It's amazing how no matter how long I have lived in Asia I can never get used to what I see traveling outside of Asia-light (Singapore).
On my recent trip to Cambodia my sole purpose was to do some work for a local organization - Riverkids Project. I struggled with whether I make it public within my friends, peer group and social media that I was doing this. Why the struggle? I didn't want to come across: "Look at me! Here I am doing humanitarian / charity work." But then the more I read through the Riverkids site the more I felt that this is something more that we all need to be aware of. Sex workers and human trafficking exists - sadly in many countries. You can chill on Tweeting to the world that you bought the car behind you Starbucks, but the realities such as the sex trade and human trafficking need to be shared.
In order to become acquainted with the community that I was helping we joined in on an advocacy walk - my 18 year old daughter came with me.
This image is from my trip but not of the advocacy walk.
At 6 am we followed an 11 year old trash collector who wasn't wearing shoes on the filthy streets of Cambodia. (BTW the child was the size of a 7 year old from being malnourished.) My 18 year old daughter squealed and side-stepped avoiding a very plump, dead rat. Something to be said about the rats having more food than the malnourished children of Cambodia…
Children in Cambodia can be so malnourished that as babies some of their bodies grow much slower than their heads therefore carrying around weight that is unbalanced.
Back at Riverkids main house I had an opportunity to interact with the children being sponsored by Riverkids to attend elementary school. 7 am and they were all given a breakfast of porridge and an egg. I had our hotel (Raffles) prepare a picnic lunch for Sage and I which was brought out for us to eat with the children - not only did I have breakfast already but sitting with gourmet boxed lunches full of fruit, cheese, chicken sandwiches and salad with roughly 20 children eating porridge that could be their sole meal of the day didn't sit well. I opened up the boxes and walked them around the tables - they all waved their hands 'no'. At first I thought the children were like any other child: Fruit?!?! But then I realized they were just shy. I sat the boxes at various tables and soon the gourmet food was being devoured.
I interviewed the trash collector through a translator. I asked about her family - she has siblings all living with her; but that is not the case for every family; some of the older children are sold in order for the balance of the family to be able to eat. This child had started trash collecting with her mother 5 years ago - collecting cans and bottles to exchange for money. I asked where her shoes were. She shrugs. A slightly older girl came over and gave her flip flops although about 3 sizes too big. It was such a moving moment that I had to hold back tears. Clearly this other girl is living a similar risky living condition and she so generously handed over shoes - maybe this was her second pair where some of us have over 30.
Another stop in our day was to visit a classroom full of teenagers ages 14-16. We were met at the door with enthusiastic teens high-fiving and thrilled to see us. Completely enthralled with Sage's milky white skin the boys asked if my 18 year old was yet married.
We tread on with our day.
While visiting one project community a little boy ran by shoeless in his branded t-shirt 'I Could Be Your Son' - sigh... yes you could. Unaware what impact that his t-shirt has. He could have been anyone's son. Interesting how the statement on his shirt could have a different meaning if you are back home watching a spirited boy take over a playground versus a child living in the slums of Cambodia.
We stopped at a film centre and watched 'Paper Cannont Wrap Ember' - a detailed shocking documentary following the daily lives of some Asian women who were violated and trapped in a life where their bodies are turned into items of sexual commerce. One sex trade worker expressed how foreign men aren't afraid of death as they refuse to wear condoms.
One woman bears the weight of getting her younger sister involved in the sex trade who was taken to Thailand by a customer who liked her only to be returned to Cambodia months later where it was discovered that she now had AIDS. Periodically she would get medication when it could be afforded. She suffered on and off until her death.
Meeting sex trade workers was another shocking reality. Many sex trade workers were once garment factory employees who either lost their jobs from factory closings or left voluntarily from just a lack of sufficient wages. $64 USD a month - and with the lack of jobs available for men - wives, girlfriends, mothers, and daughters are forced into sex trades as they make more money turning tricks to support their families risking diseases such as HIV.
Of course wages are set per country and their living standards but should these types of living standards be acceptable? Of course not.
A question arises: Should clothing labels and manufacturers have a responsibility to make their wages public knowledge by a simple click of a button?
H&M and Joe Fresh are two labels in my closet whose tags read: Made in Cambodia. I am looking at those outfits differently. I've worked with Joe from Joe Fresh - I would love to know his thoughts and if he has personally toured the factories who manufacture his line. I am not suggesting anything here with the Joe Fresh line - I am truly curious.
Should we stop buying from labels made in Cambodia? No - because without the demand of clothing being made in the factories the inevitable would happen.
You can find a list of cruelty-free cosmetics; anyone know if there is a similar list for sweatshop-free labels and garment factories?
I don't see myself as political, nor do I see myself as an activist but I am a human being and to walk amongst a society that clearly needs help I feel that it's a global responsibility.
Children should not be bought or sold in order for a family to eat - where by the way some are sold for $300 USD which partially goes towards wine and typically lasting 3 weeks. Your child just gave you 3 weeks of food and drink in exchange for her innocence.
Rats should not be plumper than our children.
Our women - mothers, sisters, daughters - should not be earning money for their families while on their backs.
Riverkids has a few programs to help educate and train the men and women of Cambodia to strengthen their society. Get Ready Boys and who I came to work with: Get Ready Girls - vocational training to help keep the future of Cambodia out of the sex and human trafficking trades.
"Get Ready Girls
Our Get Ready program prepares teenage girls between 11 and 21 years old who are highly at risk for trafficking and exploitation through intensive training to return to school, start vocational training or apprentice at safe jobs.
The program runs for three to 12 months, and covers Khmer language and basic math lessons, social and work skills, as well as breakfast and lunch.
Each program is small, with just 12 to 15 girls so they can support each other. Their families receive aid to replace the teenagers’ lost income from working on the streets at night so the teens can concentrate on class instead of being pressured to drop out.
For some girls, it’s only a few months and they’re full of confidence and ready to return to
school. Other girls need intensive counseling and training before they dare to imagine a different future to being sold.
We’ve seen more than 60 girls graduate from Get Ready with an 85 percent success rate."
I had booked two days with the Get Ready Girls for a hands-on makeup workshop that condensed to one day as I ended up with food poisoning. Quite badly actually. Which by the way - unless you have money you won't get medical care, it's all private.
This was my class of Get Ready Girls. We had a GREAT day. Conducting a workshop via translator was easy. The girls had a blast and pleaded with me to come back - I was never going in with the thoughts that this was a one time feel good project - I willl be back.
Special thanks to the companies who gave support for the Get Ready Girls makeup workshop:
MAC Cosmetics who sent makeup brush sets and Lipglass sets for each of the girls.
MAC has raised $275 million since the inception of the MAC Aids Fund in 1994. The Fund supports a number of projects globally in countries such as Haiti, Jamaica, The Dominican Republic and S. Africa to name just a few. On every Dec 1st, an army of MAC employee volunteers descend upon charities in local communities to volunteer their time supporting HIV/AIDS related charitable organizations.
Australian-based celebrity makeup artist Rae Morris sent copies of her amazing makeup books to help start the beauty library at the Get Ready Girls classroom.
Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh who gave us a discounted rate during our stay.
*All images are mine taken with my HTConeS.
**My flights, accomodations, meals and unforseen medical bills were all paid by me.
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