Comments on: Why orphanage tours are wrong

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 07:15:57 +0000

Great to see that global travel Fodor’s have published this:

“If You Think Traveling to Visit Orphanages Is Helpful, It’s Time to Reconsider”

“The #endorphanagetourismcampaign, which launched earlier this year at the six busiest U.K. airports including Heathrow and Gatwick, plus Eurostar terminals, involves officers warning passengers traveling to popular “orphanage tourism” hotspots like Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, India, Uganda, Kenya, and Sierra Leone. According to analysis by the research firm Censuswide, 57% of Brits have or would like to donate money to institutions or go to one. But alarmingly, three quarters don’t know that these “orphans” have families, the data also found. The organizations involved in the campaign say that already they’re changing popular perceptions of orphanages among holidaymakers.”

Read the full article here:
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/orphanage-tourism-is-misleading-and-may-ultimately-be-harmful

By: Charlotte Beauvoisin

Charlotte Beauvoisin — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 09:33:09 +0000

“Orphanages have no place in an Africa fit for children” – an insightful article by Stephen Ucembe of Hope and Homes for Children
“In many countries in Africa, orphanages remain a legacy of colonial rule that continue to undermine traditional family and community responses to caring for vulnerable children. In Rwanda for example, the Belgian colonial rulers placed children without parental care in state-run institutions…”
“In the post-colonial era, the use of orphanages as an imported solution to child protection challenges in Africa has continued. In this way, well-meaning donors who fund such solutions have been key players in the weakening of the family and community structures which, in turn, drives the further proliferation of orphanages.”
https://www.hopeandhomes.org/blog-article/orphanages-have-no-place-in-an-africa-fit-for-children/
#PartOfTheFamily

By: Nshuti

Nshuti — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 20:10:00 +0000

Interesting post! Thank you so much !

By: the muzungu

the muzungu — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 22:35:00 +0000

In reply to Joris. Hi Joris, thanks for dropping by. Good luck with your project :)

By: Joris

Joris — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:55:34 +0000

These are wise words. Our family is running a private home for orphanages for more than 20 years in Uganda. We have about 20 kids and our mission is to get them in a family asap. And it works. We just monitor their future. We don’t accept fundings from other people. We take care about ourselves. We don’t need container help our other help. It’s not good to give a signal that Africans always needs help from others. It’n not true. Our kids are proud of themselves and they are selfsupporting at a very young age. Our project is all about them, not about us.

By: the muzungu

the muzungu — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 17:28:01 +0000

In reply to Leo.

The evidence from Kenya is alarming – Mark told me how a map of Kenya’s orphanages shows highest density around the country’s tourism areas. This shows how lucrative tourism is for sustaining orphanages… disturbing.

By: Leo

Leo — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 09:14:11 +0000

Very true. I advise anyone visiting East Africa not to get trapped into this kind of “tourism”. It’s very wrong!
If it’s a long-term volunteering it’s okay but tourism is just not okay.

By: Angela

Angela — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 08:15:20 +0000

This needed to be said! Thank you for this insight.