When traveling through a developing country it is easy to become overwhelmed by the situation of children. Poverty and social issues are very visible and often travelers are moved to take action and want to contribute in a meaningful way. It is important that the international community does take action, however contributions can unfortunately often add to existing problems or create an environment where children are kept in vulnerable and dangerous situations.
This document seeks to assist travelers and volunteers in finding a way to contribute, yet avoid situations or actions that may lead to child exploitation. Certain 'tourist attractions' such as orphanage tours exploit children's vulnerabilities.
Before visiting or volunteering in an orphanage consider the following questions:
(Please click on the questions to see the answers)