That I know from personal experience that the vast majority of people who head to south Asia with the aim of "helping" (i.e. by volunteering) and/or, converting and/or studying the locals are misguided fools who could do infinitely more good by writing a check to a reputable charity and staying home to look into their own impoverished souls (or going to Goa to burn off a few brain cells).

Sorry if this opinion occasionally slips out in my reply to posts, but as non-PC as it sounds I think it might actually help some of the more misguided among you. I don't know about you, but India had already seen several great civilizations and profound philosophies rise and fall while my ancestors were still tramping around the dewy heather-clad hills in damp cloaks looking for dry sheep.

Now with pictures, stories and fun! http://dharmatics.netfirms.com

yes, a puzzling thing, this craze for volunteering...
the motivations behind it do seem a bit on the murky side...
what is it in the psyche of westerners that takes a month of volunteering in India to assuage?


 

what you mean, 1. but i think intelligent volunteering (which i'd define as the intelligent sharing of learnings) has the possibility of effecting real change. not charity, perhaps in an overwhelming majority of cases.

on the other hand, though i have strong opinions on charity without responsibility, i'm willing to shut up at some point. giving terminally-ill homeless people a place to spend their last days (missionaries of charity) doesn't address the real problem & just treats the symptoms etc., but if i see it from the perspective of a terminally-ill homeless person it looks very different.

incidentally your CV says "I have also been collaborating with the researchers at WAPRED in India on organic pest control techniques on a voluntary basis (they give me a hut to stay in)."
Sounds like the kind of volunteering i like.



 

While in Calcutta a few years ago had the occasion to shoot the crap with a couple of volunteer organisers (mother Theresa`s, and an offshoot, forgotten what its called), however, both told me that unless one is prepared for a long stay of at least 6 months or a year, then one only gets in the way, and becomes close to being a liability!

 

One theory is from Esoterica which would say that its an imbalance in the Anhata chakra (heart) in that the person focuses far too much on rescuing other people while simultaneously neglecting their own failings to avoid them. Its common for this type of person's life to be totally out of order while they are "rescuing the world".

In many many cases its a genuine desire to care though. In others cases its because its the "thing you do" while in poor countries. In other cases its "because of the recognition that i will get back home from what i've done". Many motivations. Some genuine. Some hidden that even the person is not consciously aware of at the time. All sorts.


The horror......the horror - Kurtz

I agree about the mother theresa crap in Calcutta. It seemed that the 4 times I was there last year were marred by the holier than thou attitudes of those backpackers working for Missionaries of Charity.

They thought that washing dishes for 2 weeks earned them extra karma points. They didn't take too kindly to my treatises on the corruption and mismanagement of the Missionaries of charity.

Cheer up! The worst is yet to come!- Philander Chase Johnston

I suppose I must agree with most of what is said above, but do I detect a bit of guilt here? Although I share a distaste for those who are compelled to go about proselytizing in other folk's back yards, but if someone wants to go to India or Mississippi and do dishes for a couple of weeks, why not? It seems as good a way to get to know a people as tromping about ogling monuments and eating the local fried foods?

"Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."

Nice to see so many interesting and thoughtful replies. I have nothing against the best intentions of volunteers - aside from missionaries, whose position I never really have understood - but I am continually amazed by the belief among half-bright semi-educated children of privilege who are a dime-a-dozen in their home ground (and most likely travelling due to limited employment opportunities) that they will be suddenly transmuted into godlike all-knowing beings the moment they touch down in the "Third World." If you really want to make a difference in a place like India, you should either have some specific skills that are needed (and the skill to find out who needs them) and/or a major committment to pitching in wherever you're needed. Would-be saviours and amateur anthropologists need not apply.
 

this conversation reminds me of the book "are you experienced?" by william sutcliffe, about british gap-year brats traveling in india. two of the characters have just come from bathing lepers and go on and on about how positive all the lepers are. the main character says something to the effect of "what about the ones that are not positive?" and is told that the patients are screened before admission. if they don't have a good outlook, they are not allowed in, because then they wouldn't be able to teach the volunteers anything!

volunteering can be productive (1, you're a volunteer!), but only if the volunteer has needed skills to offer. even better if they can pass those skills on to a local, so that the people can be self-sufficient.

most often, volunteering serves as a cross-cultural experience, which certainly has its merits, but is not really reason for bragging rights.

