Carmel Valley is home to many interesting people with larger-than-life stories. One of them is Barak Laub, an economist and filmmaker who grew up in the valley and returned to settle down again in 2013.
In between, Laub spent months in India and Nepal riding a motorcycle. Along the way, he met a woman from Australia who first told him about Nepal’s orphanages acting as a cover for child trafficking.
“It was crazy,” Laub says. “It wasn’t covered by the media and it was a major problem – not only in Nepal, but all over the world.”
Laub interviewed the children and also volunteers, workers for nongovernmental organizations and experts in the field. Conditions were appalling at some homes. There were no activities, food was often spoiled and necessities – such as blankets or toiletries – were non-existent.
Countless NGOs advertise online and Westerners are ready to pay thousands of dollars to be able to volunteer. Global “voluntourism” is a $3 billion industry. But few of these volunteers are vetted. There’s no background check when the volunteers arrive.
The information Laub gathered gave him an idea. Taking a break to get a degree in political science and linguistics at Goethe Universitat, he returned to South Asia with a film project in mind.
Laub produced and directed a 36-minute documentary, Volunteers Needed, that came out in 2023. On this trip, he was accompanied by Raymond Steege, co-director and co-producer.
In the film, Laub focused on the people, trying to get as many voices as possible into the documentary short. People make the issue real. But, Laub says, “Awareness is not enough.”
Still, a solution begins with awareness. Laub has already convinced the City of Carmel to issue a proclamation supporting the rights of children, which was approved by City Council in November 2023. His goal is for every town to issue such a proclamation so that Americans know the dangers of voluntourism.
Laub also hopes to find more spaces and occasions to screen his film. He already presented the documentary in Carmel Valley and is working with the Rotary Club of Carmel to do another local showing.
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