A summer abroad: the perfect way to burn through cash, impress colleges, and get a good photo-op for Facebook. So often you see pictures of classmates in foreign countries (the most popular countries are currently in Africa and Latin and South America) playing with less privileged young children. Companies dub these trips as "volunteer" trips, having fun while helping out locals.
But do they truly help locals? And is it our place to thrust our ideals and culture on them? Not to mention, if we are truly trying to help, is it really the best use of money to send unskilled teenagers abroad?
Something doesn't seem right to me with these trips. The website this photo comes from advertises such projects as building homes for villagers and protecting the habitat of native Galapagos wildlife. It would be more effective to have a couple experienced builders teach those living there, assuming they want the help, how to build homes. That way, the village could become more self sustainable. What would protect the habitat of native Galapagos wildlife even more than traveling to it would be to probably campaign against exploiting it by traveling there.
I think people have good intentions with these trips, but all to often it becomes simply a vacation for privileged American high school students.
But do they truly help locals? And is it our place to thrust our ideals and culture on them? Not to mention, if we are truly trying to help, is it really the best use of money to send unskilled teenagers abroad?
Something doesn't seem right to me with these trips. The website this photo comes from advertises such projects as building homes for villagers and protecting the habitat of native Galapagos wildlife. It would be more effective to have a couple experienced builders teach those living there, assuming they want the help, how to build homes. That way, the village could become more self sustainable. What would protect the habitat of native Galapagos wildlife even more than traveling to it would be to probably campaign against exploiting it by traveling there.
I think people have good intentions with these trips, but all to often it becomes simply a vacation for privileged American high school students.
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