Poverty in your face

Thur, Jan 14, 2010
Sihanoukville, Cambodia

As is the case in all countries that suffer extreme poverty, there are people begging everywhere we go in Cambodia. The problems here are exacerbated by the fact that 50% of the population is under the age of 18, so there are small children everywhere. The end result is that children do most of the begging and/or selling of trinkets, mostly selling stuff. It’s a difficult choice for these families… while the children are young and cute, they are able to work that to their advantage and sell their goods on the strength of their charm, often bringing in 5 to 10 times the income their father can earn (we’re talking the difference between $5 or $10/day coming in vs Dad’s $1/day growing rice). But that means they aren’t in school – where they need to be if they are ever going to climb out of poverty. By the time they age out of street selling, they are so far behind on schooling that many never get an education, thus perpetuating the cycle.

Our guide has explained that it’s best not to buy from the children or give money to the beggars, but that we should direct our efforts and/or funds to organizations that directly help the people. To that end, we’ve been staying at hotels that are certified “Child Safe,” meaning they don’t allow patrons to bring child prostitutes back to their rooms and that if they see an adult with a Cambodian child who is without his/her parent, the police will be notified. We’ve also eaten at several restaurants that support various free schools and orphanages and other organizations that help people out of poverty. While in Siem Reap, we visited a local free clinic and donated blood. So we’re doing what we can in our small way.

It’s still difficult, though, when a gaunt and hungry woman with an infant is standing in front of you with her hand outstretched asking for a dollar. It feels so miserly and heartless to wave her away. So I’m having trouble with the begging. And now it’s not even the begging so much as my response to it. I find myself feeling resentful and brusque – not very charitable – a bit guilty, I suppose. I’m afraid if I let myself think about it too much, I’ll be paralyzed.

The children are especially hard to resist because they really are charming. The other night in Phnom Penh, we had dinner at a restaurant that gives 100% of its profits to an orphanage. The children did a dance program, which was very sweet. Afterward they came through the dining area thanking everyone for being there. One little guy came way down to our end of the table and struck up a conversation with one of the women in our group. She got her camera out and began snapping photos of the two of them and he posed and mugged for the camera, and it was so fun to see a child just acting like a child. Earlier, while we were eating, our tables stretched from inside the restaurant out on to the sidewalk outdoors, so that those of us sitting toward the end were right out in the middle of the foot traffic, and were surrounded by children trying to sell us bootlegged DVDs and photocopied versions of best selling books. Even though we weren’t buying anything from them, they seemed to enjoy just being around us and bantering back and forth, really quick with making jokes and teasing. They really are amazing. Their English is excellent, they are whip smart and know how to survive – you just wonder how far they could go if they had the same opportunities as the children in our country.
You can only hope the NGOs that are working there will make a difference and the country will be better for it.

Rita