Still Not Sure About Voluntourism

Although I'm incredibly excited about my practice experience this summer, whenever I think or talk about it I still struggle with the concept of "voluntourism." After taking GPP 115, I was keenly aware of the ethical dilemma of volunteering in place where you are not deeply connected to. Although volunteering abroad is a very valuable experience for the volunteer, who gets to travel and learn about a new culture while also intending to do good, it seems to not be as beneficial for the people the volunteer is trying to serve, or at least, unfair. Often times, students are volunteering abroad in a community where the people who live there do not have the opportunity to travel abroad. How powerful of an impact can a volunteer make if they are only there for 2 weeks, a month, 3 months, a year? How can people build trust in someone who is not deeply invested in their lives for the long term? Can someone really be an effective volunteer if they don't understand the culture they are working with? Yet, I'm doing exactly that this summer. I'm going to be volunteering with an NGO that works with street children in Delhi, India, where I have absolutely no familial connections or really, any real connections at all. Through the GPP minor, I have had the opportunity to research the political and social factors to gain a deeper understanding of the background of the children and community I'll be engaging with. However, that doesn't mean that I am anywhere close to knowing what it's like to live there, and experience what they experience. I'm going to do my best to make as positive of an impact as I can while I'm there, and I know that I'm probably going to learn much more from the children I work with than they will from me. The bottom line is, I want to be as much of a support system and for them for the 3 months I will be there, but I know that I would be a much more effective volunteer if I were there for much longer. I chose to work with this particular NGO because they do a lot of work that I have a lot of experience with and believe I can contribute to in a meaningful way. I've always been interested by Indian culture and am so excited to completely immerse myself within it, and meet people and learn their stories. And I know that my ability to work with and connect with children does not depend on cultural similarities. However, I still feel somewhat guilty about going somewhere as a temporary volunteer where I can't even speak the native language.