The Orphanage Problem
Orphan tourism is becoming a widespread problem in the developing world targeting unsuspecting volunteers just trying to help. Trips involving children are often short which creates a ‘revolving door’ of volunteers. For children already feeling abandoned by their family, this can have extreme psychological effects. We sit down with Dr. Andrea Freidus, a UNC-Charlotte Professor, who has researched voluntourism extensively to discuss these efforts. Dr. Joy Gabrielli, a researcher in pediatric psychology who has worked with volunteer programs within African orphanages, discusses the impact on the children involved.
This interview is part of Voluntour No More, an initiative working to expose voluntourism abroad. For more information visit voluntournomore.com