Lumos’s #HelpingNotHelping Campaign Nominated for CIPR Award
In recognition of the light that Lumos brings millions of children around the world, its #HelpingNotHelping campaign has made it onto the Not-for-Profit Campaign short list of the 2020 CIPR Excellence Awards! The CIPR Excellence Awards are hosted by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and seek to celebrate the outstanding work of individuals, teams, and consultancies across the United Kingdom and overseas.
Incredible to see our #HelpingNotHelping campaign to end orphanage tourism & volunteering has made it onto the @CIPR_Awards Not-for-Profit Campaign shortlist! A HUGE thanks to everyone involved, and those who have supported so far. Visit https://t.co/ZYKGJxQlDA to get involved! https://t.co/qJaKQ0COkL
— Lumos (@lumos) April 9, 2020
Launched at the 2019 One Young World Summit, #HelpingNotHelping seeks to raise awareness of the harms that voluntourism, the practice of volunteering at overseas orphanages, brings about in less developed countries. Many young children are arbitrarily separated from their parents and institutionalized in shoddy orphanages for the sole purpose of attracting revenue from overseas visitors hoping to “improve their lives.” This isolation from the rest of their community causes irrevocable damage to their physical and emotional well-being. To combat this, Lumos advocates against voluntourism by educating people about the beneficial and tangible actions they can take to improve these children’s lives.
Despite the acclaim that Lumos has received, the children’s charity is not resting on its laurels. It has recently kickstarted an email campaign calling for donations to support vulnerable children and families through this difficult coronavirus crisis. As the pandemic ravages communities in less-developed countries, children live in unsanitary environments and are at risk of increased poverty and family separation, depriving them of the protective care that they need for their physical and mental well-being. Consider making a donation to Lumos today!
