Cambodia? What is the first thing that springs to mind after you hear 'Cambodia'? It's usually two things; the temples of Angkor including and the Killing Field. For me? Angkor Wat, of course!

I met a certain professor in history department of the Royal University of Phnom Penh. At that time, I asked a very na?e question: "As you know, there are a lot of tourists and foreign NGOs in Cambodia. Angkor Wat probably has attracted thousands and thousands of tourists over the years! Since the admission fee to enter Angkor is $20 for one day, $40 for 3 days, $60 for one week, Cambodian government must be getting an amazing profit, right?" His answer shocked and appalled me. "You must understand that the money from Angkor heritage site does not reach most of Cambodians. Cambodia government only gets around 1% of the profit. The remaining 99% goes straight to the pockets of individuals, national and international enterprises. If the government gets the most of income, why are there still a lot of little kids begging and selling souvenirs books?"

Anyone who has visited the temple complex will share the experience of children following tourists around plaintively saying "Hello! Lady! Hello? Seeing a lot of little kids with outstretched arms was very hard for me to bear. I have seen a number of beggars in Chungjang-ro, but they certainly were not kids. However, Cambodia is awash with children begging, especially tourist spots. They are smart enough to speak fluent English, and count numbers in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish. (They usually count numbers when selling postcards to let people know they sell 10 pieces!). Although it breaks my heart saying no, I never give money to children, simply because doing so would only encourage them to take up a lifestyle of begging. However my resolve was severely tested upon my visit in Oudong.

Oudong is a small city, about 40km from Phnom Penh, the present capital of Cambodia. Oudong was once the capital of Cambodia from 1618~1866. It is famous for a picturesque mountain capped by a pagoda that provides a beautiful vista of the whole Oudong region. Although I am not an avid mountain climber by any means, I was exited by the prospect of going to countryside and escaping the noise and dust Phnom Penh. After braving a ride in a vehicle that was optimistically described as a motor car (actually made in Korea, haha!), we arrived at Oudong. Soon as we creaked to a stop, an army of kids surrounded the car. They had noticed that the occupants were only Cambodians but also three Koreans and one British. They followed us around saying "Hello?with their cute voices.

As we sat down for lunch, another troop of kids arrived. One boy offered to sing a song for us and burst in to song accompanied by funny motions vibrations. This Cambodian Shinhwa eventually got the money he really wanted. Though some of us gave money to them, I did not.

As we started climbing a mountain, actually well made stairs, three children followed me. I just told them, as a matter of principle I would not give any money, just candy. I hoped they would wander off after receiving the candy, but they tested my resolve by still followed me for almost an hour in the rain. I almost gave in when a child told me, how much he loved studying but he needed $5 to go to school. I felt guilty for denying such a small sum to a child that apparently loves education. However I was skeptical about the validity of the story, as I know that Cambodia has the compulsory education system through to middle school.
Then suddenly he changed tack. "I need $3 to go to school. Please help me. I want to study at school.?Huh? He certainly has learned the skill of bargaining from somewhere. I just said "No!?Then he changed the requirement for getting an education from $3 to $2, $1, to 1000 Riel ($0.25). I stood firm. At last, he exclaimed, "No money? Then give me your candy!?I gave him my candy and the tiny businessman and his accomplice scampered away. One boy, more tenacious than the rest, still followed me and began the same repertory. "I need $5 to go to school. Please help me.?

Oh My God!

I was plagued by questions all day. What can we do? Where can we go for solutions? Whom to ask? What is the best way to solve those problems? Next GN issue, I hope to further share my thoughts and experiences in this area. So till the next issue, perhaps you could think a bit more about the youth in Cambodia, youth in your country, and all over the world. Though alone I am but a drop in the ocean, together we can create a groundswell that could change the lives of these children for the better.

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