I’ve always been baffled at the number of parents willing to shell out thousands of dollars to send their teen on a two-week trip to Africa or Asia. Whether it’s a mission trip or a non-religious service project, the result is the same: teens come back to the U.S and spend a couple days uploading orphan-filled photos to Facebook and reflecting on how “blessed” they are. Usually within a couple of days they’re hopelessly absorbed by their first-world problems once again.
These short trips can cost anywhere from $2,000 to over $15,000. Are they really worth it?
Say a two-week trip costs 3,000 per person and the goal is to repaint and repair a school. If a group of 12 students go, the project already costs $36,000. If the volunteer works 40 hours a week on this project, each hour of labor costs approximately $37.50 per volunteer.
$37.50! That’s almost three times what the average construction worker is paid in the United States. In another country, where labor costs are even lower, that money could go so much further. There is no reason why an indigenous community can’t paint and repair their own school building, if given the necessary tools. A couple buckets of paint and some brushes cost a heck of a lot less than $36,000.
So why go on these mission or service trips? Is it better to spend the money in a more productive way? Yes and no. There is value to be gained and lessons to be learned from staying with an indigenous community. It’s way more complex than just feeling “blessed.” When I went to Costa Rica and stayed with a rural community, I did not walk away feeling like I was better off than the people that I stayed with. These people did not have access to healthcare. They lived solely off of rice and beans. But they were inexplicably joyful, tight-knit, and blessed in their own way.
There is a lot to be learned from spending time in rural, indigenous societies. Teens should view service and mission trips as opportunities for personal growth, not reasons to reflect on how “blessed” they are or to be on moral high ground.