"I live in a bubble."
"President" George W Bush

A thoughtful discussion for a change!
Considering the fact that India is full of volunteering individuals and NGOs who have all the skills and local knowledge required but lack the funds,1's suggestion just giving the money is more than right. And besides, in many cases "helping" only a way of trying to heel quilty conscience on the expence of those who are being "helped".

 

I m still not clear about the motive of volunteering.. Many of the locals have the impression that its a sort of self gratifying/righteous effort by helping one of those missionaries to convert.. Pls correct me.. I would like not to beleive it..

We Reach .... Where our Dreams Take Us....

"India is full of volunteering individuals and NGOs who have all the skills and local knowledge required but lack the funds" (outsider) simply aren't true.
i know many NGOs here in delhi who have lots of money (by indian standards) but few skills and fewer volunteers.
also indians by and large (i'm going to be crucified for saying this) aren't really into volunteering for NGOs... so, as thundersnow suggests, if someone wants to wash dishes for a while, what's the problem?
i'm a little circumspect about holier-than-thou attitudes...
p.s. incidentally working for an NGO is increasingly being seen as a career option (i.e. vs say a corporate career)...
the money's not very good (compared to traditionally well-paying professions) but better than what it used to be say 5 yrs back but i suppose the non-financial rewards are pretty big.
i know a lot of corporates who dumped their jobs to start/work for NGOs, and took huge pay cuts in the process.

 

A foreign volunteer normally doesnt have a good idea of India.So its always better for them to give some kind of monetary help.

On the other hand Lot of Indians have done good job in upliftment of poor and needy.
Baba amte is one person who has done great work for Leprosy patients.
ASHA is an education foundation started by a Indian graduate from UC Berkeley.
CRY is again an Organization which helps the street kids.

These organization apart from numerous others are doing far better job than the govt of India given the fact that these organizations have very little funding. These organization are working at the grass root level to improve the position of street kids, education etc.

Iam personally not a great fan of Mother Teresa or Missionary of charity. They do a good job but with a motive of converting people so Strictly speaking its not a social work its a work to spread chrstianity unlikescores of other people/NGo's who have nothing todo with religion, caste, region etc.

Secondly as someone pointed out they treat the symptoms not the disease this is precisely what pi$$es me of. Mother Teresa never stressed the need for population control, literacy/education etc which is important in reducing the number of poor, needy people.



 

Why all this quibbling. India is a large country, with room for all, the wannabe mother Teresa,people with skills, people who want to wash dishes, those who want to give money to effective organizations, the guilt ridden and many more.
Here is a way to find out about NGO's
http://www.indianngos
http://www.indianvolunteers.org/aboutus.htm
http://www.princeton.edu/~shanmuga/ngo/

 

For goodness sakes, this sneering at volunteers is a bit pointless surely. What possible harm are they causing??

Surely there are better things to disapprove of, such as, oh, dancing bears, child prostitution, the political situation in Burma... why turn the vitriol on well-meaning gap year kids rolling up their sleeves to help out some charity. It's one step up from you run-of-the-mill voyeur tourism, anyway. At least they are actually getting involved in the local community. If they were really "getting in the way" they wouldn't be encouraged to stick around. I'm sure most charities don't see themselves as glorified babysitters for bushy-tailed western do-gooders.

And all these people that gripe about charities just picking up the pieces and not addressing the root cause - why should they? they can't do everything. Castigating people for at least doing SOMETHING is a bit rich.