{"id":157,"date":"2020-09-30T02:16:05","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T02:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpmu.mau.se\/nmict202group3\/?p=157"},"modified":"2024-04-19T08:34:20","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T08:34:20","slug":"voluntourism-in-orphanages-the-love-you-give-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmu.mau.se\/nmict202group3\/2020\/09\/30\/voluntourism-in-orphanages-the-love-you-give-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Voluntourism in orphanages: The love you give campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Today I want to discuss with you the issue of volunteering with children and more specifically in orphanages. Although the debate around orphanage tourism is not new, it has lately reached new heights with orphanages being linked to cases of sexual abuse, modern slavery and human trafficking (see here<\/a>). The bigger audience is thus becoming aware of its practices. The entire industry is based on what Leigh Mathews calls the \u2018orphan myth\u2019, which \u2018is designed to ensure that there is a ready-made source of people, money and resources to support these children. However, the orphan myth is exactly that \u2013 a myth\u2019 (Mathews, 2019, p. 46). It is estimated that over 80% of the children in orphanages have living parents.<\/p>\r\n

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“The volunteer tourism industry is valued at $173 Billion annually”<\/em><\/p>\r\nThe love you give, documentary<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n


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\u201cWe see how an industry has been built, with the most vulnerable members of society being used as currency\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\nLeigh Matthews, 2019, p. 48<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This cycle can be reduced to the economic principle of supply and demand: volunteers come to orphanages, bring in money and create a higher demand for children. This type of commodification of good intentions is problematic; it has reduced children to tourist attractions and has created a chain of modern slavery where people often send their children to orphanages out of poverty. Leigh Mathews, co-author and host of the podcast \u2018the good problem\u2019 also discusses the issue with Pippa Biddle, in the episode \u2018little white girls and voluntourism\u2019. You can listen to the episode below:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.listennotes.com\/podcasts\/the-good-problem\/pippa-biddle-little-white-1l2_T7nGta4\/<\/div>\r\n
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She talks about voluntourism as \u201cdoing good in a package<\/em>\u201d. I believe this is a great way to describe how generation Z wants to volunteer and how volunteering in orphanages fits well within their lifestyle: they have the idea of doing something good and it\u2019s easily accessible with one click. They also receive approval from their family and peers since the volunteering justifies their travels by doing something \u2018selfless\u2019. However, now we know that they are actually doing more harm than good. In the podcast episode, they also emphasize the issues that come with volunteering with children and the dis-attachment disorder that children experience when they are in the care system. Although volunteering with children is popular for some reasons, \u2018harm is manifesting in a way that is truly irreversible\u2019. Volunteers come and go as they please, but the children are left alone at the end of the day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It is great that people are advocating against orphanage tourism. The campaign \u2018the love you give\u2019 is a prime example of a well thought-out campaign and is developed by the better care network<\/a>. They are trying to end orphanage tourism and volunteering by spreading awareness among future volunteers. You can see the documentary below<\/p>\r\n