Voluntourism in Guatemala

Every year, thousands of young highschool and college students pack their bags for the summer and head off to developing countries to volunteer. They work at schools, orphanages, clinics and sometimes weaving cooperatives in Guatemala. This type of travel - often referred to as Voluntourism - has received a lot of attention and criticism lately. The most common complaint being that the volunteers often benefit from their experiences at the expense of the community they are trying to help. Even satirical magazines, like The Onion have weighed in on the debate. Another article jokes "A rural Tanzanian village is celebrating a major milestone today: being featured in its 500th Medical School Admissions Essay."

Rebecca Lee Nelson, a graduate student in the anthropology department at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, discusses voluntourism in the context of her dissertation research in Guatemala for Vern Clothing. Vern Clothing is a business which "creates handwoven products sourced directly from weaving cooperatives in the Guatemalan highlands." 

You can read Rebecca's thoughts here.