Complex Realities: How Tanga Town Locals View Short-Term Volunteers
by Izabela Psnik
Link to original report here> https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1450857/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Who Really Benefits? Local Perspectives on Short-Term Volunteering in Tanga Town
Short-term volunteer programs have faced growing criticism for reinforcing neo-colonial power dynamics and prioritising the emotional rewards of volunteers over the long-term needs of host communities. Scholars argue that these programs often prioritise feel-good experiences for Westerners while maintaining global inequalities—where decision-making and resources remain concentrated in the Global North, and the Global South is cast as perpetually in need.
Yet despite this critique, much of the research into volunteerism remains top-down—led by scholars or practitioners far removed from the day-to-day realities of those most affected. A case study from Tanga Town, Tanzania, offers a shift in perspective. Drawing on interviews with local staff and community members involved with volunteer organizations, this research reveals a layered and often contradictory picture. While participants expressed appreciation for some elements of volunteering, they also raised practical, political, and ethical concerns about how it operates in practice.
1. Time Limits, Limited Impact
The most common issue raised was the short duration of most volunteer placements. Volunteers often stay for just a few weeks, which leaves little time to understand the local context, build relationships, or contribute meaningfully. Many described these short stints as disruptive—requiring more supervision and training than the help they ultimately provide.
While some acknowledged that volunteers can bring fresh perspectives, boost morale, or increase an organization’s visibility, these benefits were often overshadowed by the downsides of rapid turnover. The pattern that emerges is one of short-term gain, long-term cost—where enthusiasm replaces expertise, and volunteers come and go without leaving lasting value.
2. Skills vs. Good Intentions
This problem is compounded by a mismatch between what volunteers bring and what local organisations actually need. Many are well-meaning but arrive without the technical skills or cultural understanding necessary to contribute effectively. What’s missing, respondents said, is true capacity-building—volunteers who can offer training, share professional knowledge, or support long-term goals.
Instead, local staff often end up supervising visitors doing work they are already equipped to do. Some pointed out that certain tasks—especially unskilled labour—could easily be done by locals, creating jobs and building the local economy. When these roles are filled by outsiders, it not only wastes local expertise—it maintains a model that keeps Tanzania reliant on foreign help rather than strengthening its own workforce.
This isn’t a rejection of volunteering altogether. But it is a call for models that are more thoughtful, skill-based, and grounded in the real needs of local communities.
3. Neo-Colonialism: Present, but Not Always Named
While many scholars describe volunteerism as a modern form of neo-colonialism—where former colonial powers maintain influence through aid and development—this language wasn’t often used by respondents. Still, these themes were present. Interviewees spoke about how foreign influence shapes development priorities, and how funding from the Global North often comes with conditions.
Some noted that NGOs in Tanzania frequently adjust their programs to align with donor expectations rather than local needs—essentially designing projects to appeal to funders, not communities. In this way, even well-intentioned volunteering can replicate older hierarchies, with outsiders holding the power to define what support looks like.
4. The White Saviour: A Quiet, Complicated Presence
The “white saviour” complex also surfaced, though often in indirect terms. Some respondents recalled moments when volunteers were celebrated for work long carried out by local staff, or placed in leadership roles without the necessary local knowledge.
More than ideological frustration, the concerns were practical: these dynamics slowed progress, reinforced stereotypes, and shaped public narratives in problematic ways. Several participants expressed discomfort with how their communities were marketed—reduced to images of suffering or helplessness to attract donations and volunteers. These portrayals raise real questions about who benefits most from the stories being told.
5. Dependency and the Desire for More Equal Partnerships
At the heart of these reflections was a strong desire for more reciprocal and respectful partnerships. Local actors aren’t calling for an end to volunteering—they want to be involved in setting priorities, leading programs, and shaping the terms of collaboration.
Many emphasised the value of cultural exchange and personal connection, especially when volunteers came with humility and openness to learn. One organisation was praised for creating a more balanced model, where Tanzanian staff were able to travel abroad—highlighting the fact that these opportunities are usually one-sided. Westerners can come to “help,” but Tanzanians rarely get the same chance to share their knowledge or experience the Global North on equal terms.
The desire is not just for support, but for partnership—one in which learning, decision-making, and respect flow both ways.
Conclusion: Toward a Fairer Model
The findings from Tanga Town do not offer a simple verdict on short-term volunteerism. Instead, they reveal a mix of critique and appreciation. Volunteers can bring value—but only when their contributions are relevant, their roles clearly defined, and their presence grounded in mutual respect.
If volunteer programs are to be truly ethical and effective, they must move beyond symbolic gestures and toward models rooted in local leadership and long-term collaboration. The question isn’t whether volunteering should happen—but how, and on whose terms.
