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How far do the actions of tourists perpetuate bad practices and how should we be supporting street children in Cambodia?
Street children and child street sellers are a common occurrence here in Siem Reap, with an estimated 24,000 living and working throughout Cambodia. Selling everything from bracelets to roses, many scour the streets past midnight to earn a few dollars to take back home to their families.
But how can we, as tourists, responsibly support the street children in Cambodia, many of which are forced out on the streets to work by their parents?
Article Contents
The Reality of Street Children in Cambodia
There’s was one girl we all knew in Siem Reap. At 11 years old, we were shocked to find her working at 10:30 pm. Her response was simply: “I’m fine. I don’t need to sleep. I’m out here because I love business”. But did she?
Full of confidence, a great grasp of English, and more clout than an average adult, she had hardened to the life she was born into. She probably never had what we know as a typical childhood, although it’s better for a child street seller to have clout than to fall prey to the various forms of exploitation that occurs here in Cambodia and the corrupt social system.
She never begged, and if you didn’t want to buy something, she would walk away. I would much rather, if I had to choose, give money in an entrepreneurial transaction than give money to a plea and perpetuate the idea of dependency.
But more importantly, I wanedt to support community projects or charities, like the one I worked at, that can support children like her so that they don’t have to be subjected to this endless cycle of school and work. Or, for some, only work.
Street Children in Cambodia – How Do Your Actions Contribute to Bad Practice?
Education Campaigns Make a Difference
The UN-backed campaign called ‘Think Twice’ is telling people not to buy from the children at all since it keeps them on the streets and keeps them at risk from a denial of education, child labour exploitation, sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Having lived in Siem Reap, I see the reality of this daily. Some tourists have good intentions but no concept of the wider implications. But others have complete disregard when it comes to the welfare of these street children.
I remember a time when the aforementioned young girl, her kid brother and a friend looked like they could be extra’s in a music video when they started performing on the street. It entertained the masses, it formed a crowd of spectators and the cameras come out and snap away enthusiastically. They challenged Westerners to a dance-off and some accepted; while others threw money at the kids after like it was the greatest show on earth. Then the majority of the crowd walked away after enjoying the show.
Would you stand by and watch your little brother, sister, niece or nephew perform on the street? I wouldn’t. Every time I saw this it broke my heart. I sat there not knowing what to do. We tried telling them to go home but some of them had no choice but to be out there supporting their parents. The little boy was so overwhelmed one night that he was in floods of tears. His sister told us on another night, around 9 pm, that he was at home sleeping ready for the night’s activities.
Why allow this show to happen? If we didn’t form crowds and encourage it then possibly, just possibly, the children would realise there is nothing to gain from it. Now, they know that it is easy money, and thanks to irresponsible tourists, have been turned into performers.
What is the Solution for Street Children?
An overarching problem is, where else does their ‘income’ come from? On the one hand, selling something is seen as a guaranteed handful of dollars, yet it is probably benefiting an adult more than them. On the other hand, by supporting ‘performance’, you are overshadowing the better notion of ‘business’ (buying something from them) in place of extreme exploitation. In an ideal situation, you wouldn’t give them anything at all.
It’s a terrible situation to witness, and difficult to know what to do.
Trapped by the lack of education of their parents, who know of nothing except hardship and the need to send their children out to work for extra support, the only hope of ending this sad situation is the education of the new generation. Going to school during the day and working in the evening is something we could never imagine putting our kids through in the Western world.
However, education is the only way of breaking the cycle and in the long term, we can only hope that education leads to a stable job and that these children’s children won’t have to lead the same life. Think Twice states: “Instead of giving a short-term $1 to a street kid, support organisations who can educate long-term.”
These are young children. They have no childhood. They have no choice. But as a visitor to this town, you can at least help steer what little choice they have in the right direction.
The question is: What would you do?
Ethical Travel in Cambodia and How to Help
Looking for other ways to help? Read about how to volunteer abroad responsibly and what to know before visiting an orphanage.
Sarah says
Great piece. I have a question; do you think it is suitable to take these children to get them a good meal or is this something that we should avoid?
