VOLUNTOURISM’S BAD NAME

There is no doubt that some orphanages are being targeted for “voluntourism” and various other corrupt practices, and this should be stopped ( Editorial, September 30). However, closing all orphanages, as seems to be advocated by JK Rowling, would be a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Desirable though it would be to return all orphanage children to families, many families have disintegrated or are homeless.

Cambodia has some excellent children’s homes, which are run by caring, experienced people devoting their lives to children who would have died if not offered a refuge. Wat Opot Children’s Community, for instance, has been described to me as “the happiest place I have ever been to”.

Children are housed in a large area that allows for play. They are given medical care, which has saved many lives, all attend school and, where possible, they are integrated back into families. Carmel Tindall (Kaikoura)

by flying around the world and add to the pollution of such drawcards as Mt Kilimanjaro (now a monstrous mound of plastic waste, its long-drops overflowing) offset at least some of their damage by responding to homelessness and hopelessness when they notice it?

Supporting small businesses and farming ventures that lead to employment and independence for even a few kids and their families might be a fair trade for having seen all the beauty spots and tourist sites.

I have seen photos of tourists alongside local children proudly displayed on mud-hut walls, and I didn’t notice that the kids seemed traumatised by the experience. It was good to go with an approved guide to see a traditional village or shrine, and then be offered the chance to donate towards a half-built school or health clinic where there was plenty of evidence that the project would actually benefit locals. And I did feel good. Susan Michell (Nelson)