So there is a blog that has gone viral over the last couple of weeks. The blog, titled 'The problem with little white girls (and boys)" touches on the ever present issue of short-lived 'mission trips' that commonly takes place in less developed nations. As we at BLOOM Africa gear up for a return visit to Lesotho on Friday, taking with us 6 volunteers for the first time, I felt like it was necessary to reflect and respond.
Many of us on the BLOOM team are on this team because of a short time spent in Lesotho at one time or another. For me, it was a month in the summer of 2009. Looking back, I have to admit that as a 22 year old college senior, I didn't yet "get it." Our trip was focused on building things, which typically fell apart 6 months to a year later. And unfortunately, it was easy to see some people were there for the wrong reasons. But that doesn't mean that trip, and all of those before and after, were at a great fault. Service trips can be done well if the local community is involved. If there are things being built together, with a local expert leading the way, the extra hands from western volunteers may actually be warmly welcomed. There is the ability for cultural understanding through working together that could be helpful. But, sadly, often times this is not how these trips are typically organized. But, the impact the trip had on my life can't be overlooked. The experience did something to me that I couldn't explain. It ignited a passion in me that I never knew I had. Many students, myself included, suddenly were on a path for a life of service. For that, I am forever thankful. But I longed for something that was more sustainable.
The trip caused me to pursue service opportunities, which led me to volunteering in Bloemfontein, South Africa for a year after graduation. The program I served through, called Young Adults in Global Mission, has an unlikely mission. The mission is 'accompaniment.' What does that mean!? Accompaniment basically means to be in community with those you serve. To walk hand-in-hand with the marginalized and go foar beyond sympathy and empathy. It is living in true community where understanding and love can occur. So I have to be thankful for that time spent in Lesotho, although I learned so much more about community development after living in South Africa.
Recently, I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by Dr. Paul Farmer (founder of Partners In Health) and Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez (founder of Liberation Theology) in Chicago. These two giants in the field of development and fighting poverty have written a book (In the Company of the Poor) where accompaniment is seen as the best way to fight poverty. Why? Because until a person breaks the barriers of their privilege and truly feels what their brothers and sisters feel, they will not be able to understand poverty. Without understanding poverty, how can we ever overcome it?
As we embark on BLOOM Africa's first ever 'Voluntour', accompaniment remains our focus. As the volunteers going on the Voluntour saw our itinerary, they may have been a bit surprised to not find any cement mixing, building houses or painting projects. Instead, they found a lot of community conversations, long walks, meetings with village chiefs and time spent with out volunteers. I believe there is great value in cross-cultural experiences that sometimes come from "mission trips", but the mission has to be right. If the mission is to travel somewhere less developed than home, throw together a structure and then leave, it is neither sustainable nor beneficial to the community. But if the mission is to travel somewhere to share in experiences with others, learn a new culture, and create friendships and relationships, it is a sustainable good.
We believe that BLOOM Africa has positioned itself in a true accompaniment model. Our team of volunteers and staff in Lesotho are growing every year, and we are empowered by their passion for BLOOM's work. Our Community Learning Centers are organized and operated by our partners in Lesotho, and we want the programming to stem from community needs and local challenges.
As we count down the hours until we depart for Lesotho, there was an excerpt from the blog that caught my attention, "Before you sign up for a volunteer trip anywhere in the world this summer, consider whether you possess the skill set necessary for that trip to be successful. If yes, awesome. If not, it might be a good idea to reconsider your trip. Sadly, taking part in international aid where you aren't particularly helpful is no benign. It's detrimental."
Well I think every human has the skill of accompaniment. We all have the ability to spend time with others, get to know others, and understand others. We all know how to share a meal, share a laugh and share hope. I highly encourage you to travel internationally, but keeping in mind how much you have to learn by spending time with others in community...a community that has much to teach us, and not the other way around.
Andrew Steele is the Founder of BLOOM Africa and served as a Young Adult in Global Mission volunteer in 2010-2011
Many of us on the BLOOM team are on this team because of a short time spent in Lesotho at one time or another. For me, it was a month in the summer of 2009. Looking back, I have to admit that as a 22 year old college senior, I didn't yet "get it." Our trip was focused on building things, which typically fell apart 6 months to a year later. And unfortunately, it was easy to see some people were there for the wrong reasons. But that doesn't mean that trip, and all of those before and after, were at a great fault. Service trips can be done well if the local community is involved. If there are things being built together, with a local expert leading the way, the extra hands from western volunteers may actually be warmly welcomed. There is the ability for cultural understanding through working together that could be helpful. But, sadly, often times this is not how these trips are typically organized. But, the impact the trip had on my life can't be overlooked. The experience did something to me that I couldn't explain. It ignited a passion in me that I never knew I had. Many students, myself included, suddenly were on a path for a life of service. For that, I am forever thankful. But I longed for something that was more sustainable.
The trip caused me to pursue service opportunities, which led me to volunteering in Bloemfontein, South Africa for a year after graduation. The program I served through, called Young Adults in Global Mission, has an unlikely mission. The mission is 'accompaniment.' What does that mean!? Accompaniment basically means to be in community with those you serve. To walk hand-in-hand with the marginalized and go foar beyond sympathy and empathy. It is living in true community where understanding and love can occur. So I have to be thankful for that time spent in Lesotho, although I learned so much more about community development after living in South Africa.
Recently, I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by Dr. Paul Farmer (founder of Partners In Health) and Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez (founder of Liberation Theology) in Chicago. These two giants in the field of development and fighting poverty have written a book (In the Company of the Poor) where accompaniment is seen as the best way to fight poverty. Why? Because until a person breaks the barriers of their privilege and truly feels what their brothers and sisters feel, they will not be able to understand poverty. Without understanding poverty, how can we ever overcome it?
As we embark on BLOOM Africa's first ever 'Voluntour', accompaniment remains our focus. As the volunteers going on the Voluntour saw our itinerary, they may have been a bit surprised to not find any cement mixing, building houses or painting projects. Instead, they found a lot of community conversations, long walks, meetings with village chiefs and time spent with out volunteers. I believe there is great value in cross-cultural experiences that sometimes come from "mission trips", but the mission has to be right. If the mission is to travel somewhere less developed than home, throw together a structure and then leave, it is neither sustainable nor beneficial to the community. But if the mission is to travel somewhere to share in experiences with others, learn a new culture, and create friendships and relationships, it is a sustainable good.
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| Reuniting with my dear friend, Rose |
We believe that BLOOM Africa has positioned itself in a true accompaniment model. Our team of volunteers and staff in Lesotho are growing every year, and we are empowered by their passion for BLOOM's work. Our Community Learning Centers are organized and operated by our partners in Lesotho, and we want the programming to stem from community needs and local challenges.
As we count down the hours until we depart for Lesotho, there was an excerpt from the blog that caught my attention, "Before you sign up for a volunteer trip anywhere in the world this summer, consider whether you possess the skill set necessary for that trip to be successful. If yes, awesome. If not, it might be a good idea to reconsider your trip. Sadly, taking part in international aid where you aren't particularly helpful is no benign. It's detrimental."
Well I think every human has the skill of accompaniment. We all have the ability to spend time with others, get to know others, and understand others. We all know how to share a meal, share a laugh and share hope. I highly encourage you to travel internationally, but keeping in mind how much you have to learn by spending time with others in community...a community that has much to teach us, and not the other way around.
Andrew Steele is the Founder of BLOOM Africa and served as a Young Adult in Global Mission volunteer in 2010-2011
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