Becki says
I’ve sometimes shared my food with mums who have babies, but this is a tough call. It again can perpetuate the idea of dependency, yet food is better than money or giving in to begging. I would still say to scope out charities in the area and donate money, or help set up a scheme where street kids are taken for regular meals as a group. There isn’t a right answer, but supporting community options and wider schemes is always the better one.
Kassie says
I was wondering if you had any advice. I’m in Siem Reap and every evening we meet a small boy, probably about 10 years old. He looks as though he is blind in one eye and sometimes he’s a little spaced out (could just be how he is, could be something else). We’ve started buying him food as he’s clearly hungry but we wouldn’t give him cash. He’s not bright, he’s no business man and I’ve been quite vigilant and I don’t think he’s with anyone else. Are there any charities that will help me support him? I’m willing to sponsor him and actively help but I can only find support networks in Phnom Penh. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
Becki says
There are numerous charities in Siem Reap that you can make contact with. Many cover specific areas, but it is worth asking them to see if they can help or point you in the right direction. Try The Green Gecko Project, New Hope Cambodia, Honour Village, AboutAsia and Feeding Dreams to start with.
susi says
hi becki
yes cambodia is hard if you open your eyes. but for westerners easy to help a little. a few dollars can change so much but travellers have to be careful where they donate. best is to find a local who you can trust and who can help you find a trustworthy institution or do much research on your own.
take care and safe travels:)
susi says
what an article about this though topic. been in cambodia for 3 times in the last 2 years (felt in love with the people and the country at first sight) it hurts to see the kids begging and selling. or the landmine victims. or the old people…..
i think for a change only education is the right way. but easy said when sitting in a country where going to school is mandatory and with a social system. for me i found following solution to deal with: i support small organisation (mostly at the children education sector) that i know personaly. i dont give money to kids or buy from them – but i am never shooting them and mostly you can make the experience how clever and lovely they are when you get in a conversation with them:). for old or crippled people i always have some riels in my pocket.
one day at a bus stop in sisophon there was a man, maybe in his 40s. he was so thin that he remembered me of an concentration camp prisoner. next to him was a lady that selled grilled chicken skewers. i never saw a human being so hungry, if you had seen how he looked at the skewers…….gives me shivers only when i think of it. so i bought some skewers, added 2000 riel and handed that to him. he grabbed my hand, squeezed it softly and smiled shy. back on the bus tears ran over my face but on the other side i felt happy. because i hoped this evening he would go to sleep without an rumbling tumee.
dont know if this is the right way but is there any “right” way for this?
and at least sorry if my grammar etc is not correct – english is not my mother tounge.
Becki says
That’s a really humble and lovely thing to do. I would have felt compelled to do the same. Cambodia is a hard place to deal with when you drill down to the finer details. I salute you for understanding rather than turning a blind eye.
Lauren says
This was an excellent read! A very thoughtful article and I’m glad it has inspired such discussion on here! I will definitely keep this in mind for future travels.
jimmy b. says
Thanks for information. I’ve not travelled to SE Asia and reading your comments has giving me food for thought. I will research each country I go to, to find NGO sponsered shops. I want to, in at leaset a small way try to leave a positive imprint of my visit and not just an end user. Thankyou to all for your information.
Arianwen says
It’s so difficult to walk away from a child who needs money, but I totally agree. The solution is to allay that guilt by donating to a charity that has their best interests at hard and understands the situation a lot better than me!
Oceana says
Great article. I love it when people really get to the heart of issues like this. You’ve obviously got a wonderfully different perspective, and it is so fantastic to see it out in the world.
I really find it difficult to explain this to people I’m travelling with, especially in places like Indonesia where I grew up. There is a similar situation there, and lots of kids are on the street working or begging, or both. But at the same time I can see how people think they’re doing a good deed by ‘supporting’ that individual child. Of course in the end all their supporting is the system and the invisible individuals who exploit them.
Once again, great article.
Guy says
You explain the dilemma so well Becki. To help or not to help? Are you helping by not cooperating with them? As the point you’ve raised it is often the adults in the background who are driving on this need to beg/seek money from tourists. Cute kids are always a draw and tend to make more money than an adult begging (who is less cute).
