The children of Siem Reap
CAMBODIA’s Siem Reap seems to be “in” for the inveterate traveller these days, the main attraction being the temples of Angkor. For decades, it was unsafe to visit. Civil wars, genocides, and landmines kept the tourists at bay. In the year 2000, things stabilised enough in the country for tourism to flourish and now the hotel industry is booming. There are some 200 hotels and guesthouses in Cambodia presently. Many of these are luxury establishments, which very few of the locals can afford for even a night. Even more depressing is the sight of so many amputees due to the landmines during the wars and even now. Cambodians seem reserved, but once you start talking to them, they are a very friendly lot. Children don’t fare very well here. Inadequate medical care, poor hygiene and diseases have resulted in high mortality rates in children.
The infant mortality rate in 2003 was estimated to be 73.67 per 1,000 live births. This is in stark contrast to the situation in Malaysia at 7.9 per 1,000 live births. War and diseases like AIDS have also resulted in very high numbers of orphans. Poverty stricken families sometimes abandon or sell their children. Some children run away and live on the streets.
These street children organise themselves into gangs. In 2003, there were about 1,800 street children in Phnom Penh alone, and many of them were on drugs. These urchins are everywhere, on the streets, at tourist sites hawking tacky stuff, engaged in petty crimes and beggary and waiting for handouts. Cambodia has also acquired a reputation for child sex.
For most, school is a luxury. But there is hope for the future, with the government affirming commitment to compulsory education for all. Various charities and countries have also helped out by setting up schools and providing equipment.
By and large, the children are an impish lot and I enjoyed talking to them. Some are very bright, and most are always polite and graceful. A few can converse fairly well in English and a smattering of other languages. I will always remember the sprightly young girl in Angkor Thom. I was chatting with her and I asked, “Do you go to school?”
She replied, “See this blouse, see this skirt. My school uniform. I go to school in the morning and work here till night.”
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This girl looked relaxed and “professional’ when posing for photographs.
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The plight of these children have caught the attention of visitors to Cambodia. There are many charities, big and small, and individuals who provide help, from free medical care and schools to centres that help with skills training.
Among the more notable ones are the children’s hospitals set up by Dr. Beat Richner, a Swiss pediatrician. There are three hospitals set up by him, two in Phnom Penh and one in Siem Reap, the Jayavarman VII Hospital. They treat about 42,000 inpatients and about half a million outpatients yearly.
The Angkor Hospital for Children doubles as a training hospital for young Cambodian doctors and nurses. This hospital, which has treated 265,000 children over six years, is managed by the Friends Without Borders. This foundation was set up Kenro Izu, a Japanese photographer who was moved by the plight of the children.
Krousar Thmey, (Khmer for New Family), an NGO funded by the European Union, provides help to rehabilitate street children, provides education for the underprivileged and handicapped and also to promote Khymer culture.
They have about 1,000 children under their direct care and provide support for another 3,000. Colors of Cambodia has an art gallery in Siem Reap. Paintings by children are sold and all proceeds go towards furthering the art education of the underprivileged.
There are many other charities, too many to mention here. Perhaps, you too will be inspired to help.
