White Savior Complex

A Message From Our Founder:

Before my first trip to Tanzania in 2018, I reached out to the a family friend who had travelled much of Africa. The advice she gave me really stuck with me and has motivated me to always do and be better. That advice was to educate myself on, and avoid, the White Savior Complex. I now feel it is my duty to share these same words of wisdom to anyone who is planning to travel abroad and especially to those who will be visiting Chakuwama.

So, what is White Savior Complex?

In a nutshell - White Savior Complex occurs when a white person (or any person of privilege from a developed country) acts from a position of superiority to “rescue” a community or person of color, typically in a foreign and developing country.

Unfortunately, sometimes this behavior is intentional. Most of the time, however, a person may act as a “white savior” out of naivety or ignorance.

This is why it is so important to educate yourself on white savior complex and how to avoid it, before beginning your time as a volunteer.

Some helpful resources:

This is not to discourage you from your volunteer trip, rather just offering some insight to make your time here more productive. White privilege is an emotional topic and oftentimes challenging subject to navigate, but we shouldn’t hide from difficult conversations.

Educating yourself on white savior complex will make teach you the importance of volunteering in an ethical manner. This knowledge can help to create the proper mindset needed to embark on this experience. Think of your time in Tanzania as a cultural exchange. You are here to learn about the daily life / interactions of people at your project. You can also learn about Tanzanian culture through traveling the country or city, and living with a host family. We hope that you can offer something beneficial to your project as well. you are not in a position to change anyone’s life.

We have the power to help someone have a better day, not a better life.