Those charitable expeditions make me wonder
While we were in Sri Lanka, we met a couple of groups of kids on a charitable expedition. Back home one of Mel’s friends has a daughter on a similar expedition. These are the character building things where the kid has to raise (say) £3,000, and go and build a school or dig a well or something in a deserving place. And they sound great.
We met an expedition leader in the Pedro tea factory in Sri Lanka after we’d met a group of kids in Ram, an excellent Indian restaurant in Kandy. The latter group got through a whole bottle of ketchup with their meal. I almost mentioned the Heinz Deli Mayo fiasco to them!
I asked the leader about the maths. He told us that the organising company was not shy. It is in business both to do good and make a profit. And that is fair and equitable. The kids raise £3,000 each or so. £800 is donated to the project by the organising company. That leaves £2,200 for flights, group leader’s pay, accommodation, food, insurance, first aid and profit.
Our travel insurance for our trip cost £94 for the three of us. Lets say that equates to £40 per kid. Theirs includes being helicoptered out. Add another £50. Round it up to £100 for insurance. We have £2,100 left.
They are there for three weeks. Our lodgings at £4 per room per night were by no means bottom end lodgings, but lets assume two kids sharing a room (thus £2 per night) for 21 nights. That is £42. Meals are about £1.50 per meal, 3 meals a day for 21 days mean £4.50 per day, or £100, and 5 litres of water per day at 25 pence per litre for 21 days makes another £30 or so.
So where are we now. Food, necessary drink, and lodgings make £130. Call it £150. We have £1,950 left.
I’m not even bothering with local transport costs. £5 per kid will bus them anywhere in the country twice! The rounding up I’ve been doing covers that!
Air fare and transport to the airport. Three of is flew for just under £1,800 return, or £600 each, and it cost us £50 each return by rail to Gatwick. So, let’s take £700 off to be generous. £1,250 left.
Now, that £1,250 has to cover the £2,000 worth of drugs they have to carry with them, plus the flights and costs of two leaders. The group size looked to be about 30 kids.
So, 30 lots of £1,250 give us £37,500. Take off £2,000 for the drugs and round it down to £35,000 for minor contingencies.
The leaders can’t be well paid. But let’s take their costs as £10,000 overall for the 2 weeks. That includes flights, food, wages, expenses, treatment for grazed knees, the lot.
Hmm. We have £25,000 left. That’s quite a lot. That’s an awful lot. And that’s great marketing.
Why great marketing?
Kids love the idea of going. Parents like the environment of safety abroad. Raising the £3,000 is good character building stuff. The recipient projects gain handsomely. Cross cultural friendships are made. Prejudices are set aside. And the expedition companies make a substantial profit in the new "School adventure" and "Organised Gap year" markets.
So why does the maths make the hairs on the back of my neck rise?