The Western idea of volunteerism and mission trips has been an increasingly popular pursuit among Christians, Mormons, Missionaries and other religious communities.
Voluntourism is defined as the act or practice of doing volunteer work as needed in the community where one is vacationing, whereas the concept of a mission trip often takes on a more religious approach on volunteering.
Although many voluntourists, also referred to as international volunteers, consider it a beneficial experience, it is much more important to look back and reflect on the impact they had, if any, on the community they visited.
Unthoughtful trips often end up with skilless American teenagers temporarily replacing the jobs of experienced workers in the countries they visit.
This means that, oftentimes, voluntourists’ effects on the community, such as the building of a school or clinic, are not of high quality and generally benefit them more than the goal that should be in mind: aiding a community in need.
Therefore, a specific skill set is often needed to create real change when engaging in voluntourism. In international reporter Jacob Kushner’s article, “The Voluntourist’s Dilemma,” he explained that while constructing a school is easy, it is much harder to actually improve the education of a community. And yet, the latter is often much more valuable.
This is why intent and thoughtful planning are of utmost importance when considering a mission trip.
Lynne Lundberg, a teacher at PV, has been on numerous mission trips in her lifetime, and what often made the difference for her was the planning behind it to ensure the trip was ethically sound.
Although Lundberg engaged in difficult work, including hauling building materials, she stated that “[t]he skilled labor was done by Haitians, and the money that I brought, that helped somebody get a trade, a skill, a job.”
This was what was most important to her. Part of ensuring that the trip is ethically sound is finding the right organization. For Lundberg, this was Mission of Hope, an organization that not only helps plan mission trips to Haiti, but also owns multiple warehouses in Haiti to distribute food and other materials to Haitians.
Additionally, the motives for one’s trip often show the ethics behind it and whether or not the community being visited will be truly assisted by the visit.
While it is common for celebrities or CEOs looking to improve their image to go without proper plans and research, many, including Lundberg, go in order to assist as much as they can without the sappy photos. “I don’t have any illusions that I changed anybody’s life. I tried to make sure that I personally participated in trips where we were doing less [going] door-to-door; there are already great ministers in Haiti and they don’t need me,” she stated.
On top of lack of research, lack of reason when considering international volunteering can cause harm to the community. Many engage in voluntourism for religious reasons or because they “had a calling” to do so. Yet, many of these people come with almost nothing to offer to the community, and many think that just because they have more, they know more.
Culture writer Mariette Williams described how her privilege affected her trip in her piece, “Why I’ll Never Go on a Mission Trip Again.” She described her group ripping up a cheap bag of candy and throwing it out of her car to watch the children tear it apart and fight over it.
Though she was very young on this mission trip, looking back, she still feels regretful. “The poor people around us were simply there to help us appreciate our lives back home. They became props in our journey to fulfillment,” she stated in her article.
Is the pursuit for goodwill and philanthropy worth possibly putting a Haitian out of a job? Is it right to feel like you are helping a community, even when you are really hurting it?
Poverty and a tumultuous political climate cannot be fixed by a group of Americans visiting for a week. However, if one puts in the effort to ensure their trip is as thought-out and well-intentioned as possible, perhaps some real changes can be made within a community.
