![\"Friends-International](\"http:\/\/www.friends-international.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Friends_OrphanageTourism.jpg\" "\\"Friends-International")
<\/a>When Children Become Tourist Attractions<\/p><\/div>\n
Tens of thousands of tourists visit orphanages in Siem Reap and elsewhere across Cambodia every year, wanting to do anything they can to help the poor, innocent children they encounter on their travels.<\/p>\n
But research on the failures of residential institutions, paired with reports of unscrupulous operators abusing the rights of children, shows that visiting orphanages only helps support a system that fails to protect children.<\/p>\n
With the backing of UNICEF, NGO Friends-International has launched a campaign pushing tourists to end orphanage tourism in Cambodia.<\/p>\n
\u201cTravelers care for Cambodia and are often disturbed by the perceived situation of children. It is essential for them to understand the real situation and what positive actions they can take to effectively protect and support these children,\u201d said Sebastien Marot, Executive Director of Friends-International,\u00a0whose headquarters are in Cambodia.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrphanages must be a safe place for children and not a tourist destination.
\nWe cannot just go and visit orphanages in our own countries, so why in Cambodia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nRecent reports show that the number of orphanages in Cambodia has risen by \u00a065 percent \u00a0since 2005, reflecting a similar rise in the number of tourists \u00a0 \u00a0visiting the country.<\/p>\n
Despite most residential institutions labeling themselves as \u201corphanages\u201d, reports show that 72 percent of the children living in their care have at least one living parent.<\/p>\n
For tourists who believe they are doing good by visiting the children directly, major findings show that visiting orphanages impacts negatively on children\u2019s development and supports a system that is contributing to the separation of families.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is essential for the child to live in a family setting and in our experience it is extremely rare that the families, with the right support, are unable to care for their children, Mr Marot said. \u201cNot only is it the best interest of the child to live with his or her family, but it is also much cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n
UNICEF Cambodia Representative Richard Bridle said the number of orphaned and vulnerable children has decreased in Cambodia, but recent years have seen a steady increase in the number of residential institutions across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs one would naturally expect, the likelihood of losing a parent increases over a child\u2019s life, but life expectancy is increasing steadily in Cambodia, which should confirm the decline in the number of orphans in Cambodia,\u201d Mr Bridle said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecent research shows that only 28% of children in orphanages had lost both parents. UNICEF believes a child\u2019s first line of defense is her or her family. If parental care is not an option or in the best interests of the child, UNICEF believes that institutionalization should be a last resort.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friends-International works with\u00a0marginalized urban children and youth, their families and communities to become productive, independent citizens of Cambodia.<\/p>\n
Mr Marot said overseas visitors should be encouraged to volunteer or donate to programs, like those run by Friends-International, that support and promote family and community-based care, the reintegration of children into family and community-based care, and the provision of social services to vulnerable children and their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cTourists can support children in need by buying products made by youth in vocational training programs, eating in restaurants that are run as vocational training programs or by buying products made by families in community-based projects,\u201d Mr Marot said.<\/p>\n
\u201cVisiting so-called orphanages can only lead to situation of further marginalization or even abuse for Cambodian children. Children are not tourist attractions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friends-International\u2019s ChildSafe initiative has been active in promoting child protection through the global \u20187 tips<\/strong>\u2019 campaign for several years. The \u2018thinkchildsafe\u2019 website (www.thinkchildsafe.org) will focus on Tip No. 4<\/strong> during this\u00a0campaign, providing tourists with the facts about Cambodian orphanages and encouraging them to pass on the message to their friends and fellow travelers.<\/p>\n