My new book: Best Intentions, Yet Still Causing Harm. Why volunteering in orphanages does not have the effect you hoped for, is now available (after some delays, mostly pandemic related). After having witnessed the effects of volunteering in ‘orphanages’ on children for over a decade, I decided it was time to make other people aware of the unintended, but serious, consequences of this kind of volunteering.
Continue reading “Best Intentions, Yet Still Causing Harm”Tag: #volunteering
Proof That Funding Determines Where Children Go
I have repeatedly written about the ‘orphanage industry’ and how funding and/or volunteering in ‘orphanages’ causes children to be separated from their parents and to end up living in institutions. You can read about that HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. I have made the following claim many times:
Continue reading “Proof That Funding Determines Where Children Go”No Post-Pandemic Volunteering in Orphanages
Volunteering in ‘orphanages’ has come to a standstill during the pandemic. With lockdowns and travel restrictions in place, non-essential global travel has come to a halt. Volunteering in ‘orphanages’ is definitely non-essential. However, there is a concern that once the restrictions are lifted and daily life goes back to something approaching normal, people who are able to still afford it may rush out to ‘help’ the ‘poor orphans’ by volunteering in institutions again in great numbers. Just like with the preparation for recovery in child protection that needs to start now, the same is true for raising awareness that volunteering in ‘orphanages’ is not as beneficial as many people think.
Continue reading “No Post-Pandemic Volunteering in Orphanages”Corona Virus and Institutionalised Children
News about the Coronavirus, or Covid-19, has been hard to escape for the past couple of months. A lot of people are very worried and various media and industries seem to be whipping up the worry into a panic. It can be hard to keep a level head and to know how to take necessary, sensible precautions, without losing yourself in panic. What can also be hard, is to be aware of what the various groups at greatest risk are. Until you are reminded of it inescapably, as I was while I was in India.
Continue reading “Corona Virus and Institutionalised Children”A Push Against Volunteering in ‘Orphanages’
On 24 October, Lumos launched a big campaign against volunteering in ‘orphanages’. They held a big event where JK Rowling explained why volunteering in institutions is not a good idea, however well-intentioned it is. The campaign aims to raise awareness, to get businesses and universities to commit to stop encouraging young people to volunteer in ‘orphanages’, and to spread knowledge about more responsible ways of volunteering. This is a wonderful and necessary undertaking. You can find more information about it on their website HERE.
Continue reading “A Push Against Volunteering in ‘Orphanages’”World Tourism Day
World Tourism Day, dedicated to an industry that helps people expand their horizons, and brings much needed money to areas that might not have many other means of getting it. However, there is also a dark side to the tourism industry. It has caused much harm, despite never intending to. Voluntourism is a perfect example of this.
Continue reading “World Tourism Day”Podcast Volunteering in ‘Orphanages’
To compliment the blog The Danger of Voluntourism (HERE) this podcast gives some real-life examples of practical things that may not have the intended result. Something to consider for everyone thinking about volunteering in an ‘orphanage’.
The next podcast will be posted in four weeks.
Please share this podcast to help spread awareness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:11 — 16.6MB)
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How Child Trafficking Is Related to ‘Orphanages’
Today, on 16 October 2018, NGOs across the world are joining forces in a global trafficking campaign to raise awareness of the scale, the roots and the consequences of human and child trafficking. Unfortunately, child trafficking is a subject that is extremely relevant to anyone involved in institutional residential childcare. So, in this blog, I will describe some of the ways in which the two are connected.
Continue reading “How Child Trafficking Is Related to ‘Orphanages’”The Danger of Voluntourism
It seems like such a good idea, like such a kind and generous thing to do, to go to a different country to spend time in an ‘orphanage’ giving your time and love to underprivileged children. It is almost always done with the best intentions and from a real desire to make a difference, to improve these children’s lives.
When you arrive, it really looks like you were the person they were waiting for all this time. A swarm of children runs to you, surrounds you, tries to hug you, or sit on your lap. The second-hand clothes that you brought look better than what the children are wearing. The extra food and treats you buy are accepted as manna from heaven. And when you leave there are many tears, on both sides. As you leave, while you are sad to leave the children behind, you are comforted by the thought that you clearly did make a real, positive, difference in these children’s lives. Unfortunately, all is not what it seems.
Continue reading “The Danger of Voluntourism”