What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the island of Madagascar? Most likely, you’ll think of the animated movie from 2005 featuring King Julien the lemur. Madagascar is a wonderful children’s movie; however, it paints a false picture of the island.
CultureConnect is a nonprofit local to my hometown, Rhinebeck, NY, with the mission to prepare youth to interact with their local and global communities with intelligence, compassion and cultural competence. Working with local school districts and with the support of college, high school, and community volunteers, CultureConnect runs after-school and summer programs for school-age youth. My charity pitch will focus on the MadagascarConnect program, as this is likely where any donation will be allocated at this time of year.
MadagascarConnect carries the CultureConnect mission statement to the island of Madagascar. The highly selective program chooses seven local student ambassadors every other year to undergo a two year program of classes and fundraising leading up to a three week trip to the island of Madagascar. While there, they engage with community-based organizations and leaders, teach rudimentary English to artisan-vendors for the purpose of selling to English-speaking tourists, participate in a reforestation project and connect with local children through dance and games. Upon their return from Madagascar, students share their experiences with our own community, raising awareness and building cultural connections through the local middle and high school’s “Madagascar Day,” as well as speaking at community events and dinners.
In 2015, I was selected as a student ambassador. In 2017, I travelled to Madagascar. In 2019, I will be returning as a trip counselor. The impact that MadagascarConnect has had on my life has been incredible. This program is not just a service trip; MadagascarConnect is slowly building a web of ambassadors across the globe, connecting people from Madagascar and the United States to exchange cultures, ideas and information. From this program I’ve taken away countless things, but one of the most important things I learned is that we all face the same struggles. Whether that be environmental degradation, government corruption, poverty, classism, racism, sexism, and more, it exists around the globe. Sharing of ideas, exchange of culture, showing support and lending a hand are powerful things.
Madagascar is the 8th poorest country in the world, populated by 26 million people living off an average salary of $260, annually. Working hand in hand with nonprofits who combat this harsh cycle of poverty has taught me the tenacity, hard work and compassion required to make a difference. With funding, the continuation of this program will strengthen the established connection between CultureConnect and nonprofits local to Madagascar, benefitting citizens of Madagascar and the United States and ultimately expanding the resources Malagasy nonprofits have to combat extreme poverty, corruption and degradation of the environment. A beautiful country that is home to millions of beautiful people, Madagascar is more than a couple cartoon animals make it out to be.
This organization is based around voluntourism - a form of tourism where international volunteers go to a developing country and work for organizations and causes with the goal of improving current conditions. Yet, voluntourism is complicated. An article produced by Save the Children, the international non-profit working for the rights and safety of children, points out several potential problems with this practice. For one, often times volunteers are not equipped with the skills needed when interacting with vulnerable populations or building infrastructure. This may end up causing more harm than good. The organizations people volunteer with are also sometimes not always vetted by those who participate, which leads to people helping out at non-profits that have serious infractions, and potentially contribute to a problem rather than eradicating it. There is the white savior complex, where wealthy, white individuals go to a foreign country under the illusion that they, as members of the privileged population, know how to fix all the problems that plague an underdeveloped location. Voluntourism may also sometimes be centered around the volunteer, opposed to the actual individuals that need assistance. As time has gone on and we have seen an increase in voluntourism and its effects, it can get increasingly tricky deciding which organizations should be supported, and if the practice should exist at all. Is voluntourism more beneficial to the recipients or the participants? When does help become hurt? However, based on the information you provided, I feel like MadagascarConnect is an example of how voluntourism organizations should work, and how it can be used for the betterment of all.
ReplyDeleteThe selectivity and training of all of its volunteers leads me to believe that MadagascarConnect’s main goal is to be able to help create long-lasting sustainability and support to residents of the country. The fact that volunteers spend two years learning about the culture, making sure that they know how to act and interact respectfully, is incredibly important and helps build a respectful and trusting relationship between the Americans and the Malagasy. I also find it important that MadagascarConnects focuses on building relevant skills that will help people in their day to day lives. Also, unlike a lot of other voluntourism programs, the involvement in the organization does not end once participants are back in the United States; they still teach others about Madagascar, and let people know about the culture, history, problems, and significance of Madagascar.
Voluntourism can be uncomfortable to talk about sometimes. It has been increasingly criticized, because of the aforementioned issues, but I think it is important to remember that not all organizations are problematic, and some of these non-profits can really make a tremendous difference to the well-being of citizens in these developing countries. This dilemma was something I had to grapple with when I studied abroad for a semester in Ghana. I wanted to volunteer during my time there, just like I volunteered with organizations when I was in Binghamton, but I felt a certain uncomfortability with it all. I didn’t want to accidentally contribute to any harm or increase tensions revolving around entitlement and race. At the same time, I wanted to be able to assist organizations I thought were important that needed extra hands. It is so important for people interested in volunteering abroad to look into different organizations, read reviews, and see how their contributions affect the community once they leave. I think MadagascarConnects helps in a very ethical, respectful, and viable matter, and I am excited to hear more about its impact in the country, as well as the personal impact it has had on you, Stephanie.
https://www.savethechildren.org.au/Our-Stories/The-truth-about-voluntourism