people and places

people and places are proud to be supporting WTM World Responsible Tourism Day again this year.

This is a blog post I have just written for the WTM Blog -

We are particularly keen to get comments and feedback from organisations that host volunteers in destination and volunteers – and it would be just wonderful to hear from projects themselves – but we know that the vagueries of internet connection makes that pretty tough most of the time – please do post here or on the WTM blog

Bullied Communities and disappointed volunteers

There is much debate in responsible travel circles about the ethics of and need to police volunteer travel – and rightly so. It is particularly good news and not before time! that the WTM Events will include debates and workshops on responsible volunteering and Tourism and Child Protection this year. Whilst there are ethical operators, all too many operators still sell a smoke and mirrors volunteer placement, using emotional marketing speak to hide poorly conceived projects and talking vaguely about money into communities – obscuring the details, and making the volunteer feel uncomfortable about asking pointed questions. Too often volunteers are told money goes into the community, only to find that 75% of the money stayed with the inbound operator! So, like any travel transaction, there needs to be an education of the consumer. They need to be encouraged to ask questions. There should be clarity. Read the remainder of this entry »

This blog post by Rachel is an important read – for anyone thinking about volunteering and for sending and recieving organisations.

There are still way too many organisations out there who poorly serve volunteers and the communities they seek to serve….Rachel seems to have happened upon one of these – tho I reserve judgement given that this is only one persons experience.

It sounds as if Rachel was ill informed, badly prepared and that there had been no meaningful consultation with the community she seeked to serve.  ( I do hope someone from the organisation Rachel travelled with replies to her blog – )

So until I am persuaded otherwise this is another article for me to add to irresonsibletourism.org and my “baddies” file….

I have asked Rachel who she travelled with – I would urge here to “name and shame” and I would be very keen to hear from any of her co volunteers.

Heres her post http://rachelrtw.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/what-i-learnt-in-nepal-why-a-bad-travel-experience-isnt-the-end

Yet again I have to share a really important point made by Daniela Papi in a recent post on her blog

Lessons I  Learned .I strongly encourage everyone to subscribe to her blogs.

here is her latest blog.

So, you’re helping people with “no skills”…?!

Tonight was a reminder for me that our vocabulary reflects our biases. OK, so maybe I am too sensitive about development vocabulary (say “villagers” around me, and I turn green!), but saying you are helping people with “no skills” really irks me. Have you told these people that you are “helping” that you think they have “no skills”?

And, if I can picture these skill-less people you speak of as you stand there in your suit, I imagine they can grow food we only know how to pick off of a shelf, perhaps build their own home, and fix the limited electronic items they have – ones we would throw away because we wouldn’t even know where to start in opening them up!

It reminds me of the lady in Colombia last month who asked me where I was from. When I said “America”, she said “Me too!”, and I thought she was joking with me, as she was clearly from Colombia. It took me a while to realize my biased view of the world and correct myself. “I’m from the United States of America”, it turns out, as she was indeed from America too. My myopic world view biases exposed – touche.

The people who made the “no skills” comments at Oxford’s heated “Bottom of the Pyramid Debate” tonight equally had not intended to offend, and certainly were passionate about the work they were involved in, but it still struck me: if we see the people we are working with in this type of work as having “no skills” we’re clearly taking a myopic view of what skills are important to survive in this world.  Drop me in a developing country, in a community without electricity, with no job, and many kids to feed, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have the skills to survive. I bet the “villagers” (yep, I feel sick!) in that community would indeed describe me as having “no skills” at all… and in their world, they’d be right.

And since these BoP initiatives ARE in “their world”, maybe it is our skill-less-ness that we need to be making more note of!

(Thanks for permitting me this rant. OK, I’ve dismounted from my higher-than-it-should-be horse. Off to bed!)

End

………………………………

Some time ago I wrote about the mistakes volunteers make and communities make

One mistake I warned against to  potential volunteers was

“Remember, your reality is not necessarily the reality of the project you will be working with.You have skills but just about without exception you do not have MORE skills than local people just DIFFERENT skills from local people – and many of your skills just ain’t relevant skills in that environment.”

one mistake that I pointed out that communities that host volunteers  often make was

“when thinking about volunteers “They know best”

No they don’t – they know different and they will know more about some things and they will know things that you don’t know – BUT they do not know best and you certainly know a lot that they don’t know – including most important of all your community!”

Let’s  respect  ”different” – and embrace  ”sharing”.

If you want to read my mistakes posts here are the links

http://blog.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/?p=1061

http://blog.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/?p=758

http://blog.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/?p=753

And a thank you again to Daniela for an excellent post – and I for one am happy to give you a leg up onto that horse whenever you wish!

I just love this exchange between past and future volunteers with the occassional interupt from Kate our placement director – ie she who is responsible for matching, screening and preparing volunteers….you need to scan to the end and read backwards for it to make sense….names apart from kates have been removed to spare blushes!

From: kate

Sent: 03 May 2012 13:37
To: ‘E
Subject: RE: publicity

Thanks E – I shall pass on the praise to Sallie, as I have to admit that she works at least as hard as I do on the whole publicity cycle !