A combination of poverty, societal standards and tourists feeding this frenzy means it is a tough cycle to break. I agree these kids need a proper education yet can the government/society/parents afford to provide it?
Becki says
The problem here is that the government provide schooling but don’t pay the teachers enough, who in turn are charging the kids. Decent NGO’s help, but it’sa shame public schools are also difficult to access for many children.
Tammy says
What saddens me most is that some of the kids are wearing hardly any clothes either to make them look more ‘tribal’ to attract the tourists. It is just not right for the kids to hang around town that late at night and not attending school. Education is the key for these kids, otherwise they haven’t got any chance in getting a better life. Luckily there are many NGOs around that are trying to convince parents about the advantages of education for their kids and the parents alike (such as yours or Youth Star, the one I used to volunteer for). Unfortunately there are not enough of these NGOs around or they are struggling for funding. So rather than giving money to the kids go and donate to NGOs! Thanks. 🙂
Adam @ PergiDulu says
I don’t like the whole “it’s wrong to give money to beggars” thing. Yeah of course some of the things are true such as children not being able to go to school etc. But what are the alternatives? The family is probably so poor the child would work doing something else in the village. The answer is jobs. Jobs for everyone. The only way for this to happen is through economic development. And this is hampered in places like Cambodia by corruption. Not giving money to the child just deprives that family of rice for the day. It doesn’t solve the bigger problem of everyone being dirt poor.
Becki says
The point of this article is not to say “don’t give to beggars ever”, it’s to pose the question of what is best to do. What the best practice is. NGO’s and community projects exist to help these people, give them a step up on the ladder and to increase awareness of the importance of education. Jobs for everyone is an ideal solution, which doesn’t even exist in the Western world! However, education contributes to the development of this country in the sense that a new generation are slowly starting to break the cycle of poverty. They, in turn, are helping to rebuild their country and help others. There isn’t an easy answer, and that’s the sad thing.
Ian says
Hey Becki! Great article and a very difficult subject. Something I’ve wanted to write about for a long time, but haven’t been able to even put together my own thoughts on how to, as it truly is a bit of a paradox. If you give them money, you are promoting the actions, and feeding in to this never ending cycle. If you DON’T give them money… will they end up hungry that night? What will it do to their families, and their families’ ability to provide enough for them? Personally, I’ve resisted and not supported the children working at night… but I know if not the next, then at least the next person after them undoubtedly will. I feel the BEST thing to do is to help supporting NGOs like the one you work for… though that is a long term goal, and not one that everyone has the means to contribute to (and sadly, many NGOs in Cambodia are not all they claim to be, either – much corruption exists in many of them). So… back to square one? What is the best thing to do??? 🙁
Becki says
I couldn’t agree more. Which is what makes it harder. In India we gave fruit etc to street kids as we knew money would go to the mafia underground. I’ve given food to a family here but you can’t do that forever either as you create dependency and the need to beg. At least some NGOs create a system where families are aided and given the opportunity to better their lives, seek work, allow their children to go to school. It’s an aid that hopefully isn’t needed forever. Cambodia is mostly supported by foreign aid, but we have to do our research and make sure we are supporting the right organisations, not the ones who exploit a bad situation. Although this applies to all third world countries.
NaEun says
So glad you write about this. I grew up in Cambodia and have seen this ‘business’ increase over the last 10 or so years especially in tourist areas such as Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. I went back to Cambodia 2 years ago for the first time in a while and it really hit me hard. Growing up in Cambodia, I was taught never to give money to the children. Really glad you are sharing this with other travelers.
Becki says
Thank you! This is something I realy feel passionate about changing. It will take time, but hopefully in 10 years down the line we won’t have to see this happen anymore. Luckilly, some of these children get to go to school too. They are the future of change.
ben says
Firstly, great article.
It’s a hard one isn’t it?
We’ve just moved on from SE Asia, and whilst we went through Siem Reap and Angkor we spent too much time in Vietnam, and therefore didn’t have a chance to visit the rest of Cambodia. I don’t expect Siem Reap is a fair reflection of Cambodia, what with it being such a tourist town. To be fair though, it’s a lot better than Agra, or other cities with a massive tourist attraction.
