http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36132482
I am a doctor working in South Africa. When I see Americans they are mostly medical students doing electives, although I have seen some of these with very similar attitudes to what follows:
I have a friend who worked at a clinic in Malawi. He had a lot of volunteers, mostly Americans, coming to 'help'. They arrived with no training, no medicine, nothing. Just there 'healing hands'. As a consequence they just stood around in the clinic the few times they were there as they did not know what they were doing. If someone tried to teach them, it wasted more time that could have been used to treat patients as the volunteers were only there for a few weeks. He complained about them for literally hours, as they did far more harm than good.
They spent their days going to see wildlife or doing touristy things, but would then talk about how they came to 'help' in an almost condescending manner.
Please. Certain patronising individuals should just stay in their countries. Africa doesn't need volunteers without specific skills. It needs cheaper medicines and medical supplies. Even trained doctors from the developed world can become overwhelmed here by sheer numbers of patients, late presentations and lack of equipment, especially in the rural settings and small clinics where most 'volunteers' are sent.
I am a doctor working in South Africa. When I see Americans they are mostly medical students doing electives, although I have seen some of these with very similar attitudes to what follows:
I have a friend who worked at a clinic in Malawi. He had a lot of volunteers, mostly Americans, coming to 'help'. They arrived with no training, no medicine, nothing. Just there 'healing hands'. As a consequence they just stood around in the clinic the few times they were there as they did not know what they were doing. If someone tried to teach them, it wasted more time that could have been used to treat patients as the volunteers were only there for a few weeks. He complained about them for literally hours, as they did far more harm than good.
They spent their days going to see wildlife or doing touristy things, but would then talk about how they came to 'help' in an almost condescending manner.
Please. Certain patronising individuals should just stay in their countries. Africa doesn't need volunteers without specific skills. It needs cheaper medicines and medical supplies. Even trained doctors from the developed world can become overwhelmed here by sheer numbers of patients, late presentations and lack of equipment, especially in the rural settings and small clinics where most 'volunteers' are sent.