Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Children of the Phnom Penh City Slum

Squeezed in between the city and the adjacent rubbish dumping ground for the whole city is this slum. You have to be there yourself to experience what inequality truly means. The muddy ground, the stale air, the ubiquitous flies, the crammed living conditions and the dirty clothes.

Yet the children have the brightest of smiles, the simplest of expectations and the liveliest of being.
Education is their key to escape poverty. Yet, under the facade of "free" education is the fees they have to fork out for transport (most of them live a distance from the nearest school and bicycle is their main mode of transport) and parking which is not cheap over there (yes, even the parking of bicycles requires a fee). Plus, the books and stationeries.
p.s. I am not sure about the accuracy of this. It is what I heard in Cambodia.

Despite the living conditions, the children enjoy simple days of simple pleasures. :) I've always believed in simple joys in life, but being in Cambodia has taught me a whole new definition of simplicity.

Their hopes, their dreams, their survival.

They could really do with a donation, a visit, or just simply your understanding and awareness of their plight and their fight.
How can you not love them? :)