Travelers Philanthropy, a project of the Center for Responsible Travel, has come up with an excellent set of guidelines to help you navigate the best way to give your valuable money and time, so everyone benefits. This article is based on those guidelines, (see the PDF here) as well as my own personal observations.
Bringing Gifts and Toys
If you are bringing supplies or toys, give them to the head of the school or clinic. You will rarely have enough toys for all the kids and it will just lead to disappointment. Make sure you arrive with a prior appointment so you don't disrupt the routine. Ask what is needed most before you go. I have a mental image of schools along the main safari route in Kenya enjoying 3000 smiley faced balls from Target, but lacking pencils. Your tour operator should be able to organize a visit and many fund and support schools themselves.
Bringing School Supplies
Old computers are quite useless if there's intermittent electricity, no internet, no technician, no lab and no one to train pupils how to use them. Supplies like pencils and school notebooks can always be used, but first check with the school you are visiting. There may be supplies you can buy locally that they need more urgently. School uniforms for example, are a huge expense for many African families and kids cannot attend school without them. Whatever you decide to bring or buy, hand it to the head of school, not the children directly.
Bringing Candy and Trinkets
Nothing wrong with sharing sweets if you're eating them, but don't bring them with the purpose of handing them out to local kids. Rural African children have little access to dental care. Also, you would never just hand out candy to kids you don't know at home. They may have dietary issues, their parents may not want you to give their kids sweets. You will turn kids into beggars and rob them of their self-esteem. There are plenty of villages around Africa where at the first sight of a tourist, the yells for "bon bons" or "give me pen" are deafening. It's not a great relationship.
Financing a School, Orphanage, or Medical Center
The local community has to be involved in every stage of a project that plans to build or finance a school, orphanage or medical center. If you wish to donate your money or time, go through a local charity or organization that is already established in the area with maximum participation by community members. If the community has no stake in a project, it will fail to be sustainable. Your tour operator should be able to help you locate projects in the area you will be visiting.
