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!
No comments:
Post a Comment