Children who live in orphanage often unaware of why they have been sent away from their home. Across time they learn to kiss and hug the volunteers, and they may be encouraged to do so since that makes the experience better for the tourist, often being asked to perform cultural dances or sing for cheers and applause.They dance, they sing and they perform for tourists and the donation box comes out.
Tourism here is growing rapidly though, so while a captive audience with cash exists, it will perpetuate the trade. In the tourism hotspot of Siem Reap the business of “orphanage” can be a successful one.
The real situation
Many - and most - of the children living in these so-called ‘orphanage’ aren’t orphans either, it could be children from poor families, single parent or given over to such centres by their families or relatives. Some families said they had been offer to send their children to the centre, in pursue for better living condition and education, but in most cases, it is not true.
This country was shattered by war and the genocide of the Khmer Rouge regime more than 30 years ago, which left hundreds of thousands of children orphaned, but in recent years the number of actual orphans has fallen, but according to UNICEF, the number of orphanage has gone up, by more than 75%. Innocence can be a saleable commodity.
Many institutions in Cambodia are legitimate but knowing which and where to support is difficult. It needs checking, re-check and double-checking.
We heard Australian tourists being taken to a rural part of Siem Reap, 45 minutes outside the town, to be shown a plot of land where one man said he wanted to build a school and needed large donations.The man may plan to do it, but he may not. There is no proof, but that same man was on busy “Pub Street” everyday, he was there touting for business, and he asked tourist to visit his orphanage, see the school site, and donate.
When walked away from one conversation, he then approached our local tour guide saying there’d be money in it for him if he could convince us to hand over cash.
Rethink Orphanages says the “voluntourism” industry — volunteer tourists — is worth about $170 billion a year globally and Australians, create much of the demand for an orphanage experiences. Estimated 14% of Australian schools have an association with an orphanage, and at least half of all Australian universities advertise orphanage placements as part of their international volunteering opportunities.
Some travel companies play up the positive benefits of the volunteer experience, but sometimes it’s just about making rich kids feel good.
The number of orphanage in Cambodia will continue to go up as long as tourists are pouring into Cambodia, maybe there are people who think that is OK because the children are very poor and in the orphanage, they get well fed or they learn English.
That is what the parents of the children are often told: they will have a better life in the orphanage — but it’s just not true.
The ideal arrangement for any child is to be with their parents, not trying to get affection from a stranger.
There are, too, alternative forms of care for children beginning to surface. Daycare centres that feed and educate children, when they’re not at school, are being set up.
Solution
To untangle the complex web of social issues and enable families to escape the inter-generational cycle of poverty, it is necessary to address the root cause of the issues and provide holistic, systemic and sustainable solutions.
They are at significantly greater risk of becoming sex workers, ending up with a criminal record and of committing suicide than their peers. We know that the single most important resource children need to grow up well is the stable, emotional bond of family.
Day Care Center or Family-based Care Center - Child Protection
Cambodian Children's Trust (CCT) Holistic Family-Based Care (HFBC) ensures that children remain living with their biological family, or where that’s not possible, are cared for in family-based care such as kinship care, foster care or local adoption. CCT also assists institutionalised children to be safely reintegrated back into their families or into foster care.
In Siem Reap, organisations may provide free education to children but not shelter as orphanage. Parents can send their kids to spend couple of hours learning at the center on a regular schedule. Children are not allow to stay in the center after the service hours closed.
JWOC offers a wide range of Free Classes to the local community complementing what is taught at public schools and providing a safe environment where students can play and study. We provide high-quality learning opportunities free of charge to those who cannot afford extra lessons at school or at private language centers.
Each week, JWOC teaches over 40 classes to around 850 students at our Siem Reap Community Center. Classes are taught by JWOC staff and scholarship student volunteer teachers. Our classes are designed so that students develop communicative and collaborative skills which will help them succeed in school, university and the workplace.
