Avoiding the Voluntourism Trap

Disclaimer: Certain details/names changed and conditions deidentified to protect patient privacy. All photos taken and shared with consent of subjects; for minors, parent/guardian approval was obtained.

Waking up every morning soaked in sweat was not quite how I imagined my summer to go. Neither did I expect to be preyed upon by countless mosquitoes who happily ignored the copious amounts of bug spray I diligently put on every night. Cold showers became my safe haven, providing me temporary relief from the merciless humid heat. Brushing my teeth using water from my bottle became the norm.

Life in Haiti was by no means glamorous—quite far from it actually. But it wasn’t supposed to be. I didn’t go to Haiti expecting some utopian paradise. I went expecting to put in work, put in time, put in effort, in hopes that I would be able to make some sort of change, maybe even the tiniest amount of impact. But that might pretty arrogant of me because what can one person truly do in two weeks? Was I really able to change anything in a mere 14 days? It’s laughable, even a bit preposterous to assume that I could make a real difference during my trip. But this organization and this group of people—we’re making baby steps towards laying out the foundation for change.

When I think of community service trips, I’m always a little hesitant—perhaps a little dubious. I’m suspicious of the good intentions that are misplaced and often serve to benefit the ones going rather than the people they are trying to genuinely help. I’m concerned about voluntourism—a term used to describe volunteers who travel to third world countries under the intention of helping but in reality, becomes more of a vacation for these “tourists.”

“Unsatisfying as it may be, we ought to acknowledge the truth that we, as amateurs, often don’t have much to offer. Perhaps we ought to abandon the assumption that we, simply by being privileged enough to travel the world, are somehow qualified to help ease the world’s ills.” — Jacob Kushner, New York Times

Nous Fe Medical Service Organization is partnered with Angel Wings International, a nonprofit organization that runs a clinic to treat one of the communities residing in Jacmel, Haiti. For an extremely affordable price, Haitian people can walk in for a check-up with a dentist or a doctor. Angel Wings International doesn’t just run a temporary clinic. It’s a clinic that many people in the community rely on for their healthcare needs, and it has no plans to shut down any time soon. As students in this organization, we provide extra hands for the clinic and assist them wherever it is needed. For those two weeks, every single day the clinic was open, we were also there. Our work hours and life purely revolved around the clinic. We would wake up at 7AM to be at the clinic by the time it opened and we left either after all the patients were seen or when the clinic closed. We triaged patients to check their vitals, we distributed the proper medications prescribed by the doctor, and we provided treatment to infections. After the lines of patients cleared up, we would go out in the community with the doctor and offer free health visits. Most importantly, we counseled them on appropriate usage of medications and proper diet habits to follow.

It’s possible that maybe our actions didn’t provide a lasting impact. The lisinopril and metoprolol succinate medications that they take for hypertension will only work if they are taken properly and continuously. The counseling on their diet—to avoid Maggi (a popular Haitian seasoning), coffee, and alcohol—is useless if they ignore it. The same conditions will arise again if they return to their old habits. However, for the people who do listen, who do take the medications, and who follow the doctor’s orders—they are impacted. For the patient whose leg wounds we dressed diligently everyday, we directly witnessed the improvement of the infection over time. Change can be a fickle thing. We always want immediate results, instant gratification, and a physical or visual product that is proof and evidence of our efforts. But to make a change, it requires thoughtfulness, preparation, and continuous devotion.

Our organization at Northwestern was only born this past year—these summer trips were Northwestern University’s inaugural time in Haiti. And we don’t intend it to be the last. Our goal is to provide sustainable changes and to aim for continuity of care. It isn’t a matter of dipping our feet into Haiti and immediately withdrawing. We began preliminary data collection for research regarding the common health conditions prevalent in a particular area of Jacmel. We hope to take more frequent trips and longer trips and to build upon the infrastructure already established by Angel Wings International. We’re raising money to purchase more medications, needed supplies, and anything that the clinic requires. This is just the beginning—we are only getting started. We will actively grow our organization and continue our efforts even after the change we envision comes to fruition.

Support us on our journey—and if you can, join us.