The following topics we will mention here are often hotly debated and may cause strong disagreements among some. We do not want to directly offend or make anyone feel uncomfortable. However, these issues should not be hushed up or trivialised. These are important topics that affect our current live times and which are highly important to us as an organization.
There is one thing in particular next to others we want to raise awarness of. For us as an organization in the sector of volunteering and in a time of social media we want to emphasise how important privacy and how important respect for our fellow human beings is.
I’m sure you have seen a lot of “great” adventurous images on the internet when you search for volunteering abroad on the world wide web. We want to make clear that it is not allowed in our projects to take pictures of children and locals without their permission, and under no circumstances may pictures be published of kids without clothes on or being nakedly dressed under your care. The intimate privacy of every single person should always be respected. The same counts for youth and adults. Ask them the same way you would like to been ask before someone puts you in the internet. Ask the manager and parents if it is okay to publish a picture of their children. Or choose to post something without seeing their faces.
Please always keep in your mind; how would you feel if someone would post your young siblings, kids or yourself without your knowing.
Also; no one is perfect, we have all done it before. Each and every one of us. For example being on holidays in another country, making some shots of a cute situation and maybe publishing it on social media later in, or “just” sending it to a family member or a friend. No one of us did it with a bad intention or perhaps without questioning one’s our own actions. We can still learn from each other and change some habits for the better, what do you think?
Maybe you asking yourself now; but WeAreOne also published pictures of children on their own website? Yes, this is true! But all people on this pictures knew that this pictures where made for the website and we ask for every permission. None of the images are revealing or sexist in any way. We are not saying it is not allowed to take pictures and to publish them we are saying that you should respect every intimate privacy like it is your own.
Our mission in our organization is that people bring positive impact to each other. Whether you as a participant or employees who you will meet in our projects. The goal is to learn and gain life experience from each other.
For us it would not be the right attitude, you thinking to safe the locals in Tanzania with your volunteering. As hard if it sounds now, give us the chance to make you understand better. Of course you can make a change in your projects and be able to teach people some of your knowledge what they mind don’t know but also the other way around. The locals have also a lot of knowledge what you mind had missing in your education.
The sensitive topic of volunteering brings also more debates around Africa. For example; Volunteers are posting schools or they projects with donations calls and using strong statements like; “help the poor Tanzania and the locals”. Most of the times from people they have been in a project in Tanzania for a couple of weeks only. Of course it feels good to volunteer in a not so wealthy country than maybe your own and of course it gives people a proud feeling that they want to share. But use your words and thought about another country always wisely.
We don’t want to say you can not make a change in your project during your time here, but we want you to respect the strong country Tanzania by its own.
We would love you to see your volunteering or internship in Tanzania with WeAreOne as a ………, learning and exchange knowledge with the people around you, pushing your studies and your future back home, being more open minded and open to learn from other cultures and being able to see the world differently.
Please always remember: Every single one of us will always have the same value, no matter whether we have a better education, more money or less, travelled more, were lucky to gain more experience in life or having more self-confident.
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