I chose to evaluate a voluntourism experience. Doing a Google search, I found the blog of two girls who have created a personal organization of sorts. This 'organization' is basically two girls who appear to be wanting a world tour while also hoping to accomplish good through voluntourism. As you look more through the website you can see they have done a great deal of voluntouring and that although making a world tour, they are also making a difference through their volunteering. Kudos for that. At least they want to do some good while they're out touring the world. It also appears that they're hoping generous souls will donate to their 'cause' and a more accurate term may be 'personal trip with volunteering involved'. If you are interested in donating, here are the details. They even have a system set up with Amazon and if you purchase items through Amazon linked through their website, Amazon will make a donation to their cause.
I think I am sounding a bit critical. I do not mean to. I believe these girls have good intentions at heart. However, looking at their schedule, I also see time for personal tourism. This brings up the question discussed in class as to whether voluntourists have complete altruistic desires or if they're all in it for some personal gratification.
Here is their itinerary taken directly from their website.
"
Here it is (Volunteer projects are in italics):
July 6th- NYC to Prague
July 18th-July 31st: Habitat for Humanity, Hungary
August 12th- Istanbul to Bangkok
August 18th-August 31st: Tsunami Volunteer Center, Thailand
September 8th-September 19th: WLS, Cambodia
October 5th- Bangkok to San Francisco
October 8th- San Francisco to Belize City
Details on Volunteering in Belize still in the works.
October 30th- Belize City to San Jose, Costa Rica
November 5th-November 16th: Pura Suerte, Costa Rica
November 19th- San Jose to New Orleans
November 19th-November 24th: Katrina Relief, New Orleans
November 25th: Home for Thanksgiving!
"
(Source: http://voluntourists.blogspot.com/2008/06/itinerary-is-set-sort-of.html)
It appears the goals of this voluntourist organization include a few things. One, to have a variety of voluntourism experiences. Two, to see and help in many different destinations. And three, to be an actual tourist, not voluntourist, in these varied destinations. It seems as though the locations chosen were based on the desire to visit these places, rather than for the voluntourism opportunity.
This looks like a great opportunity for two friends to experience the world while also giving back to the communities they visit. I would love the opportunity to take 6 months to visit various places and to volunteer in the communities. I would enjoy not just visiting these places as a regular tourist, but to actually be a part of something, to leave a positive mark.
This 'organization' is rather unique in that it is individually guided. The girls are volunteering through various established organizations such as Habitat For Humanity. They are not directed, trained, or guided by any particular organization. Surely once they arrive to a destination, the organization they volunteer for will give them instruction. However, they are working on their own, which is an interesting twist to what is commonly marketed today with regards to voluntourism. Many tour operators would have you believe you can only do voluntourism through them. However, as this blog shows, it is possible to be a voluntourist without a guide. On the other hand, there is no guarantee for these two voluntourists that their efforts will make a positive difference in the community. This may actually be a good thing. For example, a voluntourist may think that by signing on with a particular voluntourism operator they will naturally make a positive impact upon a community. However, the reality could be that the action, whether it be to teach English one day or to hand out donations to locals, is actually damaging rather than helping the destination community. Conversely, if someone decides to do voluntourism on their own, at their own discretion, they may be more inclined to research the organizations they do 'business' with. As such, the voluntourist may actually end up having a better impact upon the community.
It's not all fun and games. Work must be done. The purpose of the voluntourist experience is to help which requires effort, time, and more effort. Here is one picture from their website. It is one of the housing units they helped build through Habitat For Humanity (HFH)
HFH House
(Source: http://voluntourists.blogspot.com/)These voluntourists have obviously been an integral part of a successful volunteer experience. By being free to choose their own voluntourism experiences, it appears these girls have the potential to reach a larger number of communities and residents and therefore impact the most number of people.
The Analysis Continues
It's not all hard work. Part of the fun is meeting new people and forming relationships.
As we've learned in class, some destinations start to expect the help or they become completely dependent on the help the voluntourists provide. I think it is obvious from the latest entry on the Voluntourist Blog that the volunteering done by HFH and its helpers is not expected, but greatly appreciated.
The entry discusses a girl named Erica, a resident on the destination community and a recipient. However, she's not only a recipient, but also a volunteer. Here is what the blog authors say about Erica...
"She's 18 and came to work on the site every day from 8am to 5pm....She was also the Superstar worker bee. Erica never wanted to leave a project unfinished and begged to skip lunch so she could just finish insulating a wall. Inspirational, to say the least."
Furthermore the authors mention that Erica was helped in her English by just talking with the volunteers. Meeting residents of this caliber can only help a voluntourist feel they have succeeded in making a difference.
Erica
(Source: http://voluntourists.blogspot.com/)The question remains if these voluntourists will have the same positive impact in their other destinations. Only time will tell. It is recommended the reader follow the course of this organization and blog as they travel on.
In Conclusion
Even though this may not be a typical organization, the mission of these two girls is just as significant. Through the more than $4,200 raised, this 'organization' of voluntourists will have the opportunity to influence various residents from Hungary, Cambodia, American, Costa Rica, Thailand, etc. The experiences will be as diverse as the people. The mission of this organization will be accomplished and the participants will obviously be satisfied with the results. This blog is a good example that we can all make efforts on an individual level to be voluntourists. We do not need a fancy voluntour organization to have a positive impact on our destinations of choice.
With that being said, continue checking in with the Voluntourists Blog and get out there and do some volunteering!
Fun Voluntouring!
(Source: http://voluntourists.blogspot.com/)
