The final installment, but not the final word.
A critical piece by returned AVID volunteer Ashlee Betteridge has just done the rounds on devpolicy.org, drawing attention to her frustrations to what she felt were failures of process or philosophy. Of course, no volunteering agency could credibly claim a perfect record with no volunteers frustated or unsatisfied with their placement. While Ashlee concedes that she may be in the minority, it is important not to write off such articles as statistical inevitabilities, instead looking into her feedback for strategies to continually improve our programs. This series of articles (part 1, part 2) draws on some of the feedback we’ve heard from volunteers (both Palms and other) and observations we’ve made about what lies at the root of problems which occur.
It is important to remember that most who volunteer do so just once (though recently we have had a very high repeat rate). As such, the obligations to avoid volunteering “done wrong” fall predominantly to the sending organisations who have the opportunity to learn from experience and continually improve the process. This final installment includes a number of considerations behind the scenes which may not be immediately apparent to the individuals who apply to volunteer.
Here are five more things we don’t do.
11. Overindulge in expat relationships
It is natural, in the first 6 months of a placement, to have times of homesickness, and even loneliness, despite the very welcoming environment into which volunteers are placed. Culture shock is real. And it can appear as if no one else really understands you. So it can be very tempting to seek out other expatriates for solace. Making non-local friends while on placement is not discouraged – but they can be more of an impediment than a help to settling into your new home and making firm friendships with your hosts and developing the cultural awareness needed to operate effectively as a volunteer. It is also important to remember that many expats – even those who are on volunteer assignments themselves – may be placed with large international NGOs or even business chambers (which is a growing trend for government-backed international volunteering programs) – which are likely to have a very different context to anyone undertaking solidarity volunteering. This is why maintaining regular contact with your Palms Global Programs Manager is so important. They are a safe place to debrief, without breaching confidences and without inadvertently developing hypercritical and ultimately limiting expat relationships. It is also important because the Global Programs Manager is able to support you in discussions with your host if necessary.
12. Be a rugged individual or ignore the standards
Volunteers are likely to have a healthy adventurous spirit – if not, it is unlikely that they would put their hand up to do a long term placement in what may be a remote part of an unknown land. However it is essential to remember that they are not the experts – their hosts are – especially when it comes to understanding local customs and safety and security. It may well be frustrating, but abiding by advice or constraints placed by host partners is not just good manners – it may well be critical to your wellbeing. By all means ask questions and be curious – it’s the only way to learn. But if you are explicitly advised against doing something, there’s probably a reason behind that.
While novelty might afford a volunteer certain privileges, they should be careful not to abuse them. This might include taking time off for a holiday without seeking leave of their local employer. They should not assume special privileges not open to local colleagues. Equally, if some local staff are in the habit of turning up drunk or not turning up at all, a volunteer should not feel this is acceptable behaviour. Sometimes the example a volunteer might set, in their willingness to humbly serve their hosts, can make the biggest difference by reinforcing the good behaviour of dedicated local staff.
Just because a country or organisation might not have the legal or policy protections we have at home, this does not justify a different standard of personal behaviour. No parent in Australia would be happy if a school let any old stranger walk in and take photos of their children. Why do so many white tourists and development workers feel that this is somehow different in other countries? Even if a person gives consent, there are often still questions about why the photographer felt the need to take this particular photo. Is the person featured the subject or the object of the photograph?
13. Pretend there is no financial cost
It’s not just the airfares. Organisations must exist to organise and provide flights, insurance, training, accommodation and living costs. There are costs of assessing and scoping placements to ensure the above criteria are met. There are costs of recruiting volunteers, sharing their stories and generating income so it can all happen. There are costs of supporting and advising volunteers before, during and after their placements. All of these things cost $19,000 – $25,000 per year, which is a fraction of the value of a skilled volunteer. When local partners can meet costs such as accommodation or food, Palms Australia’s costs are lower still.
Volunteers and partners should be made aware of the cost, even if their placement is fully-funded, so that they understand their placement is not a solo mission but requires the cooperative efforts of many people. Acknowledging the full cost of the program is essential if we are to assess it’s value. Hopefully, donors see the true value of a year of “volunteering done right” is much more than $20,000. (Certainly AusAID appear to think so, as their AVID program costs more than $60,000 per volunteer year.)
14. Develop unrealistic expectations
Position descriptions are a useful guide to what hosts may expect of volunteers. However flexibility is crucial. Circumstances change, and also hosts may alter their expectations of volunteers after they have made their own assessments of their skills and cultural capacities. While it is reasonable to arrive with a focus on ‘my placement’, it is important to remember that that placement is really part of a continuum and the result of a very long term relationship between Palms and the host community. You are building on what others have done before you. And you are not expected to solve all the problems in the world in your time there… there will be others to follow you – not least of whom are of course your host community itself.
15. Forget to evaluate
This is also an organisation-level responsibility, though volunteers make very important contributions. If recruiting volunteers and securing funds are the goals of an organisation, then perpetuating an idea that “volunteering just works” is not a problem. However, if the organisation has a mission to reduce poverty, build capacity and build cross-cultural relationships through volunteering, then monitoring and evaluation are essential.
We should attempt to evaluate every volunteer placement from the point of view of every stakeholder – host organisations, volunteers, host communities, program beneficiaries, sending organisation, even donors. Doing so well will help all and ensure the program does not run for the benefit of one at the expense of another (see points 9 and 10).
But wait, there’s more…
Even with a list of 15 mistakes (part 1, part 2), which some might feel is excessive, there are certainly more which could have been included.
This is where you come in. Please add your thoughts in the comments below if there are any “volunteering mistakes” you think I’ve missed. Perhaps they come from your own experience or perhaps they are things you’ve witnessed or heard about. They might be individual mistakes or organisational. Some might seem obvious (don’t live tweet your placement, please!) but we’d still love for the conversation to continue.
What do you think?