Why are immersive experiences so important?
Where it all began…
When Chloe ventured on her first volunteer abroad trip, a core memory that stood out was the experience of sitting in a local family’s house and listening to the conversation. Much of which she didn’t understand, apart from the few Malagasy words she had picked up and the odd French word here and there, but she was immersed. She remembers placing her phone to one-side and being present.
Why is cultural immersion important?
Immersive experiences allow you to develop a deeper understanding of the culture you are surrounded by, and in doing so have a greater perspective on the needs of the community. Many may assume that Malagasy people have little electricity, no television or seating areas but Chloe soon realised that for this family this wasn’t true. The house was Malagasy but had everything that Chloe would’ve needed in her own home. As a tourist or volunteer in countries like Madagascar, immersive experiences provide insight into the day-to-day lives of the locals – an aspect of travel which is often difficult to experience.
These experiences don’t only allow you to have a unique and interesting perspective but offer the local people an exchange of cultural knowledge. Malagasy people are generally very welcoming, offering home cooked food and being involved with everyday family life. Most recently, our immersive experience led us up to a vanilla plantation, where volunteers and staff, trekked an hour an a half up and down a mountain, saw lemurs, practiced there Malagasy, went for a drink in the local bar and danced the night away. We couldn’t have thanked our local friend Gladis enough for the once in a lifetime experience, but there she was thanking us.
What did we learn?
Too often people make assumptions about different cultures, rarely do tourists or foreigners make the effort to learn about Malagasy life, and fewer have first-hand experiences. During the trip we learnt how simple Malagasy life is, where very little is needed to be content. Taking this into consideration, we still wanted TSAP’s core value of upskilling to help benefit the community. Every year in Madagascar, the government unfairly profits from the vanilla, exploiting the people that farm it. We’re helping Gladis and her family sell vanilla to tourists, locals and online, providing her with independence over her own vanilla crops and the ability to maintain a successful small business. This ensures she does not have to rely on selling her product to the government for income. She’s attended a variety of upskilling sessions covering website creation, how to make a business plan and research around exporting possibilities.
The immersive experience has provided an inside perspective of the necessities of local entrepreneurs and businesses in Madagascar, allowing us to offer tailored support to people like Gladis.