Tourism, wealth and my own insecurities

I'm sitting in Entebbe at an old, colonial period government hotel
(resort) killing time as I wait for friends.

Being in a place like this completely takes me out of my comfort zone.
The lawns are meticulously manicured; the massive pool is spotlessly
clean; and even the crickets seem somehow to be organized in to a sort
of unison. Coming form the loud and chaotic Kampala, this calculated
tranquility should be calming, but I find it strangely unsettling.

Yes, I struggle with luxury, particularly when it is so close to so
much poverty. A cup of tea here costs more than the servers make in a
day. The pool maintenance requires more staff and resources than many
primary schools in the country have (most are horrendously
understaffed and under resourced). The clients here are predominantly
white tourists.

I laugh at myself for thinking that. Tourism funds many aspects of
society here including parks and wildlife preservation, and it creates
much needed employment for people (unemployment here is very very
high). Besides, I am often a tourist too, and I regularly try and
encourage people to come and experience Uganda. Still, I feel uneasy
with the obvious disparity in a place like this.

What strikes me even more is why I notice this disparity so much here.
Tourism is like that anywhere, Canada included. There are ubber-high
end hotels only blocks from Vancouver's downtown eastside. Homeless
folks sleep on the streets of Paris right next to grandiose hotels.
Oddly though, in those places for some reason it seems less obvious.
Yet, is it any different? Employees in those hotels couldn't afford
the rooms or food in their place of employment just like here.

My squirminess isn't spread equally.

Maybe I am too sensitive. Maybe I carry to much western-guilt.
Actually there is no maybe about it. I DO carry tons of western guilt.
I think most of us who volunteer (or work for tiny salaries) for NGOs
or charities around the world feel that guilt. It's why we do what we
do.

So let me try and work out a justification for why I shouldn't be so
sensitive...walk with me as I try and lose some of this guilt...

Besides the direct income benefit, tourism makes people feel a sense
of connection to a place. It gives them a tangible reason for donating
to development or reconstruction projects in certain parts of the
world. When people see poverty they sometimes feel more motivated to
help, or maybe donate more than they usually would. Who hasn't been
somewhere, seen extreme poverty, and vowed that on your next trip you
will bring supplies (i.e. school supplies, clothes, whatever is needed
and can be brought)? Or what about donations to relief effort. After
the tsunami in south east Asia, for example, more donor money flowed
to the rescue and reconstruction efforts than almost any other effort
in the last 10 years. I would argue that the fact tourists had a
direct connection to the place, either by having been a visitor to
that area or a connection to someone who was negatively affected
(friends or family), that they donated more. I know it hit me and I
donated even though I was strapped for cash at that time.

Then there is the other issue, a $50,000 cheque does a lot more for a
charity or development project than a $50 one (the admin costs alone
eat up half of that in processing fees). It's people who stay in the
Shangri La who are giving the $50,000, or are at least they are the
ones who are more likely to be able to. Who am I to judge their style
of travel when they may in fact also be the ones making such a massive
difference?

I remember a family member once reminding me that to become rich and
pay for development does more than staying poor and getting your hands
dirty. While I may not entirely agree (unless your 'getting rich' is
not based on exploiting others or the environment) but it certainly is
food for thought.

I think the outcome of this random musing is that I need to accept
that we need both - places for people who need luxury and donate, and
places for people who try and live amongst the locals and donate their
labour (and small cheques). Both are equally important. Both are
needed. Money is needed to make projects happen - skills and expertise
are needed to make sure the project work and are long-term.

There. Have I convinced myself? Maybe...

...I will certainly leave a bigger tip tonight for the kindly man who
patiently stood by as I drank my tea.