From: ESent: 03 May 2012 09:42

To: kate; ‘S,’L;  and y
Cc: ‘n
Subject: RE: use of resources

You work very hard at publicity, Kate, and your energy is amazing. I do hope that it all pays dividends in attracting volunteers to your projects.

All good wishes,

E

From: kate

Sent: 02 May 2012 15:49
To: E, S; L and Y
Cc: n
Subject: RE: use of resources

But there’s been plenty about realities, challenges, rewards – and teaching !!!

So watch out ladies – another article is looming large !!!

Thanks everyone

Kate

From: E
Sent: 02 May 2012 15:05
To: kate; ‘S,’L;  and y
Cc: ‘n
Subject: RE: use of resources

Good to hear from you again, Kate. I bet you sit there and smile as you read the messages that fly among us all. And your eagle eye is probably also looking for bits that you can include in some future article! I’m sorry there hasn’t been anything recently about yaks or thigh muscles, but you never know…. Read the remainder of this entry »

I wrote this article at the end of last year but it’s such an important issue I think it can bear repeating – and sorry to those who like pictures but – they aren’t appropriate for this post

and big thanks to Goodfellows  - they have waived copyright in support of our campaign to allow me to post here.

…………………..

One of people and places’ core values is that volunteers will work with local people, not instead of them – nowhere is this more important than in projects where childcare is the primary focus.

Vulnerable children need care and nurture that is both consistent and culturally appropriate.

We prepare all volunteers for their placements as thoroughly as we can (some volunteers even say we over-prepare!)

During this preparation, we explain and emphasise that no volunteer will be on their own while teaching or tending children (and if they do find themselves in that position, we will support their stopping work.) Teachers, social workers, counselors, nursery nurses, teaching assistants – all need to be working with local professionals and staff – otherwise, where is the skills transfer? Where is the sustainability and is it ever ethical?  Volunteers will not be working alone with the children.

So why has it taken us 5 years to realise that the category “working with children” on our site was misleading?

Not one of our volunteer programmes is designed for the volunteers simply to “work with children”. Read the remainder of this entry »

Kate has just reminded me about something that a local youngster said about one of our volunteers Charles -

as she says

“this remains one of my all time best quotes”

and here’s the quote!

“This old white man has done what other people of my own colour refuse to, he has given me the chance to learn to work with my own hands”.

and here’s a photo of Charles

Thanks to long time Calabash Trust supporter,  David Weatherley, for this – what a great initiative!

Do you shop online with UK retailers?  If so, here’s a way to help Calabash Trust to raise money whenever you shop.

By channelling your online purchasing through http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ , a percentage of your spend will be donated to us at NO ADDITONAL COST to you.  It’s very simple – just visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/calabashtrust/ to register and shop with over 2000 well known retailers like Amazon, Argos, M&S, eBay and many more. Whenever you buy something, the retailer makes a donation to Calabash Trust. They’ve helped other causes raise over £2,000,000 so it really does work.

It won’t cost you a penny extra to shop through easyfundraising and you can even save money with special offers and voucher codes.  You deal directly with your chosen retailer at exactly the same price you would normally pay.

I’ve just been reading an article on the “Journeywoman” website: ‘Toilet Tips – What Every Woman Traveller Should Know’ …



yes, there are plenty of eminently sensible suggestions and advice … but the article also made me chuckle,  recalling recent email conversations among several over-60’s women volunteers.

Here’s a synopsis of the conversation between Sharon, who will be leaving for Nepal in just a few days, and three recently returned volunteers. (names have been changed to protect the ladies’ modesty!) Read the remainder of this entry »

As mentioned in our latest newsletter, our next people and places volunteer social and meeting will be here in Faversham - Saturday 16th June, 2-6 pm.

We invite you to join us here at Kate’s home, which is also our ‘head office’ – and we hope to be able to enjoy the garden too – weather permitting!

There’s plenty of parking nearby for those of you who choose to drive. If you come by train, there are usually plenty of taxis about. Naboth’s Nursery is about a ten minute walk from the station.

Bookings by 7^th May
We will need to have a good idea of how many people to expect as soon as possible. We’ve no idea how many of you will want to come, so if lots of you want to join us, we may well need to arrange a larger venue.

Please let us know if you plan to come along, and if you will be alone or with friends and family!

As usual, we’re inviting volunteers who’ve already travelled, as well as people who are considering volunteering in the future. So, this social occasion will give you all the chance to meet each other – previous volunteers can catch up on the news, and future volunteers will be able to ask the ‘veterans’ what volunteering is really like.

Programme
This is an informal occasion – Sallie and Kate will give a short presentation at 2.30 and then there will be plenty of time to ask questions and socialise.

There will be refreshments of course – nothing extravagant, but some drinks and nibbles to sustain everyone!

We’re really looking forward to this opportunity to meet you – we’ve met quite a few volunteers over recent years, but nowhere near enough! It will be wonderful to be able to put more faces to voices and names.

R.S.V.P. by Monday 7^th May.
email kate@travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk if you would like to come.
We’ll then send out travel information and directions.
All the best,