Say NO! to Orphanages

 When seeking a volunteer opportunity there are some things you should be aware of, especially in Cambodia.

MaD Cambodia elected in 2009 to not get involved and or to continue working with any orphanages due to the apparent MONEY MAKING rackets, lack of proper facilities and or care for the well being of the children in care, even amongst some well known 'orphanages'!

Since early 2009 MaD Cambodia has been pioneering a Children's Welfare program within the community. We do not take orphaned children from their environment, but rather we assist the community to help these children and we support the community with our Child Welfare program, Medical and more.

We feel very strongly about the abuse of so many children in orphanages, often by westerners and also by the lack of security and checking/vetting of volunteers, many simply accepting 'walk in' volunteers. This CAN NEVER be to the benefit of the children!

UNICEF and others have eventually woken up - READ this please:

"Earlier this week, UNICEF said most of the 12,000 children in Cambodia’s orphanages are, in fact, not orphans.   Nearly three-quarters of them have one living parent, yet the number of children in care has more than doubled in five years.

UNICEF said the number of orphanages has nearly doubled , to 269 facilities in the same period."

UNICEF country head, Richard Bridle, told VOA he is concerned many centers have turned to tourism to attract funding and that, by doing so, they put children at risk.

Tourism 

Bridle says even the best-intentioned tourists and volunteers are funding a system that is helping to separate children from their families.  

International studies have shown that children are better off in a family or community setting. That also happens to be a much cheaper way of caring for them, says Sebastien Marot, the founder of Phnom Penh’s respected street kids organization called Friends International, which was established 17 years ago.

Money-making venture

Marot says the figures from UNICEF indicate a serious problem:  Either there is a misconception about stability in Cambodia in the 21st century, or "unscrupulous people" are engaging in a charity business and using children to make money. ...

Marot acknowledges that most tourists going to orphanages are acting out of pure motives when they visit the children and give money.

But he says there is little doubt that some Cambodian orphanages have been set up to make money from foreign tourists.  

Visitors to Cambodia’s tourist centers of Phnom Penh, the temple city, Siem Reap and the beach resort, Sihanoukville, are regularly bombarded with pleas to visit orphanages. Marot’s advice is that tourists should behave as they would at home.

"The real question is: 

Would you do this in your own country?  No. 
Have you ever visited an orphanage in your own country?  No. 
Why?  Because an orphanage is a safe place for kids and has to have a child protection system - it is to protect those children," Marot noted.

“They are already totally vulnerable.  Having people coming from outside is just not acceptable."

'Siem Reap Province has so many unregistered orphanages that the writer believes this number is significantly higher than quoted!' ADDED by vMaD

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE UNICEF Concern Prompts Cambodian Investigation of Orphanages and be SURE to watch the video on the bottom of our home page... simply click the logo and scroll down - then PLAY!