Orphanage tourism. You know what I’m talking about. The life experience offered to us westerners as a way to give back. A way to travel in a meaningful way in order to connect and contribute to places where children are in need of our help.

Most of us of course know by now that the idea of volunteering at an orphanage is noting but detrimental to the local communities we visit and the children within them. But up until now I was naive to just how detrimental it really is.

I am lucky to be working for a company that places a huge emphasis on responsible tourism. Within the policies that we follow as guides we are educated on how to act in appropriate ways within the industry, and of course how to pass on what we learn to those that travel with us.

As part of a child welfare training I recently watched for work, I was directed to this eye-opening TED talk by Tara Winkler, the now Managing Director of the Cambodian Children’s Trust. Like many young travellers she had once volunteered and donated to Orphanages in an attempt to give back during her travels. Naive to the politics behind the orange situation in Cambodia at the time, she ended up on an educational journey that led her to discover the ill-affects of Orphanages and how they are fuelled by tourism. I highly recommend hearing her story and discoveries.

Of course to put it simply, here’s what Cambodian Children’s Trust has to say:

What’s the Problem with kids growing up in orphanages anyway?

When children are separated from the people who they are attached and bonded to, a massive biological stress response is triggered and remains activated until their familiar caregiver returns. The most important resource a child can possibly have to buffer the effects of toxic stress is a responsible adult who’s totally devoted to their well-being.

Each day a child remains in an orphanage, separated from their family, the harm is compounded and chances of lifelong consequences are increased.

Young adults who have grown up in institutions are 10 times more likely to fall into sex work; 40 times more likely to have a criminal record; and 500 times more likely to commit suicide.

The number of orphanages across the developing world is skyrocketing. It’s a global phenomenon we call the Orphanage Crisis.

The Orphanage Crisis is caused by us – it’s the increase in donations from well-meaning foreigners – tourists, volunteers and philanthropists – that are causing more orphanages to open and more children to be separated from their families to fill their beds.

Many well-meaning people believe donating to orphanages is a necessary intervention to help vulnerable children, unaware that there’s a better way.