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MrBeast has been branded a ‘white savior’ by charities because of a viral video in which he boasts of rebuilding an African orphanage, despite a global campaign to shut them down.
The world’s richest YouTuber is said to have ignored pleas from humanitarian groups to end his ‘philanthropic stunt’, fearing orphanages are a haven for ‘violence, abuse and neglect’.
But MrBeast invested millions of dollars in filming the reconstruction of the Baphumelele orphanage in South Africa.
His video showing the building’s transformation alongside smiling children has had more than 7 million views on YouTube in less than a week.
This prompted accusations from the charity Hope and Homes for Children that the stunt was just a “ploy to get more views”.
MrBeast, the world’s biggest YouTuber, has been accused of ‘white saviorism’ by charities over a video in which he brags about rebuilding an orphanage in South Africa.
MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, says his team saved the orphanage from the brink of closure through six months of “hard work”.
Before and after photos show how his company Beast Philanthropy renovated the playground
The movement to end orphanages around the world and find families for children is supported by the UN, EU, Commonwealth and the South African government.
In 2019, a United Nations General Assembly resolution on the rights of the child urged member states to gradually replace orphanages with quality alternative care, such as networks of foster families and social workers. .
Lourenza Foghill, of Hope and Homes for Children, said Mr Beast chose to ‘completely ignore’ those voices, despite the charity contacting him in March, shortly after he posted a video calling for donations for his orphanage project.
She added: “Is this a classic case of white saviorism? Probably yes, but one thing is certain, Mr. Beast denies the so-called “orphans” of Baphumele their right to grow up in a family.
The charity stressed there was no suggestion of wrongdoing at the Baphumelele orphanage itself, but pointed to evidence showing that 80 percent of the 5.4 million children confined to orphanages today are not really orphans, but have a family that could take care of them.
Campaigners say the majority of children who grow up in such institutions suffer from abuse and neglect and are more likely to end up homeless later in life, have mental health issues and come into conflict with Justice.
Charities including Hope and Homes and the Lumos Foundation, of which JK Rowling is chair, wrote to the MrBeast team in March to make the point, after his video calling for donations to save the Baphumelele orphanage reached 15 million views.
Hope and Homes said it received no response.
On August 20, MrBeast uploaded a new video titled “We adopted an orphanage”, in which she claimed that her company Beast Philanthropy had saved Baphumelele from closure after six months of “tireless” work during which her team built 12 new homes and provided a continuous supply of fresh food and repaired his dilapidated playground.
He claimed that the orphanage had already saved around 5,000 lives.
The video also tells the heartwarming story of Mama Rosie, who founded the orphanage 30 years ago. The charities that have criticized MrBeast have made it clear that there are no allegations of wrongdoing on the part of Mama Rosie or her Baphumelele orphanage.
Video shows photos of smiling children – presumed orphans in Baphumelele
But charities say 80 percent of the 5.4 million children confined to orphanages today are not actually orphans, but have family who could care for them.
The charities say they wrote to MrBeast in March, shortly after he launched his appeal for donations for the project, urging him to redirect his efforts towards relocating children. But they said they had been “completely ignored”.
The video featured the heartwarming story of orphanage founder Mama Rosie, who was led blindfolded to her newly renovated project before the big unveiling left her on the verge of tears.
Lumos said in a statement that while Mama Rosie’s orphanage seemed “well-intentioned,” all of these institutions did not.
“Many orphanages around the world are set up to exploit children for profit, exposing them to danger and abuse. By promoting orphanages, even well-meaning ones, we promote the work of those who don’t have one, thus continuing the cycle of exploitation,” the association added.
“We don’t think anyone in the video has bad intentions, including Mama Rosie and MrBeast. But if we want to support children in the best way possible, we need to stop promoting the orphanage system and start supporting families. with community care, so that their children can stay in their place.
DailyMail.com has contacted MrBeast and Baphumelele Orphanage for comment.
This isn’t the first time that MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, 25, has been accused of being click nice.
In January, he was slammed by a video posted on his channel showing how he had helped many blind people in the United States and around the world to remove their cataracts with the help of a non-profit organization.
Critics accused him of using their suffering to increase his wealth and fame, even though the doctor who performed the operation said many patients had benefited from it.
MrBeast is one of the few people with over 100 million subscribers on YouTube.
He has previously come under fire for a video in which he helped cure 1,000 people of blindness with the help of a nonprofit, with some accusing him of using suffering to click.
The YouTuber has amassed a staggering net worth estimated at over $500 million, largely based on outlandish stunts in which he gives lavish gifts to unwitting audience members.
Its early content revolved around harmless pranks on friends, but quickly turned wacky.
Earlier this month, he claimed to have had the most views on YouTube in 24 hours on a non-music video with his music video ‘7 Days Stranded At Sea’.
The video shows the YouTuber and four of his friends being purposely stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean for a week.
While touting his new, unverified record, he also lashed out at his critics on X, formerly known as Twitter. He wrote, “Also, I never want to hear that I only get views because I donate money. We broke the world record with me and my friends suffering and making lol jokes.