{"id":16674,"date":"2016-05-12T09:13:44","date_gmt":"2016-05-11T23:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=16674&preview_id=16674"},"modified":"2025-03-24T20:29:02","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T09:29:02","slug":"to-do-orphanage-tourism-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/to-do-orphanage-tourism-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"6 reasons you should think twice about orphanage tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orphanage tourism is what happens when good intentions and reality don\u2019t quite synch up. Travellers who visit and volunteer in orphanages may genuinely want to help, but their efforts can actually support system where children are separated from their families and, in some cases, abused.<\/p>\n

In a way though, it\u2019s a hard message to send to travellers. We don\u2019t want to say \u2018Don\u2019t help\u2019. We\u2019re trying to say \u2018Help the right way.\u2019 If you are someone who\u2019s volunteered at an orphanage in the past, you\u2019re not alone. Intrepid itself used to practise orphanage tourism. Changes in voluntourism aren\u2019t about condemning past practices, they\u2019re about creating better ones for the future. Follow our\u00a0#StopOrphanTrips<\/a> campaign for more information and sign a petition against orphanage\u00a0tourism\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s 6 reason why you shouldn\u2019t do orphanage tourism.<\/p>\n

1. Orphanages are often not what you think<\/h2>\n

Research by UNICEF<\/a> says that up to 75% of children kept in orphanages in Cambodia and Nepal are not even orphans. Many come from poor rural families and are trafficked into orphanages because their parents feel this will give them the best chance at life. Other times they might be hired for the day to create the appearance of poverty (and so fuel voluntourism and donations from charitable travellers). Not all orphanages work in this way, but if you believe the research, a large majority do. And there are very few ways for a traveller to know if an orphanage is legitimate or not.<\/p>\n

\"orphanage-tourism---intrepid\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

2. Kids do better at home<\/h2>\n

UNICEF is working closely with local governments to actually reduce<\/em> the number of orphanages in Asia and Africa, reuniting kids with their families or developing community and family-based alternatives. Mostly because it\u2019s becoming clear that children develop better at home. Organisations like thinkchildsafe.org<\/a> argue that infants\u2019 brains actually fail to fully develop in some cases where kids are mistreated, poorly educated or abused. Damage like this is serious, and sometimes irreversible<\/a>. Most travellers would agree that a child\u2019s place is with their parents (unless there has been clear abuse or mistreatment). If those parents can\u2019t care for them, then we should be supporting organisations and programs that give<\/em> them those skills and resources. Orphanages are \u2013\u00a0at best \u2013 a bandaid. At worst they\u2019re actually harmful.<\/p>\n

3. Volunteers often don\u2019t stay for very long<\/h2>\n

Orphanage volunteers usually don\u2019t speak the local language, have no formal training, and stay for a very short time \u00ad\u2013 all of which can be disruptive for kids. Backpackers are basically taking the role of qualified nurses, teachers and social workers. It\u2019s not that these travellers have bad intentions. In fact the opposite is really the issue: it\u2019s because<\/em> of their good intentions that they miss the bigger picture. We wouldn\u2019t expect kids at home to be cared for by unvetted and unqualified adults, especially not ones that change on a weekly or monthly basis. If kids must be in institutions, they deserve professional care and attention from permanent local staff, people who understand them and their situation.<\/p>\n

4. There\u2019s a potential for danger and abuse<\/h2>\n

Tourism in orphanages isn\u2019t well regulated, and visitors and volunteers go through very few checks beforehand, exposing vulnerable kids to potential abuse. Organisations like Next Generation Nepal have even linked orphanage voluntourism<\/a> with child trafficking and institutionalization. UNICEF also acknowledges that there is \u2018overwhelming evidence\u2019 gathered over the last 20 years to show that kids in orphanages are far more likely to suffer from \u2018prolonged, systematic and institutionalized abuse\u2019. The only way travellers can fight this is to stop volunteering and funnel their money into organisations with a proven history of affecting positive change.<\/p>\n

\"orphanage<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Tourism actually fuels supply<\/h2>\n

By visiting these places and volunteering, travellers may actually be helping to commercialize orphanages. They\u2019re supporting a model of care that separates kids from their families. If the demand for orphanage tourism dries up, there\u2019s very little incentive for orphanage operators to keep doing what they do. Next Generation Nepal<\/a> has found that, in that country at least, children are trafficked from poorer, rural areas specifically to appeal to the sympathies of Western tourists. It\u2019s up to travellers to break this cycle. By donating to NGOs and charity groups that have been vetted (like the ones we support through our not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation<\/a>) you know your money is going towards positive improvements for the country and its people.<\/p>\n

6. Would you do it at home?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a good test for any traveller. If you wouldn\u2019t do it at home, why are you doing it overseas? Ask yourself: would you go and volunteer at an orphanage in your hometown? If the answer is no, ask yourself why you\u2019re doing it in Thailand, or Cambodia, or Tanzania. Children shouldn\u2019t be used as tourist attractions. And although we all like to feel that we\u2019re doing good, there are times when we simply don\u2019t know<\/em> enough. We don\u2019t know the context. We don\u2019t know the history of these children. We don\u2019t have the language or the training to do a good job. Better to donate your money to on-the-ground projects<\/a> and community groups who are working to break the poverty cycle, not keep it going.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to learn more about voluntourism in orphanages, check out UNICEF\u2019s <\/em><\/strong>excellent Cambodian study<\/em><\/strong>. For more information about projects you can donate to, visit our not-for-profit, <\/em><\/strong>The Intrepid Foundation<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature image c\/o Hansel and Regrettal, Flickr\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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