Slum tourism is helping the poor

Welcome back. Before I get into my own reasons why slum tourism actually does help the poor, I would first like to disprove my opponent, while supporting my own points. 1) My opponent stated that not all the money donated makes it back to the community True, but at the end of a slum tour, one of two things will happen: the tour organization will directly donate some of its profit to a charity (for example Reality Tours and Travel directly donates 80% of their profit back into the community), or you will donate to a charity (for example, at the end of a tour from Smokey Tours, you can donate not only money, but food, water, and other goods that will go straight back to the locals). So no, I am not exaggerating the benefits of slum tourism. In tours, people do actually donate to the community. And the quote my opponent stated was not covering the entire story. Even though on some tours very little money is used to help the community, some money always goes toward the community, and even a little amount can make a huge difference. 2) My opponent stated that even if people do donate, the charities don't make a lasting difference What my opponent didn't realize is that charities stay in one place. They don't come to a community, leave the next day, and never return again. Also, even a one-time aid can have a lasting effect. The charity might teach English, sports, livelihood skills, soft skills, etc. Those things last. And even if the charity doesn't return, there are still many more charities to come. For example, Concern Worldwide is a leading charity that in 2016, reached over one million people directly, and 4.7 million indirectly with their livelihood programs. Also, Concern Worldwide educated 1.6 million people in reading in 2016. In addition, Reality Gives has fully educated more than 400 students in English, computer skills, and soft skills. 3) My opponent ended off with some quotes that mainly stated that slum tourism treats humans like animals on display But those accounts were of people that did not accompany tour organizations. In a tour organization, there are strict rules, for example, no photographs. The tour organizers will also monitor individuals very carefully. My opponent also quoted, "Visitors aren't interested in meaningful interaction; they just want their photo op. Contact with locals is minimal." First, like I just said, some tours don't allow photographs, and secondly, contact with locals is not minimal. Reality Tours and Travel ensures this. They spend hours walking through the streets greeting locals. One local even said this: "Yes, we feel very good about this. They give 80% back to the community. It"s very useful, because children will get good education and they can do something in their life... It"s good, because they are earning money to help the people in the slum." This next quote proves that not all slum tours are about harassment: "There is no influence at all [from the tours]. We are busy with our own work and they are busy with their things. But we are quite happy, because tourists here in India are guests, and guests are treated like gods. When the people talk politely with me, I talk politely with them. There is no problem or influence at all." The next quote backs the previous quote up. It proves that the locals don't mind slum tours, so much so that they don't even bother to ask why they are here. "Now we feel really good about them coming here. We feel proud. Sometimes they say "hi, hello" to our kids. We don"t have much of an idea why they come here. Maybe they come for some research or something." In my next section, I will be presenting to you some more facts and statements on why slum tourism is a good thing in two arguments. 1) Poverty Poverty is a huge deal, and slum tourism can directly affect it. But how big of a deal is poverty? Right now, more than three billion people live in on less than $3.14 a day, and one billion of those people are children. In addition, 805 million people are food insecure and 750 million people lack access to clean drinking water, causing a total of 842 000 deaths a year. This correlates to 165 million children under the age of five getting stunted, due to chronic malnutrition in 2011. 2) Slum tours Now you know why poverty is such a big deal, so I will now be explaining how slum tours help fight off poverty. In a slum tour, your worldview changes. That change can make the difference between a donation, or a pass. And when you donate, happy things can happen. Like I said earlier, there are many tour organizations that directly help with fighting off poverty. For example, at the end of a tour given by Smokey Tours, you will be given the chance to donate food, water, and other goods you think the locals might need. In addition, slum tours donate to charities, which like I said earlier, can have a voluminous effect on eradicating poverty by teaching various skills, including computer and soft skills.