#decolonise_the_gap_year

Don’t fall for dark patterns of history

And the Ugly People, me included, love to think of themselves as altruistic human beings. Even though time and time again, studies have proved that there is no such thing. Volunteer work can be fulfilling, but without addressing the imbalance of wellbeing and safety in the world, it becomes a cheap attempt at making oneself feel good for a while. Disembodied teaching of English for two months in an ‘African’ village does not make substantial differences in the lives of far-away children. In fact, the abrupt entrance and subsequent removal of a parental figure will create distress when it inevitably happens. It transforms the volunteer into a warped version of a coloniser wearing Toms. I do not believe that these gap-year kids are doing it on purpose, as these short-term programmes are made to create a ‘bang-for-buck’ experience. But I do believe that these people are being scammed. Scammed of their money and scammed of their dignity. This dignity is in question due to the multitude of voluntourism scandals. An example being the shelter building volunteer programmes where gap year goers build houses as a part of their NGO work. Volunteers work some hours a day, making little progress while the NGO arranges for under-paid night builders to come and fix the build. This orchestrated experience is a great example of the redundancy of these programmes. Just pay the workers and let them do the job properly. Why are NGOs indulging the pimpled faces of rich teenagers? Alright, let’s say it is impossible to fund these charities without the participation of the volunteers, the programmes could at least give these near-adults a full briefing of what goes on in these communities instead of selectively sharing bits of information and locations. More scandals can be seen in the mismanaging of donations: an example being orphanages not distributing toys to the children because if the volunteers would see them playing, they would stop donating. This was a testimony of a person speaking to Vice about her own experience with volunteering abroad, as part of an expose on the brutal realities of voluntourism. Most shockingly, she mentions that many human trafficking rings operate from such voluntourist organizations. She warned against the participation in these programmes and urged the viewers to see the money-making scam for what it is.

Scammed of their money and scammed of their dignity

The Showdown

The showdown I propose is to hold charities and NGOs accountable for their misconduct. I ask for better sensitivity training to ensure privileged people are self-aware and act accordingly. I also call for a more efficient and fair budgeting system that puts the needs of the people they are there to help above the needs of rich, unqualified teenagers who are there for the summer. The sensitivity training needs to regularly be followed up on; connecting to individuals while volunteering for a couple of months does not stop when you leave. Once you have touched a life, you are tethered through a bond. People will remember you even if you forget them. This should be the mindset of volunteers everywhere. Once these changes happen, go volunteer. But don’t fall for scams, or even worse, dark patterns of history.