we have to learn before we can help Learning Service vs. Service LearningBy Daniela Papi

WHY are we HERE

An ILLICH break

HOW matters

Impact on… Travelers Non-profit partner, the issue, or the program Local community or ecosystem

Short term Travelers Non-profit partner, the issue, or the program Local community or ecosystem Long term

We cant know our actual impact unless we follow up, do research, and stay open to learning the realities of the impact we had. note

What went wrong on the voluntourism trip?

EVERYTHING that could have gone wrong!

All of it Poor implementation Bad planning An evil guy Lies and corruption List of things that could possibly go wrong

EVERYTHING that could have gone wrong! All of it List of things that could possibly go wrong Poor implementation Bad planning An evil guy Lies and corruption

Poor pre-planning

! !! !

No transparency

$$$

No transparency $$$

Ineffective project

Little to no traveler education

The WRONG people were let in

So… how can we prevent this?

service learning only looks one way

learning service = trips where you are learning to serve AFTER you leave

Voluntourism: Predicting rain 1)Band-aid solutions 2)Forgetting volunteers are NOT free 3)Focusing on things to solve problems 4)Poor monitoring 5)Skilled jobs to the unskilled 6)Forgetting the REST of the trip 7)Fostering moral imperialism

1) Band-aid solutions

Just Say NO to Orphanage Tourism

a. Orphanages are not a tourist attraction.

b. Its not a zoo. No, you cant pet or feed them.

c. Ask yourself: Would this be okay if this was happening in my community?

2) Volunteers are not FREE

things arent the solution

but by investing time in people instead

people have the capacity and connections to reach their own goals

4) Poor monitoring can = poor impact

5) Skilled jobs take skills

7) What about the REST of the trip?

RESEARCH: Giving your money $ You vote with your money

Do you want more kids on the street?

Poverty voyeurism is voting for poverty.

Lets avoid the long-neck- women phenomenon.

RESEARCH: Giving your money At we have made many mistakes.

Schools dont teach kids.

Neither do pens, books, or t-shirts.

We learned we needed to invest in people to put those things to use.

RESEARCH: Giving your money At we have made many mistakes too.

its not how we can save the world in a week

Its what we can do the other 358 days of the year

PEPY Tours is designed to inspire people to improve the way they GIVE, TRAVEL & LIVE after they leave us

and, with a two-part fee, the donation requirement from the tour goes straight to our NGO programs

5 Steps to Creating Successful Learning Service Trips Voluntourism: Building a boat

1 # BUILD RELATIONSHIPS!

Research & Follow Up 2 #

Invest in people …including the travelers 3 #

Travel with us an make a difference! Come support this organization! Traveling with us means you are HELPING THE WORLD! Join our SERVICE trip! Come help them! Buy our trip and help this orphanage!. HONEST MARKETING!!! 4 #

A large part of what people know about developing countries comes from fundraising campaigns & travel advertising

5 # Sell based on LEARNING and FIT not traveler demand Help them put their GOOD INTENTIONS to good use

Sometimes we create aid projects just to let people feel they are helping.

You know, Americans always want to paint things. They want to paint buildings, so we have a building we let them paint. Usually we have to repaint the walls after the Americans leave because they dont do a very good job. -- Remarks from an African leader who felt that letting visiting Americans paint allowed them to feel like they accomplished something even though it was unnecessary (excerpt from Rethinking Short-Term Missions for Long- Term Impact by Mary Faultds)

Are we selling what people want? Or do people want what we are selling?

Other RESOURCES to consider

Child Safe

Travelers Philanthropy Handbook

Daniela Papi:

Photo Credits Photos @alancleaver @sandvand Service Adventure Photos of PEPY class and school Photographer: Mathieu Young