Cambodia’s Kids
I think WD’s humorous little guessing game hint at “where in the world” we are turned around and slapped us in the face.
Our first night in Phnom Penh, I ordered a pizza at a sidewalk café and it was served with a fried egg on top. I’m all for trying new interesting local cuisine but having grown up in NY this seemed all wrong so I put the egg aside. As I was finishing my meal a street kid tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the egg on the plate next to me.
In our travels I’ve had several poor kids approach me with a starvation routine and ask for food but then make a sad face and ask for money with no real interest in the food.
I thought I would call this kid’s bluff and told him sure, you can have the egg. To my shock he grabbed the plate and went to squat by the curb, three other kids joined him and devoured my leftover egg with their hands. None of these children were probably more than ten years old. They really were poor and starving-this was not a show for money.
WD offered them the Pad Thai left on her plate and they devoured that as well. As I was watching these kids eat our leftovers, I looked around the table at WD and our friend Amanda and realized the three of us were fighting back tears. It was the saddest thing I had ever seen. Then they came up to the table and asked for water from the bottle in the middle of the table… How could anyone say no? I think the only thing that saved us from crying was one little boy, upon finishing his water, let out a loud “Ahhhh!” like a Coca Cola commercial that set us laughing.
While the kids drank the water from our used straws and glasses, WD put stickers all over their hands and arms. This brought almost as many smiles as the food and drink did. The kids thanked us in English and ran off to show their stickered arms to each other.
We all know this goes on, we see this kind of thing in movies and on TV all the time. When it is 3 feet away and it’s your food they are eating like a pack of strays you can’t change the channel and check what’s in the fridge. There is no half-hearted “Oh that’s so sad.”
Travel gives you a needed reality punch in the mouth sometimes.
We’ve since learned there are almost 20,000 children living on the streets in Cambodia. What chance at life do these kids have? Thankfully there are some organizations trying to do something about it (I don’t think you can rely on the government to fix the problem no matter where you live). Check them out:
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T and K said:
Sean and Dawn! Such a sad story! Cambodia is supposed to be amazing though. Was it difficult to get there? Your travels through Asia sound incredible! We just arrived in Hong Kong and will be in Asia for many months, including Vietnam and Cambodia, so you’ll have to give us some advice. Let us know where you’ll be after Cambodia - maybe our paths will cross again! Did you ever get your Chinese Visa? Hopefully not as tough as Brazil ;).
-T & K
two left feet said:
It’s so sad to hear that children are starving in Cambodia. Really gives me an appreciation for our government. As imperfect as our politicians seem at times, the GOP and Dems are saints compared to the so called leaders Cambodia has had over the past thirty years. The atrocities of the Khmer Rouge go without saying. Even now, corrupt politicians in Cambodia divert International aid into private accounts at an appalling rate. And little kids are starving. God bless America; for all of our faults, our nation is so much better off than many others. Travel is an education.
Stay safe—Denise
Cris said:
It’s really sad, and it’s also hard to stay only looking and don’t want to do something.
But I guess the worst thing is exactly what you said - “I don’t think you can rely on the government to fix the problem no matter where you live” - Cambodia is a country that is growing 10.8% a year but is also the 3rd most corrupt nation in South-East Asia, and even with all the hard work of the population the money will never get to who really needs, it stops in the hands of some powerful man that has no conscience.
(BTW, not that different from Brazil in this point)