Voluntourism Pt 2

Important points that weren't mentioned in my article (due to space constraint):
If the volunteer program advertises say, "spend a week working in an Orang Utan/wildlife rehab center" here's food for thought:

According to Amy Corrigan, director of Zoo Check/Education of ACRES
"We have to be careful when promoting "cuddling" of any wild animal as generally all animal welfare groups are against the use of animals as "photo props" in zoos and tourist resorts on welfare grounds, and we need to make sure we don't have double standards.
Although the situation is different in a rescue facility setting, and the volunteers are not paying to have their photos taken with the animals, 'many will question what is the difference between taking a photo with an animal in a rescue facility or in a zoo/tourist resort?'
If animals are being rehabilitated to be returned to the wild we should be making them 'scared' of humans, so that they know to keep away from human settlements, and especially poachers. And there are many diseases which can quite easily be transferred between non-human primates and humans, including herpes, hepatitis and tuberculosis, so this is of concern. Of course, animals can bite too. In general, a "hands-off" policy should really be adopted when it comes to caring for and rehabilitating wild animals."

Voluntourism -the nuts and bolts

I recently wrote a piece on voluntourism and asked some pertinent questions: how much money goes back to the community? Does the program fit the community’s needs? Is there a long-term commitment or goal to the project? What is the organization/company’s level of control and accountability on the ground? And what are the tangible and intangible benefits for the locals?
It's a tough one because there's no tool to measure the effectiveness or success of a project (is there? Please let me know); or any internationally recognized checklists/certifications with standardized guidelines for folks to follow...But the first step is to ask the questions and follow your gut feeling when deciding whether to sign up for the program. Here're samples of reliable programs But nothing beats seeing it for yourself - give it a shot!