Who can be a relief traveler

Relief-traveler?

Yes. As long as you travel, you can be a relief traveler.

Yeah, it’s as easy as that.  I have been asked questions that I wouldn’t ordinarily ask myself but because I have been asked it, I am going to answer it best I can.

Not as fancy as a “volunteer traveler” but definitely in the same league and independent of any organization or setup.

Relief- travel is just adding a little thought to the fun of travel, especially if you happen to be traveling in less-developed countries whose local population is in need of basic necessities. It is about using your skill and good fortune for something new to be the change through a gesture as simple and easy as carrying an additional piece of clothing or a box of medicines in your travel baggage to be given away to someone in the destination country. Being a backpacker means little baggage – so I try utilizing that space to carry stuff that might be of use – including over the counter drugs, stationary or clothes. Small things, big help is what I believe in.

I came up with this idea of combining the sense of adventure with a social cause as a part of travels that take me to places away from mainstream tourist attractions, giving me the opportunity to interact with people for whom life basic necessities are a luxury.  Here, I am specifically referring to Africa or South East Asia, which have always been my favourite places to travel in. But the destination shouldn’t limit the scope of relief-travel, if you look around, there are people in need everywhere and adding this to my travel agenda has helped me enjoy my travel experience a great deal more.

THE BIG QUESTION – WHY?

People often look for a larger cause to participate in or an organization to deal with – but really, that is not necessary. You can be the propagator of your own cause by being a little thoughtful. Remember that if you have kept the kitchen fires burning even for a day, you have been successful in your venture. I have gone from working with voluntary projects demanding thousands of dollars in the poorest countries in the world – to doing my own thing now and even if I don’t get a donor book to sign in, there is a satisfaction of knowing that I have been hands on doing something that had made a difference. There are a lot of ways you could be a part of this – all is requires is a thought.  Recently, when I visited a Special Needs Centre in interior Kenya and donated medicines and stationery, the only reaction I got was a smile – and when you are stuck between thirty children who cannot open chocolate wrappers, you know that smile means more than words can ever say.

(Click for article in Khaleej Times)

How does it benefit anyone?

Support a community in a country you are traveling in – relief isn’t about pledging your yearly salary or endless time. Donate essential items, medicines or even giving away whatever little you can afford to spare to the people in your destination country. We need to bear in mind that every developing country has problems – and poverty is a big part of that so if you put a little thought into your travel plans, you could easily help few deprived soul get their daily meal.

If you like flying light, you could buy things locally for giving away. If your worry is not finding a person to give it to, trust me, you have not been looking. Developing countries have their fair share of needy people you see everywhere and just about anyone will be glad for an extra bag of rice or medicines. If every short or long term traveler thought of this, it would be a big step in filling at least some gap in the lives of so many people in need. The local community will benefit from your tourist- dollars as well.

It might not be possible for one individual to put aside a lot of money or time, but if a lot of people put aside small amounts it would add up nicely. Involve friends and family – people always have something they do not want. Put your unwanted items to good use – but I cannot stress enough – put a thought into your actions.

There was one time someone wanted to donate a Play Station to a child in Africa that has never seen electricity – come on, giving is one thing- giving what they need is quite another.

Is it logical

Once when traveling through Tanzania I had a vehicle mishap and when waiting for it to be fixed, children warmed the car shouting out muzungu and asking for alms. Unfortunately I only had a few soup packets left and the kids, who had never seen that before, ripped open the packets and ate the mix. That opened my eyes to the fact that donation was not about what did as a “feel good” act it was understanding their basic daily needs and attending to that which was. Now I make sure that I buy things locally especially food items and make sure to include a visit to orphanages, slums or villages as part of the travel plans.

(Click for article in the New Indian Express)

 How do you trust the organisations that you donate to?  

You don’t always need to “donate” to an organization. My purpose is to be very item specific and being hands on and I like to be involved with the people I meet. I volunteer to help in small communities along the way I travel through. When I first started it was heartbreaking to find out that not all organizations—even few non-profits—were doing much good or necessary work that helped people and so I decided to take a step back from this and started a more direct approach.

Volunteer-travel vs Relief-Travel

Although it may seem like both have a lot in common, there is an underlying difference between the two. Both involve a voluntary action towards a social cause. There is, however a slight difference – while ‘relief travel’ is independent of an outside source, volunteer travel is dependent on a particular organization/agency and is bound by time or money or both.  Relief travel is a simple act of giving what you want and who you want to and how much you want to. Volunteering involves specific time slots or tasks, which may not be the luxury all every traveler can afford or work directly with the project/organization on very hands on level.

The principles of relief travel are totally thought-driven, it requires very little of your time or money – but yes, it does require a thought and a purpose. Anyone can become a relief – traveler.

Here are a few simple ways to involve in this – easy, straightforward and satisfying

1. Put a little thought into your action. What would a child in the slum need most – Medicines or PlayStation?

2. Plan ahead – this helps you decide what you could put together and how much. Let’s face it – no short term traveler ever uses up all the baggage space. Use it wisely.

3. Look around – all of us will have something that we can give away – a box of pencils, unused soap bars, Vitamin tablets, and clothes -anything that will fit in with your regular baggage.

4. If you think you may never come in contact with the impoverished people – you can hand over your donations to the hotel you are staying at and ask them to give it away.

5. Support small businesses by infusing money into the local economy – shop locally.  Volunteering is not always possible on every trip but you can still do well by choosing restaurants, shops, and business with an underlying social mission.

6. If you are short of time, just donate whatever you wish to churches or temples – they usually know the best way to distribute it.

7. Make this a part of your travel – like you would a visit to an iconic site at your destination.

HANDY TIPS

What you can donate without falling into trouble with the authorities –

Medical aid: Be careful of the medicines, over the counter-drugs are fine, but not prescription drugs. That’s a complete no-no. Your aim to help and not to get into or land others into trouble.
Food: Make sure whatever you are carrying in your baggage is useful to the people in their environment. Better still, buy stuff locally to distribute.
Clothing: Doesn’t take up much space and always has takers.