Not Voluntourism

This is a wordy page because the topic is important to understand

What voluntourism is

Voluntourism has been a hot topic in recent years. It’s complicated, with many facets. One aspect is the practice of people taking trips to other countries and visiting orphanages to do “good works.” Often these good works leave the volunteer feeling better, but sadly it can be more about the volunteer than about making a lasting difference.

The difficulty is that listening to some people might lead you to think ALL orphanages are “fake” money-making ventures which only benefit the people running them — that the children in them aren’t even orphans, but have been forcefully taken to these institutions.

Sadly, these kinds of institutions do exist. There have been many stories of children being moved from home to home simply so volunteers can come and supposedly help. There have also been stories of children forced into what’s now called Modern Day Slavery, and other forms of abuse. A number of countries have seen sharp increases in the number of institutionalised children over recent years.

To say every facility for children is guilty of these practices is equally wrong in our eyes, and we actively work to ensure our own programs provide safe, long-term, loving environments and care.

The challenges are different in different countries and cultures

It would be wonderful if there were no need to provide care for children due to abandonment. Some countries have reached that level of change; many others are still finding their way. Every country is different, and shouldn’t be lumped together.

Direct comparisons to homes in other countries are often simply not accurate. Heart for Kids has been serving in government-run facilities in China for nearly 20 years. Children in these homes are there because they have no parents, or have been abandoned and their parents’ whereabouts are unknown. When we opened Doves Wings, our vision was to provide smaller family groups of 6 to 9 children, living in loving environments with dedicated local caregivers.

In this environment, children are also prepared for eventual adoption — something we’ve seen happen more than 30 times. They get used to people from other countries, different food styles, and more.

For some years we’ve also been partnering with a children’s home in India. Before entering into this partnership, we had many conversations, sought input from others, and visited to ensure we had a realistic understanding of the work being undertaken. Having had so many years of experience in China, we believe we could recognise when the leadership of an orphanage or children’s home wasn’t genuine.

Our partner has been serving children for nearly 20 years. The children aren’t all orphans — some have a parent, but that parent may have a terminal illness, or face severe poverty and lack of employment, leading to a situation where the child simply can’t be cared for. Where there are no safety concerns, children are allowed to visit their families from time to time.

Where our work is with young adults, similar concerns around voluntourism still apply, though the risks look a little different.

Why our volunteers are different

It’s important to understand why H4K has volunteers, and the specific roles they play. Some volunteers live locally and come regularly each week to assist the childcarers — helping with everyday jobs around the home, and filling in when a carer is on leave or sick. Other volunteers come from overseas with specialist skills that help in the care of children and the training of our carers. Our teams and volunteers are not modelled on voluntourism practices.

We lead volunteer teams whose members come from various countries. Team members are vetted, and multiple references are obtained to ensure they’re suitable for the visit. These team members help with everyday chores in the home and provide additional practical care for the children. Many come back year after year, at their own expense. Teams are not a profit-making venture for Heart for Kids.

As well as helping at Doves Wings, our teams help with our other programs serving children and adults with special needs who live in orphanages or aged care homes. They also assist with English teaching, and other opportunities that arise from time to time. Our volunteers are kept busy on teams that are very hands-on — people don’t come to look and see what’s happening, but to actively help in practical, daily ways.

It's important role modeling

Teams also play an important role by modelling child care practices that may be new to our local carers. Play and craft times are also enriched when volunteers come and share new activities. We believe our model of volunteering benefits the children, the carers, and the volunteers alike.

We respect and value every volunteer who gives up their time and resources to serve. We believe our framework — including a strong child protection policy that every volunteer works within — allows volunteers to see the needs firsthand, and to contribute in meaningful ways for the long-term benefit of local children and staff.

Unfortunately, broad statements about voluntourism can end up grouping organisations with well-thought-out policies and strategies alongside institutions that are sadly harming children and staff. That’s exactly the kind of unfair comparison we hope this page helps to clear up.

One adoptive mum wrote to H4K to say her new daughter could love others because she had been taught what love is. The teaching modelled by our caregivers and volunteers is very different from voluntourism, or from Modern Day Slavery activities.

I’m extremely thankful to all those volunteers who come and encourage anyone considering volunteering to read more information on our teams here.

David Ryan
Founder / Snr Leader
Heart for Kids