Mole Park is a strangely westernized oasis. (With Gallaghers? Sometimes.) There's a whole spectrum of missionaries, tourists and families, university groups (generally fine arts or health sciences) and volunteers from all over Ghana. We're at the peak of the tourist season, classes still not back in regular session, and I keep hearing this from everyone. How many times have you been to Africa?
Once, in my case. Other people there, two or three times, on safari in Tanzania maybe, or helping orphans in Rwanda. I don't want to get preachy and say that they're just tourists, etc. It's a cheap shot and off by degree, not completely. But I talk to the missionaries and they've built a school. I know several communities around Tamale that could use a new school block. How many do they build a year? One? And how much was airfare for your group of twelve?
I don't dispute that work is getting done, but it seems as though the work is secondary. Voluntourism is tourism, OK, obvious. So why is it more attractive than regular tourism? Do we really think that building a classroom was the most effective aid that twelve bright and motivated and (relatively) rich people could have brought to a community? It seems unlikely. Resume fodder? Good vibes? I'm not denying that helping people is A Good Thing but I question the stress on those fragile capitals.
I know the student group there to test water quality found E. Coli in the tapwater and passed it on to the health authority in Kumasi. That's something. I wish they could stay in the country and call Ghana Water Company every day until they actually did something about the problem. We found one of our harvesting tanks damaged the other day, nobody from the community called the office, we just sort of stumbled across it. It'll get fixed now, but how does a big organization like Unicef deal with this? We've seen their boreholes in disrepair and the community unable to afford replacements. What happens next? We can build things, but can we keep them? Or is that not we came here to do?
okay eric - you are basically correct. There is one other element to factor into your equation though. Each of these groups goes and sees/feels and has a slightly better understanding of what the situation. They go home and tell 12 people.....eventually opinions shift.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was talking to CUSO people who generally go for 2 years they generally felt their contribution did not make a difference - but what their sponsors said it was valuable because it educated more people in the first world about what the situation was all about.
Having said that - i agree - send money to reputable organizations that keep close to the gound.