I agree. The only issue I have is that for the price of a plane ticket and hotel, a kid could go to school for a whole year. Also, going to Tanzania or similar places just to experience the poverty can be very problematic and needs to be done with a lot of awareness. I have seen people go to Tanzania and leave with what seemed like a very distorted view of the country and the people. I do really appreciate you sharing your perspective on this thread.

This is of course true, but i see no way around it. Educating the people in developed countries about the realities in Africa is necessary too. And when it comes to the awareness it really depends on the people. You had that awareness when you came here, and we can only hope that anyone else who does come here displays that same awareness.

I do believe however that it is possible to have an influence on what people experience. For one it is not even necessary to travel to remote villages. One can see the reality in the cities and just a few km out. I would introduce them to average people here, meet business owners and give them an insight to what is a typical life here.

This also should not be a short trip. A month minimum. And ideally not in a hotel but some form of homestay or maybe AirBnB where you have to cook for yourself. Go to the market, buy ingredients, realize what is available to the average person. Then maybe visit a village and find the difference. The idea is to get an experience of what is it like to live here, and not just be a tourist.

Any of these visitors can then multiply their impact just like you did. They can motivate their friends to sponsor students and act as ambassadors.

You described my experience almost exactly. The first time I went to Tanzania I stayed for 2 months and part of that time was in Dar es Salaam in an Airbnb with a small family just outside of Kariakoo, the main market of the town. I also spent time with the family's parents in Kigogo, a densely populated area just outside the city limits that would be considered a slum by most people. The rest of the time was in the village.

I'm curious if you think a documentary could have a similar effect. I'm an amateur filmmaker by hobby and I've been thinking of filming a "Cinema Vérité" type documentary showing the humanity of Tanzania and trying to relate it to life in the US. I think it could be powerful but difficult to get right. I'd love to hear what you think about that.

I am a strong believer that nothing beats personal experience. High school children should do an exchange year in a foreign country. Students should do an internship in a foreign company (IAESTE, AIESEC and a few others). If neither options are available, spend a few months of your summer break in a foreign country, trying to get to local life as close as possible. Come with an open mind and leave with an inspiration to contribute to the betterment of the world.

A documentary can't have anywhere near that effect, it could however motivate more people to investigate and maybe get some people to travel. It also would support the legitimacy of your project. Since if already fits with the things that you like to do, I'd say, go do it. As I wrote in another comment, we should try to find a way to contribute that is most suitable for each of us. And we should make use of all the skills available to us to further our goals. If documentary making is in your set of skills and interests, then by all means.

I agree. Thanks for your input, it's been really helpful.