Our philosophy for our trip, (India & SE Asia) was not to support begging at all. We’re happy to support sellers, and buy things, but obviously not if we don’t want/need them; but never give to beggars.
At Angkor, many people tried to sell us books, fridge magnets, bracelets and other crap we don’t need. We did buy postcards from one boy though. Why? because he had a business sense, he told us why we should buy his, he engaged with us, told us his name and taught us some Khmer words. he was just really nice and we thought he had earned his sale. Also, we wanted to buy some postcards!
Many kids in the street were well versed saying things like ‘I don’t want money, I need food’ and it’s hard to ignore, and that’s the point isn’t it? I refuse to support begging, and I felt like a wanker.
Becki says
Thank you. The problem in Siem Reap is that people only see the tourist stuff and think it is a tourist town. I work in one of the porest slum/village areas in town and there are also other aspects here that are the ‘real’ Cambodia, such as a community that lives on a huge rubbish dump. These kids are just another part of that ‘other side’ of Cambodia. It’s really tragic, and tourists either gauping at stuff like that or whooping these kids when performing is just hideous.
The problem here is that we shouldn’t support sellers either, but with a choice, this is better supported than straight out begging. I’ve bought something at Angkor Wat too, but you are right- it’s good to engage with them rather than shoo them away. I’m alkways keen to know who goes to school and who doesn’t (some go to public school in the morning, others in the afternoon, and some get schooling via an NGO). Except public school costs money. Question is, is the money we spend going towards schooling or going straight to the parents? Some of these kids are super smart and my guess is that that havehad some acces to education.
The hardest thing in these streetkid/seller situations is not knowing their exact background-i.e. do the parents have good intention without realising it is wrong? Do some also go to school? Or… is the child being controlled by a terrible person?
ben says
I mean’t sellers in general, not specific to Angkor/Cambodia. For example my girlfriend bought some Jewellery in India from a street seller. My bad, poor wording.
The kids in Siem Reap seemed to be quite astute at what they needed to say to get what they wanted, I agree, I think they’ve had schooling too. But then, what’s to stop them bending the truth about their schooling if they think that’s what tourists want to hear!?
Again, I agree with you about the intentions; it’s such a hard thing to call isn’t it? Is it families with good intentions? Criminal enterprise using children? it’s pretty horrible either way when you think about it.
Education is the long term answer, but short term results keep people fed. Can’t live on shirt buttons…
Becki says
Agreed. I think the short term results (food, support etc) is where the local NGOs and community based projects do a great job. But then there is then the question of the fantastic NGO’s vs profitable self-gain NGO’s. A lot of people exploit this terrible situation. Helping people get a step up on the ladder, or providing the funding from which to educate their children is a great step forward. Without using a cliche, I guess the children are the future and their success will hopefully break the cycle of poverty did their family and overshadow the need of dependency.
NaEun says
You are right to ask those questions. When I have street children/sellers approaching me, I try to talk to them instead of shooing them away – of course not giving them anything or buying anything from them. A lot of times, these kids just want to share their stories and I guess speaking Khmer has helped me have them open up a bit more. I saw a 5 year old dancing in the street entertaining tourists at 4 in the morning and asked why he wasn’t at home sleeping and whether he had to go to school during the day. A lot of the times, their answers are ‘my mom won’t let me come home until *a certain time* and I go to school sometimes.’ It’s sad to see that although I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘good intentions,’ parents are too busy thinking about having money to feed their children rather than worrying about sending them to school. It also doesn’t help that they know the children bring in the dough. Which is why articles like these are important. Many tourists have good intentions and buy things or give money to this children without realizing that it’s actually harming the kids more.
Becki says
That’s a shocking story. I often heard “no school today” when I was last here, so you can tell some immediate lies. But then what choice do they have when they are trying to make a quick buck?
I honestly think some parents have no idea how damaging it is to their kids to be out working. When all they have ever known is to work it creates a vicious cycle through generations. We just have to hope that more kids get sponsored to go to school and that one day the government will pay teachers more so that they stop charging the kids! So many questions, so many scenarios… So little answers 🙁