These practical resources have been developed by ReThink Orphanages partner organisations to support travel-based organisations, schools, faith-based organisations, charities and businesses to responsibly redirect their support away from orphanages.
Resources for travel & volunteering organisations
Conversation guide for gap year advisors
A conversation guide has been developed as part of The Love You Give campaign to support volunteer-sending organisations to articulate the issues about orphanage volunteering to prospective volunteers.
Alternatives to orphanage tourism and volunteering
Beyond Orphanage Visits: Resources for Travel & Volunteering Organisations on Responsible Alternatives to Orphanage Tourism and Volunteering - this resource was developed for the Responsible Tourism Partnership.
Volunteering and travel sector standards, policies and guidance
The Global Standard for Volunteering for Development - produced by Forum
Voluntourism Policy - produced by The Code
Child Welfare and the Travel Industry: Global Good Practice Guidelines - produced by ChildSafe Movement, powered by Friends International)
Study on the pro-active demand for orphanage volunteering
ReThink Orphanages has commissioned research on the pro-active demand for orphanage volunteering abroad as gauged through the volume of relevant online search queries. Results from Australia, France, Germany, the UK, and the US show that there is only very little pro-active demand for this type of volunteering.
Resources for schools & universities
Standards & guidelines
Fairtrade Learning Standards (USA) - produced by the Globalsl Network:
Guidelines for Community Engagement, Service-Learning & Volunteer Experiences Abroad (USA) -produced by the Forum on Education Abroad
Teaching resources
These have been designed to support educators in teaching about the complex issue of institutionalisation and orphanage tourism in the classroom. They have been developed for high school students:
Australia
USA
Designing an ethical global service learning program
Unpacking global poverty through service learning
The following videos for educators and practitioners have been produced by the Globalsl network
Research Insights for Best Practice in International Volunteering
How Volunteering Abroad in Orphanages is Harmful to Children
Europe
England curriculum resource - aimed at KS4 and KS5 and have been designed to align with the English curriculum - specifically the SMSC and PSHE criteria.
Self-assessment tool
Developed by our partner organisations in Australia - Save the Children Australia, World Challenge and ALTO - this self assessment tool helps schools and universities to conduct their own due diligence on their service learning, volunteering and community engagement activities overseas. It is user friendly, with clear guidance and best practice examples.
Awareness raising
A film screening toolkit has been developed as part of The Love You Give campaign. It provides links to download and watch the film, along with suggested topic areas to support a panel discussion for students.
Resources for churches and other faith-based organisations
You will find some great resources developed by our faith-based partner organisations in Australia, the UK and USA.
Australia
ACCI Missions, who also run the fantastic Kinnected website.
USA
Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO)
Catholic Relief Service (CRS)
Faith to Action
SOE (Standards of Excellence in Short-term Mission)
UK
Resources for businesses & charities
Our partner organisations in Australia, working in partnership with the ACFID Child Rights Community of Practice have produced a guidance note to assist Australian charities with overseas activities involving residential care for children in their efforts to comply with the ACNC’s External Conduct Standards. Through this partnership, we have also produced a briefing note to assist entities in Australia and abroad who have orphanages in their supply chains and/or operations to understand the implications of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018.
ReThink Orphanages Australia has also produced a Partner Due Diligence Assessment Tool for charities seeking to partner with overseas organisations who provide residential care services for children. It is designed to help charities determine if the organisation is operating in accordance with national laws, international norms and good practice principles.
Resources for prospective volunteers
Volunteer checklist
The ReThink Orphanages Volunteer Checklist has been developed to help prospective volunteers make an informed decision about they spend their time volunteering overseas. The checklist is also available as an infographic
The Love You Give film
The Love You Give film has been developed to engage prospective volunteers to think differently about orphanages and orphanage volunteering. Four young people who grew up in orphanages in Kenya share their stories and provide compelling insight about the harmful effects of orphanages as a model of care.
Watch our video show reel for other films developed and shared by our partner organisations
#HelpingNotHelping
Helping Not Helping is a campaign produced by Lumos to end orphanage tourism and volunteering
Travel advice
Travel advice with reference to orphanage tourism and volunteering
Australia Department for Foreign Affairs & Trade
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs