Money, Orphan Care and Voluntourism with Barak Laub

There's no denying that western money in Global South countries has a profound impact, for better or worse. We might assume that spending money on volunteering and caring for orphans would be a net positive in the majority world. That however is not the case. As we dive back into the conversation around orphan care and volunteering, we're joined by filmmaker Barak Laub whose new documentary Volunteers Needed delves into this very dynamic in Nepal. He talks with Brandon Stiver about the film, his travels and the effort to advocate for government policies in the US that would mitigate harm in global orphan care.

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Resources and Links from the show

Volunteers Needed Film Online

The Westerner Abuse and Child Protection Conversation (Think Orphan Podcast)

Conversation Notes

• The connection of volunteering to care for wild animals and canned hunting
• The importance of bringing and teaching skills when volunteering abroad
• The country conflict that led to the proliferation of orphanages in Nepal
• The relationship between corruption, poverty and caste in certain Asian countries
• The experience of kids that grow up in care in Nepal
• Misinformation told to volunteers that leads to exploitation
• Spending money in a way that reflects your values

 

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License