Voluntourism: The Cost to Orphans

Emma Leach - Inquire

This opinion piece from Inquire explains how voluntourism in orphanages does more harm than good. Particularly, the article highlights how parents are coerced into, or feel they have no other option but to, place their children into orphanages and how the children are then commodified and exploited. "These children are then advertised as ‘orphans’ to tourists visiting the country, garnering donations, free man hours," says the author. "It is a money making business and some go so far as to parade their ‘orphans’ through bars, or places like Siem Reap."