On April 5, on Next Generation Nepal’s (NGN) invitation, I gave a presentation at their Wisdom Wednesdays series of talks at Paddy Foley’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Thamel, Kathmandu.
The series focuses on ethical volunteering, specifically at orphanages, which can be problematic.
My presentation was all about how the idea of volunteering and social service was instilled in me at a very young age AND engaged in growing up, but DIDN’T engage in at all as a professional teacher working internationally, though opportunities abounded, and WHY.
I am acutely aware of child-trafficking in Nepal (and elsewhere), having worked on it and encountered it myself, to want to continue to do my bit to #StopOrphanTrips into the country.
Incidentally, I did NOT get paid for presenting nor for sharing the particular opinions that I did! (All of us presenters were, however, treated to a sumptuous dinner at the end of the series last Wednesday, which I appreciated greatly!)
Reproduced below is a video of the presentation.
Enjoy!
(If you watched the video and want to see what I meant by Kathmandu drivers honking when stuck in a traffic jam, click here for a video of it. Of course, since April 14, with the ban on honking, this has become a thing of the past already, which is a GREAT thing!!)
What do you think?
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References
Added after the publication of the blog for their relevance to the topic.
Post Magazine (Oct. 3, 2018). Voluntourism and the white saviour complex: travellers may be doing more harm than good. “Thinking of helping out at an orphanage on your holiday? Think again. Volunteering holidays may be a popular travel trend, but who is it really helping?” [Added Oct. 12, 2018.]
The Kathmandu Post (Nov. 15, 2018). Calls mount to stop orphanages exploiting poor children. “Six years after Australian lawyer Kate van Doore set up an orphanage in Nepal she was astounded to find that the children she thought she was helping were not orphans at all.” [Added Nov. 16, 2018.]
