In August, U.S.-based Cross Cultural Solutions sent volunteers to Salvador, Brazil. The group of 10 — ranging in age from 26 to 56 — spent their time working with children in urban slums and in free time, relaxing in a beautiful nearby beach community. In Mexico, a group of longer-term volunteers are helping research coral reefs in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere, where they’ll also be able to earn their scuba diving qualification through U.K.-founded Global Vision International.
Over the past 15 years, the intersection of volunteering and tourism, or voluntourism, has leapfrogged from a curiosity to a mainstream sector, with a growing number of organizations sharing the space also known as “volunteer vacations,” and sending thousands of volunteers overseas each year.
Just as quickly, people started questioning its merits — suggesting that this form of experience-focused volunteering can cause more harm than good and perpetuate a Western “coming to save” view that the larger global development community has been working hard to shed.