Focus: Children First, Ending Volunteering In Orphanages

It is estimated that around 80% of children and young people living in orphanages and other institutional settings, have at least one parent alive.  It is known now that institutional living is really damaging for children and young people.  They are more vulnerable to abuse and very often forced to live in situations that are detrimental to emotional, social and educational development.  Yet across the globe, people continue to travel to the global south, with the best of intentions, to volunteer in orphanages. 

Focus speaks to Gerry O Donoghue from Maintain Hope and Gemma Kelly from Tearfund Ireland about the need to change how we think about volunteering on orphanages. 

Focus is an audio project from Comhlámh, the association of returned development workers and volunteers.  Produced and hosted by Mark Malone, Focus is a mix of documentaries and and interviews. Over time it takes a varied look at issues and themes around global inequality and talks to people involved in different ways in challenging inequality and injustices wherever they are.