Help Give Cambodian Young Adults Independence

Clare Rutz is a student who is traveling throughout Asia this summer and visiting a number of GlobalGiving projects. On July 21st she visited "Give Cambodian Young Adult orphans independence." When asked what she would tell her friends about this project, Clare said: "Great: They are making a difference."

"This is Clare Rutz reporting from Siem Reap in Cambodia.

"Siem Reap hosts the beautiful Angkor Wat, the pre-industrial city made of stone, which tourists from all over the world come to see. Yet it remains one of the most impoverished cities in Cambodia. It is almost impossible to visit a popular temple without being approached by street children who are selling whistles and water. They’ll follow you until they are convinced you absolutely will not EVER buy anything. This, of course, took some time (I’m much better at my firm'“no thank yous' these days) so I was able to talk with them about who they are and what they wanted to be when they grow up. Their English was usually excellent compared to the older generations because Cambodia is now so reliant on tourism that teaching the global language is of utmost priority. So as I walked through Angkor Wat I usually had a child escorting me through. No whistles or waters were bought, but my eyes were opened.

"Most of the children I talked to go to English school, but at night and only a few days a week. Some have stopped going because the cost for uniforms and transportation is just too costly (or so they say). Its obvious that children are better salesman than their fathers would be so they are sent out at an age much too young asking any foreigner to buy postcards and bracelets in order for them to go to school. Now when I think back on Cambodia usually the first image that comes to mind are little hands reaching out for money.

"For many it’s a hard decision of what to do when a child asks for your pocket change. It is difficult to say 'No' to a young child carrying their baby brother who looks as if he was born with sad eyes, but the majority of the time they take the small amount of money they’ve collected and bring it to their parents. In the end it’s supporting a vicious cycle.

"All hope is not lost though. Many projects work with street children in Cambodia and make a serious effort to provide them with an education while getting them off the streets. One organization that I visited called HOPE, which is the acronym for Harnessing Opportunity through Play and Education, is a perfect example of what can be done. As I enter the center I feel as if I’m visiting a summer camp rather than an orphanage. The walls are painted a warm yellow and the cabins where the children stay look like oversized tree houses on stilts. Children are playing an improvised game of badminton while others are busy with their English class. Backpacks are hung up outside their doors and later into my visit more children arrived from school and ran to the very lively arts and crafts room where a new project and the materials needed were waiting for them.

"There are 54 children at the center, 95% of them being orphans, while another 58 children who don't stay at the center come for English classes and recreational activities on the weekdays. In 2001, HOPE was founded with 5 children. Today, the project has expanded to provide vocational training such as hospitality and tourism as well as agricultural skills.

"The Young Adult Program teaches the students who are in the 10th and 11th grade computer skills among other vocational skills that will make employment possible. I visited the computer lab as the teenagers started to trickle in after a full day of school, and I briefly disturbed one of their lessons to chat about her plans. Pok, a 17 year-old with an eager smile, explained to me that although she likes the computer course, learning English remains her favorite. After asking about her dreams she replied, 'I want to be a nurse and I know that it’s possible.' Her confidence has come with years of training and support that HOPE has provided. I leave her be so she continue to write her first cover letter, and I leave the center with hope for the children of Siem Reap.

"To support this project visit their GlobalGiving page at www.globalgiving.co.uk/2602"