The ethical evolution of voluntourism March 8, 2016 The Ethical Evolution of Voluntourism Should you volunteer whilst on holiday? For many years, tourists from more developed countries have yearned to 'give back' and 'help the poor' whilst on holiday. But what benefit does this have on the local community that tourists are trying to help? The effect of voluntourism in Cambodia As the ‘voluntourism’ industry continues to boom, many question the real impact that short term holiday volunteers have on an international community. Some argue that voluntourism is ultimately about the self-fulfilment of the volunteers, more than what they bring to the communities they ‘help’, with the only real change being their own Facebook profile picture.Such good intentions from Western travellers can be misguided, misused and often taken advantage of. But surely it’s better to do something than nothing at all? According to Friends International and the Child Safe Movement, travellers should focus on being better educated and more aware of their social footprint, before embarking on a volunteer experience.It is now widely accepted that Western aid and donations have significantly contributed to the ‘orphanage trade’ of Cambodia. According to a recent UNICEF study, at least 3 out of 4 orphans living in institutionalised residential care have at least one living parent at home. And the amount of orphans in Cambodia has significantly increased. So what does this mean? And how did we get here? The increase in well intended travellers and the lack of formal structure and rules around the orphanages has led to an increase in orphanage donations. And the more orphans, the greater the donations. In some cases, if the orphanage owner keeps the children at the right level of ‘poor’, the greater the chance of the travellers’ donation. If the money received went to the children and the level of life quality increased, then donations from tourists may go down. Therefore, it’s in the interest of the orphanage owner to have maximum children kept at sub level living conditions. Are all orphanages bad? Well, no, of course not. There are many that do great work with the best intentions, who do not profit from the children. But deciphering which ones are great, which ones are not and which are somewhere in between is near impossible. It is the system that encourages institutionalization. And this is where the inherent problem lies. What does the future of voluntourism look like? As educational awareness grows, organizations such as Cambodia Childrens Trust and Friends International have started a campaign to “Think families, not orphanages”. The model, particularly from CCT in Battambang, Cambodia, strongly encourages the children to live with their families. To provide the support as to why a child might ‘need’ to be in an orphanage in the first place, CCT provide a number of community outreach programs where children can receive extra education and nutrition, among many other basic necessities. How do I find the ‘good’ NGOs to donate to and/or volunteer at? It’s all about doing your research and asking the right questions. Questions like ‘How is the model of your program sustainable?’ or ‘Does your NGO have an exit plan and how long will it take?’. Just because an NGO may take volunteers for a day or a week, doesn’t mean that it’s good practice. It truly is a complex world and making informed and educated decisions regarding your level of involvement takes more than a couple of hours on Google. What is the next step? Social Cycles, a start-up Melbourne based company, has launched NGO educational adventures across Cambodia, with a view to give insight and understanding to well-intentioned travellers, before they commit to a volunteer experience. Travellers have the chance to undertake a fully supported 500km cycle expedition from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Cambodia over two weeks.During this time, they have the chance to visit, engage with and learn from five various local grass root charities along the way in the form of direct presentations and project site visits. This is not about teaching English for a day or building a toilet, this is a unique opportunity to speak to NGO Directors about their challenges, solutions and strategies for the future. All NGOs are compensated for their time and resources.All riders in the Social Cycles expedition commit to a nominal charitable donation prior to departure to give firsthand experience of understanding the complexities of how and where financial aid is best distributed.Social Cycles are conducting further expeditions in April, June, July, October and November. Maximum group size is eight riders. Share the journey Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on whatsapp Share on email Feeling inspired? Cambodia Learn More Laos Learn More Vietnam & Laos Learn More Cambodia & Vietnam Learn More Cambodia Learn More Laos Learn More Vietnam & Laos Learn More Cambodia & Vietnam Learn More Recent posts you might like to read... Things to do in Tehran, Iran August 20, 2019 TEHRAN City Guide: Top things to do Tehran is amazing to explore, from the incredible sights, sounds and smells of the bazaars, to the complex, intricate history of the museums. 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Send Share the journey Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on whatsapp Share on email Follow our ride Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Pinterest Our latest posts Things to do in Tehran, Iran TEHRAN City Guide: Top things to do Tehran is amazing to explore, from the incredible Read More » Top things to do in Kampot Cambodia Kampot City Guide: Top things to do Stroll through the sleepy, colonial old town of Read More » Top things to do in Battambang Cambodia Battambang City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your sleeve Read More » Top things to do in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Phnom Penh City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your Read More » How to get a tourist visa for Iran How to get a tourist visa for Iran UK, USA & Canadians All other nationalities Read More » Top things to do in Siem Reap Siem Reap City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your Read More » The Social Cycles Story: How it all started Before the beginning “How on earth did you get the idea to be doing this?” Read More » Jan 2018: Laos & QLA Unexploded Bombs in Laos: Jan 2018 In January of 2018, Social Cycles ran it’s inaugural Read More » As the ‘voluntourism’ industry continues to boom, many question the real impact that short term holiday volunteers have on an international community. Some argue that voluntourism is ultimately about the self-fulfilment of the volunteers, more than what they bring to the communities they ‘help’, with the only real change being their own Facebook profile picture. Such good intentions from Western travellers can be misguided, misused and often taken advantage of. But surely it’s better to do something than nothing at all? According to Friends International and the Child Safe Movement, travellers should focus on being better educated and more aware of their