It is a scene played out thousands of times a year: a busload of tourists arrives at a rural orphanage, armed with teddy bears and candy. They spend two hours hugging children, taking selfies, and perhaps painting a wall that has been painted ten times this year. Then they leave, feeling their hearts are full. But what gets left behind?
The Demand for Orphans
In economics, demand creates supply. The massive global demand for 'orphanage experiences' has created a perverse incentive to fill orphanages. UNICEF estimates that nearly 80% of children in Cambodian orphanages are not actual orphans; they have at least one living parent.
These children are often recruited—trafficked—from poor families with promises of better education, only to be used as props to elicit donations from volunteers like you.
'When you pay to volunteer at an orphanage, you are not a donor. You are a customer. And the child is the product.' — Elena M. Ricci, Ethics Investigator
The Psychological Toll
Beyond the financial exploitation, the emotional cost is devastating. Children in these institutions suffer from repeated abandonment trauma. They form bonds with volunteers who leave after a week, teaching them that love is transactional and temporary.
How to Help responsibly
If you want to help, stop visiting orphanages. Instead:
- Support Community-Based Organizations that keep families together.
- Donate to programs that provide social workers and family counseling.
- Educate your friends and family about the dangers of voluntourism.
Real help is boring. It's paying for electricity bills, social worker salaries, and school uniforms. It's not a photo op.