies!

When I found those skis in the jungle on my first day as a voluntourist, I didn’t think much of it. But looking back on it now, I realise that the skis and I probably had a lot in common. We were both very well intentioned - but not much use.

Anyway, I stuck it out and completed my three months of voluntourism. And I loved it.

But should I have really ever been there in the first place?

We’ve called on our friend Sakai Naismith from Discover Elsewhere to help us answer this important question - should you volunteer overseas?

Sakai is the Founder and CEO of Discover Elsewhere, a small boutique company that adapts each trip to the traveller and the destination. Sakai is passionate about travel beyond the map and creating travel experiences that change the way you'll see the world. As an experienced guide and trip designer, Sakai believes in creating sustainable tourism experiences and encouraging travellers to reflect on their impact.

Sakai believes that volunteering, even with the best of intentions, can have effects and repercussions that are far beyond the comprehension of many volunteers. Speaking to a local expert (who does not work for a volunteer organisation in the area) is the best way to navigate the cultural, financial and social intricacies that exist wherever you want to help the most.

Together with Sakai we’ve come up with 5 questions we think you should ask yourself if you are considering a volunteer vacation.

1. Why do you want to volunteer?

This is possibly the most important question so take some time to really think about it and reflect on whether voluntourism is the best way to achieve your goals.

2. Do you have the necessary language skills and cultural experience?

Can you speak the language of the country where you plan to volunteer? If not, have you thought about how you will communicate with the people you hope to work in partnership with? Do you know about the history and culture of the area? If not, are you willing to commit the time before you go to do some research?

3. Do you have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job?

What skills and qualifications do you have to offer that don’t already exist in the place where you plan to volunteer? Would you be allowed to volunteer in this field in your home country?

4. Who does the job you wish to volunteer for at the moment?

Will you be taking a local person’s job or diminishing their value by doing it for free? And what will happen when you leave?

5. Is this money well spent?

The majority of voluntourism trips involve paying a significant fee. Have you been provided with a breakdown of what your volunteer fee will be used for? Do you know how much of your fee will reach the country where you plan to volunteer? If your primary goal is to help a local project, would they benefit more from your time or a donation?

The last question can be a challenging question to ask yourself and we recognise that the answer isn’t always black and white. Most voluntourists gain far more than they can give during their short time as volunteers. However, many volunteers also form lasting relationships with their projects, which can result in long-term collaboration and partnerships.

So based on these questions, should I have volunteered 15 years ago in Guatemala? Overall, probably not. However, I was fortunate to have had a brilliant volunteer manager who put my limited skills to good use. I ended up spending most of my volunteer placement working in a backpackers in the nearby town, which was set up to fund the children’s home. While this wasn’t what I had originally pictured for myself, looking back it was a smart decision by our volunteer manager. She helped ensure that I at least made a small positive impact by helping to generate some income for the children’s home.

So this brings us to the next big question - if you do decide to volunteer, how should you go about finding a well-managed, responsible and sustainable volunteer company? 

There are so many options out there so you really need to do your research to get a sense of whether you support the organisation’s approach, vision and values. We’ll be looking into this question in our next blog post in this series so if you have any thoughts, please let us know in the comments section below. Thank you for reading and see you next time!