social footprint, before embarking on a volunteer experience. It is now widely accepted that Western aid and donations have significantly contributed to the ‘orphanage trade’ of Cambodia. According to a recent UNICEF study, at least 3 out of 4 orphans living in institutionalised residential care have at least one living parent at home. And the amount of orphans in Cambodia has significantly increased. So what does this mean? And how did we get here? The increase in well intended travellers and the lack of formal structure and rules around the orphanages has led to an increase in orphanage donations. And the more orphans, the greater the donations. In some cases, if the orphanage owner keeps the children at the right level of ‘poor’, the greater the chance of the travellers’ donation. If the money received went to the children and the level of life quality increased, then donations from tourists may go down. Therefore, it’s in the interest of the orphanage owner to have maximum children kept at sub level living conditions. Are all orphanages like this? Well, no, of course not. There are many that do great work with the best intentions, who do not profit from the children. But deciphering which ones are great, which ones are not and which are somewhere in between is near impossible. It is the system that encourages institutionalization. And this is where the inherent problem lies. What does the future of voluntourism look like? As educational awareness grows, organizations such as Cambodia Childrens Trust and Friends International have started a campaign to “Think families, not orphanages”. The model, particularly from CCT in Battambang, Cambodia, strongly encourages the children to live with their families. To provide the support as to why a child might ‘need’ to be in an orphanage in the first place, CCT provide a number of community outreach programs where children can receive extra education and nutrition, among many other basic necessities. How do I find the ‘good’ NGOs to donate to and/or volunteer at? It’s all about doing your research and asking the right questions. Questions like ‘How is the model of your program sustainable?’ or ‘Does your NGO have an exit plan and how long will it take?’. Just because an NGO may take volunteers for a day or a week, doesn’t mean that it’s good practice. It truly is a complex world and making informed and educated decisions regarding your level of involvement takes more than a couple of hours on Google. What is the next step? Social Cycles, a start-up Melbourne based company, has launched NGO educational adventures across Cambodia, with a view to give insight and understanding to well-intentioned travellers, before they commit to a volunteer experience. Travellers have the chance to undertake a fully supported 500km cycle expedition from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Cambodia over two weeks. During this time, they have the chance to visit, engage with and learn from five various local grass root charities along the way in the form of direct presentations and project site visits. This is not about teaching English for a day or building a toilet, this is a unique opportunity to speak to NGO Directors about their challenges, solutions and strategies for the future. All NGOs are compensated for their time and resources. All riders in the Social Cycles expedition commit to a nominal charitable donation prior to departure to give firsthand experience of understanding the complexities of how and where financial aid is best distributed. Social Cycles are conducting further expeditions in April, June, July, October and November. Maximum group size is eight riders. Bookings can be made here Further resources: Think Child Safe Friends International Cambodia Children’s Trust Brett Seychell +61 479 108 222 [email protected] Hub, 696 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000 connect Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube Name Email Let's stay in touch! Brett Seychell +61 479 108 222 [email protected] Hub, 696 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000 about us How we started Our purpose Your donations Responsible travel Meet the team NGO partners Private adventures Corporate teams Self guided destnations Cambodia Laos Iran Samoa Vietnam Mongolia Colombia connect Name Email Let's stay in touch Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube responsibletravel recommends Social Cycles
Things to do in Tehran, Iran August 20, 2019 TEHRAN City Guide: Top things to do Tehran is amazing to explore, from the incredible sights, sounds and smells of the bazaars, to the complex, intricate history of the museums. There’s more than enough to fill a few days in the city centre alone. These are just some of our Read More »
Top things to do in Kampot Cambodia December 12, 2018 Kampot City Guide: Top things to do Stroll through the sleepy, colonial old town of Kampot. Slowly but surely getting busier with tourists, enjoy Kampot now before it goes the way of Sihanoukeville. Food Culture Shop Avoid Kampot City Guide: Things to do Got a couple of days up your Read More »
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Top things to do in Phnom Penh, Cambodia December 3, 2018 Phnom Penh City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your sleeve in Phnom Penh and looking for a few suggestions? These are some of our favourite things to do outside of the Social cycles itinerary! Food Culture Shop Avoid Phnom Penh City Guide: Things to Read More »
How to get a tourist visa for Iran October 29, 2018 How to get a tourist visa for Iran UK, USA & Canadians All other nationalities How to get a tourist visa for Iran UK, USA & Canadians All other nationalities Getting a tourist visa for Iran is not as daunting as it may seem, depending on where you are from…. Read More »
Top things to do in Siem Reap September 12, 2018 Siem Reap City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your sleeve in Siem Reap and looking for a few suggestions? These are some of our favourite things to do outside of the Social cycles itinerary! Food Culture Shop Avoid Siem Reap City Guide: Things to Read More »
Things to do in Tehran, Iran TEHRAN City Guide: Top things to do Tehran is amazing to explore, from the incredible Read More »
Top things to do in Kampot Cambodia Kampot City Guide: Top things to do Stroll through the sleepy, colonial old town of Read More »
Top things to do in Battambang Cambodia Battambang City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your sleeve Read More »
Top things to do in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Phnom Penh City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your Read More »
How to get a tourist visa for Iran How to get a tourist visa for Iran UK, USA & Canadians All other nationalities Read More »
Top things to do in Siem Reap Siem Reap City Guide: Top things to do Got a couple of days up your Read More »
The Social Cycles Story: How it all started Before the beginning “How on earth did you get the idea to be doing this?” Read More »
Jan 2018: Laos & QLA Unexploded Bombs in Laos: Jan 2018 In January of 2018, Social Cycles ran it’s inaugural Read More »