Voluntourism: More Harm than Good?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Teaching English in foreign countries, helping to build schools and orphanages, working on conservation projects … These are all examples of voluntourism. It’s a combination of visiting other countries while doing some volunteer works too.

Dedicating time and effort to doing volunteer activities seems great and fulfilling. But is it all what it’s cracked up to be? 

Watch the video about voluntourism and its downsides.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to what’s discussed in this video?
  2. Has anyone shared their volunteering experience with you? What did they tell you? Talk about some of your volunteer works too.
  3. Would you prefer to volunteer with animals or do some administrative work?
  4. Do you think that all job positions are suitable for volunteering? What other jobs can you do as a volunteer?
  5. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to abandon your responsibilities?
  6. What do you think the pros and cons of so-called “voluntourism” are?

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2 replies on “Voluntourism: More Harm than Good?”

1. I am not surprised, somehow I knew that there are a lot of “volunteers” that are doing more harm than good.
2. I think that nobody talked to me about them being volunteers. In my case, I helped a couple of times in local food storage for the poor.
3. I think I would prefer the animals, I think they could be more rewarding.
4. I can’t think on an specific job that cannot be volunteered… so maybe it is true that all job positions are suitable for volunteering.
5. Never.
6. I think the only pros are for the volunteer, because they are living an experience in their benefit. The cons are that by living that experience is selfish and they could harm the people in need indirectly. The true help comes with real volunteers, with their only will to help those in need without expecting anything in return.

Your writing is definitely improving. Keep going with this exercise to improve more and more.

Here are better words you can use in this sentence:

I can’t think on an specific job that cannot be volunteered… so maybe it is true that all job positions are suitable for volunteering.

I can’t think of a specific job that isn’t suitable for volunteering so maybe it is true that all job positions are apt for doing volunteer works.

Cheers to more entries from you!

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