Do you really know? Does voluntourism do more harm than good?
Jul 26, 2025
Voluntourism promises enriching experiences, but it hides a darker reality. Many projects, often well-intentioned, can cause more harm than good in developing nations. The discussion highlights the exploitative nature of private orphanages and questions the true motivations behind these charitable efforts. With an industry valuation of $3 billion, it’s essential to delve into whether voluntourism genuinely benefits local communities or simply perpetuates a cycle of exploitation. Discover the nuances in under three minutes!
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Dark Side of Voluntourism
- Voluntourism can exploit local communities by creating demand for orphanages that commodify children.
- Many children in orphanages actually have living parents, revealing a dark side to this charitable work.
Wasteful Library Build Anecdote
- A group of wealthy students tried to build a library in Tanzania, but their work was dismantled overnight and redone by locals.
- The orphanage tolerated wasteful practices likely due to the $3,000 trip fees volunteers paid.
Economic Inefficiency in Voluntourism
- Voluntourism can be vastly more expensive than hiring local labor, causing massive economic inefficiency.
- For example, building a house via volunteers cost $30,000 compared to $2,000 with local workers.