Poor locales, but enriching experiences
Taking kids to developing countries can be risky but rewarding
In the heat of the Ecuadorean Amazon, my 10-year-old son and I followed a farmer named Mr. Bargas along a dusty path, past groves of coffee, cacao and banana trees, and down a hill where, after about 20 minutes of walking, we arrived at a slow-moving stream.
“Here is where I come every morning at 4 a.m. to collect clean water,” Mr. Bargas told us through an interpreter provided by Me to We, the non-profit organization that arranged for us to volunteer in this remote community.
Bucket by bucket, he scooped the water into one-gallon plastic jugs.
“The water from the river is not good,” he said. “It makes us sick.”
That night, as my son and I lay in our beds beneath mosquito nets, with bottled water by our sides, the visit with Mr. Bargas lingered with my child.
“Why is the water polluted?” he asked, distressed.
We sat up talking about clean water and how access to it connects to realities such as poverty, health and the environment. Nearly two years later, I still remind him about Mr. Bargas any time he stays in a hot shower too long.
Travelling in developing nations, where infrastructures, security and economies are in stark contrast to those in the U.S., can be some of the richest experiences for children.
For Daria Salamon, a novelist based in Winnipeg — who recently returned from a trip through 20 countries in South America, Asia and the South Pacific with her husband and children ages five and eight — the challenges of travelling in developing nations were far outweighed by the rewards of connecting with the people, landscapes and cultures of those remote countries.
“At times, there were safety issues,” she said, thinking about a bus trip late at night in Colombia. “There were moments when you question whether or not putting your kids in those situations to experience these places is worth the potential risk. But we wanted to show our children the world and how other people live. Sometimes, the most rewarding places where you see the most interesting things and learn so much are those places, which tend to be more dangerous.”
Preparing for travel in a developing or remote country may take a bit of extra planning, some pre-emptive vaccinations and travellers insurance, but more than anything, it simply requires patience and an open mind, said Jacqui Lewis, president and managing director of North America for Audley Travel, a company that offers tailor-made journeys.
To prepare children, Lewis suggests sharing age-appropriate books and movies with kids ahead of the departure to start conversations.
“Have conversations about what to expect,” said Lewis, who recently travelled with her children, ages 12 and 13, to Africa. “Ask them what they think they’re going to see. Give them a glimpse of where they’re going.”
Preparation also means parents should understand the risk of illnesses such as malaria, yellow fever and diarrhea, and how to treat injuries where access to medicine and hospitals may be limited.
“There are more than one billion people travelling annually, approximately four per cent of whom are pediatric-age travellers. But a quarter of all travellers who become ill are children,” said John Christenson, a physician who specializes in infectious and tropical diseases.
“Travellers’ diarrhea is a serious problem in children travelling to high-risk areas. Parents must be prepared to administer oral rehydration solutions, and in some instances, an antibiotic may be beneficial,” he said.
Under certain conditions, parents may want to invest in travel insurance and medical emergency evacuation services such as International SOS, Christenson suggested. They cover things such as 24-hour assistance, visits to doctors and hospitals, and translation services — as well as those evacuation needs in worst-case scenarios.
Despite the challenges, children who have embarked on immersive travel in developing regions say the benefits of their experiences last well into adulthood.
Tyler Jenss was 11 when he and his family set out on a round-theworld trip that included 28 countries. Now age 20, Jenss said that his travels, which stand at 45 countries, changed his outlook on the world.
“One of the main things I learned is that people all over are the same,” he said. “... Kids are kids, wherever they are in the world.”