Avoiding the Pitfalls of Voluntourism

As you likely know, our organization creates immersion experiences which combine travel with giving back. Voluntourism is a term often used to describe such programs, but holds a negative connotation within the media. ABP strives to avoid the pitfalls of voluntourism through the following steps:

Mindset

First and foremost, ABP is focused on impact. While leisure time is minimally incorporated into trips, the intention of including these experiences is to increase cultural awareness and foster social cohesion among trip participants. The vast majority of the trip is spent volunteering with the partner organization. To encourage the right mindset, participants are encouraged to be attentive and present, rather than excessively taking photos and videos. Participants are instructed to assist the partner nonprofit in the way that the organization would prefer to be aided. Thereby, the focus is on true service, not providing participants with intellectual stimulation or resumé content.

Research

ABP conducts research to ensure that the nonprofit partners are legitimate and truly fulfill local needs. We avoid causes that may appear charitable on the face but are actually harmful, such as the practice of orphanage volunteering.

Training

Prior to each trip, ABP members are required to attend 2-hour participant training events. This ensures that nonprofit partners are helped—not burdened—by the partnership. The events also instill a service-oriented mindset into participants’ minds, as they involve an informational, interactive presentation about the importance of the social issue relevant to the trip. During the trip, ABP volunteers only perform activities that they are qualified for, reserving other tasks for qualified, paid locals in the destination country.