why travel to an exotic country to do good ? Each volunteer ’ s native country abounds with children without access to material and intellectual resources , with 4.2 million UK children living in poverty ( Social Mobility Commission , 2020 , p . 17 ). And even with the scope of Western poverty paling in comparison with Kenya , volunteers spending hundreds of pounds on flights , visas , vaccinations and programme fees provide no added value to vulnerable Kenyan children . As noted by Otiende , “ for the cost of a flight from the US to Kenya , we could pay for a senior psychotherapist to treat around 20 children and families a month ” ( 2018 ). As such , most attempts to help the ‘ vulnerable ’ through volunteering stem from inherently self-centred motives . No matter how pure their intentions , Agape volunteers participate in the programme expecting something in return . Be it gratitude from the vulnerable children or a line in their CV , their participation in this programme demonstrates lack of interest and respect for local communities , as well as ignorance of their genuine
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needs . Short-term , unskilled volunteers cannot offer the same help for vulnerable children as professionals , they can only reiterate Eurocentric , capitalist values and then leave . Taking advantage of volunteers ’ selfish need to be physically involved in helping others , Agape contributes to Eurocentric shaping of cultures considered ‘ inferior ’ rather than empowering the locals to lead . The programme turns helping others into paid capitalist experiences , providing services for its customers , the volunteers . As such , Agape harms local communities by extension , providing services which place the ‘ helpers ’’ needs above the needs of the ‘ helped ’.
As evidenced above , the Agape programme induces empathy in young volunteers by helping the ‘ less-fortunate ’. However , the programme remains ignorant to Kenyan children ’ s social and cultural needs by spreading Eurocentric values and allowing volunteers to extract moral capital at the expense of vulnerable children . The lack of education and experience necessary to participate in the programme is alarming and
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