Decolonising intercultural exchange

Decolonising intercultural exchange

By Pearl Sakoane-Nogi

Decolonising Internships Abroad and Volunteering in Africa sounds like a radical extreme but it is not. This should be digested as a shift to harmonise the symbiotic relationship between the receiving community and their foreign guests.

Internships and volunteering programs abroad, particularly in Africa, have become increasingly popular among young people seeking meaningful work experience and a chance to contribute to global development. Because this is a cultural exchange which engages bridging work, it’s important to consider, these programs are often embedded in a complex history of colonialism and power imbalances, making the discussion of “decolonising” these experiences vital. This needs to be examined.

The Colonial Legacy of Missionary Work

The concept of volunteering in Africa is historically rooted in missionary work, deeply intertwined with the colonial past, where the continent was often seen as a place that needed “saving” or “civilising” by the ‘West’. Even today, there is still an existence of framing Africa as a monolithic entity, characterised by poverty and helplessness, waiting for Western aid. African people are not homogenous and its nations are the most diverse on Earth both culturally and economically. This mindset risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes, reducing African communities to passive recipients of charity rather than partners with agency and expertise.

There is also a risk of perpetuating inequalities by privileging foreign volunteers over local professionals. We must aim to avoid, granting foreign volunteer positions in sectors such as healthcare, education, or development, without appropriate qualifications or without the contextual knowledge required to make meaningful contributions. This not only undermines local workers but also perpetuates the idea that outside expertise is superior. This is at the core of Medi Trip’s work, which matches skills and expertise to placements and emphasises mutual knowledge exchange. This is arguably the better approach and more readily accepted by local stakeholders.

The Need for Decolonization

Decolonizing internships and volunteering in Africa means rethinking these programs to dismantle the power imbalances rooted in the colonial past. It involves shifting the narrative from one of “charity” or “saviorism” to one of collaboration, mutual learning, and respect for local expertise. Here are some key aspects of this process:

1. Shifting the Power Dynamic: Are we recognising the power imbalance? Reconfiguration requires that African communities be in the driver’s seat of any volunteer or internship initiative. This means being community led and that local organisations should define their own needs and priorities. Also, foreign volunteers should come with the understanding that they are there to learn and support, not to lead. Volunteers should see themselves as guests who are contributing to locally led projects rather than rescuing communities.

2. Building Reciprocal Relationships: What can we share? Rather than focusing solely or only on what volunteers can give, internships should be structured around mutual exchange. The community-volunteer relation should be symbiotic. Programs should create space for knowledge sharing, where volunteers can learn from local professionals who have a deep understanding of their community’s needs. This can also include offering learning opportunities for local volunteers or students to work alongside international interns, fostering a spirit of partnership. This too, is repeatedly echoed by local stakeholders and readily accepted within the community.

3. Cultural Sensitivity and Preparation: Are we defining culture shock? Volunteers should receive rigorous training that goes beyond basic cultural awareness. They should be educated about the historical and political contexts of the places they are working, including the legacy of colonialism and its ongoing effects. This can help prevent the reproduction of colonial mindsets and ensure that volunteers approach their work with humility, understanding the limitations of their role.

4. Supporting Local Economies: Creating competition with local labour forces should be avoided at all costs as it will risk harming the local ecosystem. Internships and volunteer programs should be designed in ways that directly support local economies. The supportive position of the intern/volunteer should be unambiguous. This means ensuring that internships do not take away opportunities from local workers or create dependencies on foreign labour in any way. Instead, foreign volunteers should contribute to long-term capacity building by supporting self-sustaining, locally driven development projects. This also means allowing the projects to make their own choices, whatever they may be, as experts of their own needs. 

Ethical Considerations

Decolonizing internships abroad is not just about changing mindsets—it’s about confronting the structural inequalities that make it easier for people from wealthier nations to participate in these programs in the first place. Internships in Africa often come with fees, which can further exacerbate the problematic dynamic of transactional relationships between the Global North and South. By removing the framing of providing charity to people in need, this aspect is easily navigated by emphasizing that local services should be paid for fairly. Additionally the mindset that services should be “cheap” just because it’s in Africa should be dismissed. If people are truly concerned about Africa’s development, fair and equitable economic empowerment should be amongst their considerations.

Volunteers must be prepared to engage with local communities in ways that respect their autonomy and avoid imposing outside solutions. Decolonizing also means being conscious of how volunteering can sometimes create dependencies, where communities may become reliant on foreign charity rather than developing their own systems of exchange.

Conclusion

Decolonizing internships and volunteering in Africa is about transforming the way we think about global exchange. It requires us to question the narratives and structures that have historically shaped these programs and to authentically commit to creating partnerships that respect the autonomy and expertise of local communities. By shifting the focus from charity to partnership, from aid to economic empowerment, we can help ensure that internships and volunteer opportunities abroad contribute to sustainable, equitable development, rather than reinforcing the inequalities of the past.

Decolonising intercultural exchange

By Pearl Sakoane-Nogi