Volunteering is a substantial resource for developing countries in Africa. It is through a workforce of volunteers that thousands of projects to improve the quality of life are completed every year. The good news is that this is set to continue, as a recent study by Marriott Rewards found that 84% of millennials would be happy to travel abroad for volunteering opportunities. Is it really helping the developing countries though? And are the opportunities available actually ethical?

Equality based on gender and female empowerment is a core development objective. This can be considered as a fundamental factor in the realization of human rights and effective and sustainable development outcomes. 

As citizens of our respective countries, most of us lead a prosperous life. We have houses, air-conditioning, and access to fresh water. Most of us are accustomed to a life of pleasure and comfort.    

Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child (CAPEC) is one of Develop Africa's Partner in Cameroon.  Below is an interview with Ajomuzu Collette Bekaku – Founder and Executive Director of CAPEC

 
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What was the original interest in the protection and education of children?

For decades, countries in Africa have been marked with the issue of child trafficking. In the past few years, this problem has been increasing. In a 2014 Global Report by the UN, child trafficking has increased by 5 percent from 2007-2010 [1]. Governments in Rwanda, South Africa, and Ethiopia have all reported a discernible rise in child trafficking cases [2][4][5].

Throughout Africa and much of the world, ‘child’ is defined as a person who has not reached adulthood. Most would agree that all children deserve to grow up as kids and enjoy their youth before being burdened with responsibility that comes with adulthood.

An African child dies every 35 seconds from pneumonia [1,2]. Every minute one child dies from malaria [3], one child dies from measles [4], and six children die from pneumonia or diarrhea [2]. As of 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates five children under the age of five die every minute in the African region [6]. Preventable deaths rank highest on the list of ‘under five’ childhood killers in Africa.

Eat all of your veggies because there are people in Africa who are starving. I doubt I am the only one who heard that (or some other variation) as a child growing up in America. I think statements like that do little more than help solidify stereotypes about Africa and starvation. It is not as if the food that has already been bought, cooked and served by my Mother was ever going to end up in Africa. That food never even had a chance of making it to the local homeless shelter, never mind shipping it to another continent.

Government policies in Sierra Leone that exclude pregnant girls from attending school are short-sighted. Supporters of these policies do not seem to recognize the long-term effects of their decisions on the economy and society as a whole – an education could potentially help these young mothers become assets rather than burdens. Lack of education is a major obstacle that is preventing young mothers from becoming productive, tax-paying members of the work force.

Imagine three pregnant girls with no job skills who have been abandoned with little hope for the future. They wander aimlessly without food, shelter, or purpose. After their babies are born, how will they each support their newborn baby?