Orphanage Tourism, Voluntourism and Trafficking

A growing evidence base has consistently highlighted the negative impact on children of living in institutional care such as orphanages – especially when parents or close family members are still living nearby. The increasing trend in volunteering in or visiting these facilities compounds the issue and the impact on children. Not only does it encourage the expansion of orphanages, but it also makes children vulnerable to abuse in those areas where regulation is lax, creates attachment problems in children who become attached to short-term visitors, and can heighten the risk for unregulated inter-country adoption by well-intentioned volunteers who form a bond with a child and want to take them home.

This section highlights resources focused on international volunteering, tourism, and donations in residential care centres.

Key facts about orphanages and orphanage volunteering

Millions of children worldwide live in residential institutional settings such as orphanages – yet an estimated 80% are not actually orphans and have at least one living parent
Poverty is one of the main drivers for a child to be placed in an orphanage – to access basic services including education and health care
Decades of research show that living in orphanages is harmful to children – the effect continuing into adulthood
There is now a global response to move away from orphanages towards strengthening families, to prevent the needless separation of their children
Well-meaning support for orphanages – through donations, volunteering, tourist trips and faith-based mission – is challenging care reform efforts. This support would be much better directed if channelled towards strengthening families
Despite the best intentions of volunteers and short-term mission teams, the transient nature of orphanage volunteering is harmful to children. Without a family to make them feel secure, children are quick to form relationships with arriving volunteers, only to feel abandoned once again when they leave.
Sadly, our desire to help children overseas has resulted in a rise in orphanages in some countries – to generate income from donations and volunteers. This has resulted in children from poor communities being exploited and trafficked to pose as orphans to attract donors, volunteers and tourists.

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Volunteering in Orphanages: Official Position Statement of IAIM Australia Inc.

The International Association of Infant Massage Australia, 01 Jul 2015

The International Association of Infant Massage in Australia has launched a position paper on volunteering in orphanages in order to address the problem of untrained volunteers being encouraged to conduct child care and infant massage practice in residential care centres, particularly in developing countries.

AMT Position Statement: Orphanage Volunteering

Association of Massage Therapists, 01 Jul 2015

In this position statement, the Association of Massage Therapists (AMT) of Australia clearly states that it does not endorse orphanage volunteering, referring to the positions of the Better Care Network, UNICEF, Save the Children and the ChildSafe network.

Potential Short-Term International Volunteers’ Perceptions of Children’s Residential Care in Cambodia

James Farley - Friends International, 2015

The aim of this study is to identify the perceptions of potential short-term international tourists concerning children’s residential care in Cambodia.

Orphanage Voluntourism In Nepal: What You Should Know

UNICEF Nepal, 2015

This short flyer from UNICEF Nepal answers the questions: What is orphanage voluntourism? Are the children in orphanages actually orphans? How can orphanage volunteering be harmful? Why is there greater risk following the 2015 earthquake? What are the risks to children of residing in orphanages? What is the solution for children that are genuine orphans? And how can you help children in Nepal?

Orphanage Tourism in Cambodia: The Complexities of ‘Doing Good’ in Popular Humanitarianism

Tess Catherine Guiney - Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Otago, 2015

This thesis explores orphanage tourism within the context of Cambodia, adopting a critical geography approach to investigate the intricate and contentious aspects of tourism within this space.

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The political economy of orphanage tourism in Cambodia

Tess Guiney & Mary Mostafanezhad - Tourist Studies, 30 Dec 2014

Taking a Polanyian political economy approach, this article illustrates how the emergence of and response to the orphanage tourism industry represent, in Karl Polanyi’s words, a ‘double movement’ between the neoliberalization of orphanages and the corollary protective countermovement by antiorphanage tourism campaigns that challenge the industry’s morality and legitimacy.

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Collected viewpoints on international volunteering in residential care centres Country focus: Nepal

Better Volunteering, Better Care Initiative, 20 Nov 2014

Collected viewpoints on international volunteering in residential care centres Country focus: Nepal is a document devloped by the Better Volunteering Better Care Intiative

Collected viewpoints on international volunteering in residential care centres Country focus: Cambodia

20 Nov 2014

Collected viewpoints on international volunteering in residential care centres Country focus: Cambodia is a document developed by Better Volunteering Better Care Intitative

Better Volunteering Better Care: Current activity and initiatives

Better Volunteering, Better Care Initiative, 20 Nov 2014

Better Volunteering Better Care: Current activity and initiatives is a document developed by the Better Volunteering Better Care Intiative

Collected viewpoints on international volunteering in residential care centres Country focus: Ghana

Better Volunteering, Better Care, 20 Nov 2014

Collected viewpoints on international volunteering in residential care centres Country focus: Ghana is a documented that was developed by the Better Care Better Volunteering Intiative