Gap-year students told to avoid aid projects in
developing countries
The London News.Net
Tuesday 14th August, 2007 (ANI)
London, Aug.14 : A leading British charity has warned students not
to take part in gap-year aid projects overseas, which cost
thousands of pounds and do nothing to help developing
countries.
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) said that gap-year volunteering,
highlighted by Princes William and Harry, has spawned a new
industry in which students pay thousands of pounds for pre-packaged
schemes to teach English or help to build wells in developing
countries with little evidence that it benefits local
communities.
It said that "voluntourism" was often badly planned and spurious
projects were springing up across Africa, Asia and Latin America to
satisfy the demands of the students rather than the needs of
locals.
Young people, it added, would be better off travelling the world
and enjoying themselves.
VSO is drawing up a code of good practice to help gap-year students
to find genuine voluntary work abroad, The Times reported.
Taking a gap year used to be the preserve of only the wealthiest
students, but it is now big business.
Up to 200,000 people do it annually, including 130,000
school-leavers. The average gap-year traveller spends 4,800 pounds,
and numerous companies have sprung up to get a slice of the market
by offering pre-packaged trips to projects for a fortnight at a
time.
In most cases the price does not cover the flight, but in-country
travel, accommodation and an orientation session on arrival is
included.
Prince William went to Chile with Raleigh International in 2000 to
help to build schools. The charity said that his work had sparked
"a lot more interest" in its projects. Prince Harry worked with
orphans in Lesotho.
Raleigh International backed VSO's call for caution.
"Students should be very careful about the voluntary work they
choose," a spokeswoman said.
Wonder if this can be applied to local schools sending students
on overseas community missions. 