Barak Laub is a Carmel Valley economist turned filmmaker, who produced and directed a film on Nepal’s fake orphanages and the problem of foreign “voluntourism.” The 36-minute documentary, Volunteers Needed, was released in 2023. Laub is actively looking for spaces where he can screen this important movie.
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. He started interviewing children as well as volunteers, workers for nongovernmental organizations and experts in the field. He didn’t like what he found out. Conditions were appalling at some homes. There were no activities, food was often spoiled and necessities—such as blankets or toiletries—were non-existent.
“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.”
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.
“But awareness is not enough,” Laub says. He 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. Come and meet him. The host will be Celia Jiménez.