Say NO to Orphanage Volunteering
Why should I say NO to Orphanage Volunteering?
Decades of research has proven that orphanage care is harmful to children and orphanage volunteering increases this harm. Children belong in families where they can get the love and attention they need.
Nurture Africa is a member of the Comhlámh End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group and strongly supports and advocates for global care reform.
Did you know?
United Nations Rights of the Child
On 18 December 2019, all 193 member states of the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution on the Rights of The Child that orphanages harm children and recognised that the vast majority of children in orphanages have living family and all children should be reunited with or supported to remain with their families. The resolution also states:
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children without parental care are more likely than their peers to experience human rights violations, such as exclusion, violence, abuse, neglect and
exploitation, and in this regard expresses deep concern on the potential harm of institutionalisation and institutional care to children’s growth and development. -
Developing and strengthening inclusive and responsive family-oriented policies and programmes for poverty reduction, also designed to promote and strengthen parents’ ability to care for their children.
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Prioritizing quality alternative care options over institutionalisation with the best interests of the child as the primary consideration.
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Progressively replacing institutionalisation with quality alternative care.
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taking appropriate measures to prevent and address the harms related to volunteering programmes in orphanages, including in the context of tourism, which can lead to trafficking and exploitation.
Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Travel Advice
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has issued travel advice stating:
"While in some countries it may be possible to volunteer in or visit orphanages, this can have serious consequences for children. Growing evidence demonstrates the links between institutions and trafficking, with volunteer visits helping to sustain an ‘orphanage industry’, increasing the risk of exposure to abuse and exploitation."
What to know more??
You can learn more about the campaign to end orphanage volunteering and support the global shift towards community based care by visiting the Comhlámh website: https://comhlamh.org/volunteering-and-orphanage-care/