“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4
Last summer, I participated in a Social Justice and Community Development program in Cape Town, South Africa. To understand the idea of community development, we were placed in groups and assigned to specific areas of the region, where we would spend three days a week in-field working on a development project. I was happiest when I found out I would be working with children, as anyone who knows me knows that I love to be around children. Finally, I was there, working a project that could possibly change their lives for the better.
Those eight weeks turned out to be a challenge, for with the little time we had, few resources on hand, and ideas we had to toss in and out, our project turned out to not be sustainable. That project turned out to be the most challenging group project I’ve ever taken on, and accordingly, it gave me a lot of insight into the world of development and helped me understand that creating a solution to a problem is not as easy as 1,2,3. Which brings me to my reason for choosing to participate in the World Race.
Before I go there, I remember that at the end of the program, each of us had to give a presentation and talk about our experience. One of the presentations I found to be pretty interesting was about Barbie Savior. I had heard of her before and followed her on Instagram. The Barbie Savior Instagram features a well-intentioned, self-promoting, paternalistic, “blessed” Barbie who travels as a voluntourist to “save the country of Africa”. The account hysterically parodies and exemplifies the ridiculous self-serving attitude of many western travelers. If you haven’t seen the account, take a minute to look at it.
In the class presentation, Instagram pictures of the audience were used as examples of “Barbie Savior” behavior. When a picture of me holding a child popped up on screen, I was shocked and a bit offended. My first thought was, “Hold it right there, I’m not a Barbie Savior!” But I sat back and thought to myself. Am I a follower of Barbie Savior? On the other hand, am I Barbie Savior? Looking at this mission trip I’m pursuing, am I doing it for selfless reasons, or to make myself look good, and use children as my wallpaper? Subtract the fact that Barbie is white and skinny, then we can talk.
In regards to voluntourism (volunteerism), certain experts say, “it is at best ineffectual and at worst harmful to the developing countries it’s meant to serve” (Kuo). The argument is that aid can be counterproductive, as it means African countries will continue to rely on the outside world for help. As Teju Cole, a US-based Nigerian author states, “A nobody from America or Europe can go to Africa and become a godlike savior, or at the very least, have his or her emotional needs satisfied” (Zane). Nevertheless, what do the communities that serve get in return for the praise they give?
It is true, some volunteers that travel to Africa or other impoverished countries do have a mindset that they can solve any country’s problems. As Barbie Savior states when she lands on the continent of Africa, “Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve been crying almost 90% of the time. I realized how wasteful that was as there is such a need for water here! Given the fact that I’ve always wanted to be a CEO and I’m already 20 years old, I figured it was time to get moving” (BarbieSavior). Research also shows that there has been a growing trend of “orphan tourism”, as orphanages operate like businesses, intentionally subjecting children to poorer conditions to entice more volunteers and more donations, rather than charities (Burson). However, I do not believe that every case of volunteering is a case of spoonfeeding.
When I volunteer, whether it be in America or Africa, I am determined to use what skills or knowledge I have to benefit the communities any way I can, whether it be fetching water or taking the role of teacher’s assistant in a classroom. However it’s not only what I bring, but also engaging with new culture and people, building new relationships, and learning from them.
As I travel on the World Race in the upcoming year, I know my service won’t be the solution to poverty or cure to diseases. Still it could be a track that will lead me there. With hopes of one day working towards sustainable development and using education to break the cycle of poverty, I believe my biggest learning ground is in the communities of people facing injustice every day. Rather than assuming I know what they need and creating a profound solution, I want to engage with them and hear what they have to say; ask them what they need of me. Meanwhile as I learn, what better thing could I do than to serve them? Even better, share God with them.
Looking at Barbie Savior, as much as I may laugh at some of her posts, I can’t help but find it to be offensive and patronizing, especially since I run into that ignorance almost everywhere I go. As volunteers going into the mission field, we are prone to fall into that trap and slowly begin to follow in her footsteps. However, there are ways to avoid that path.
1) Acknowledge the privilege you come with
2) Do not dwell on your imagination. Learn about the community you’re about to enter
3) See the beauty of the communities and acknowledge it
4) Kill the marketing campaign. Get out of the spotlight
5) Humble yourself. Get rid of the Savior title
6) Keep Jesus at the center of it all
7) Go. Love. Serve
Unlike Barbie Savior, I’m on a lifelong mission. I’ve been sent by God, and therefore I shall go. It’s a risk, but it’s a road to freedom. The door is open, so feel free to join me on this journey.
Works Cited
