via CAAI
Saturday October 23, 2010
Martin Brunt, in Cambodia
A British woman who protects street kids in Cambodia has told Sky News there are just two social workers in the town where she is trying to help thousands of vulnerable children.
Maggie Eno set up the M'Lop Tapang centre seven years ago in Sihanoukville, the country's top seaside resort.
It is a haven for paedophiles from the UK and other Western nations who prey on the young children selling fruit and trinkets on the beaches here.
Ms Eno said: "When we started this project the government was aware of the problems the kids faced, but wasn't doing anything about it.
"Now it's more supportive, but there are just two social workers here in a town of 200,000, so you can see how vulnerable the children are."
On beautiful, palm-fringed Serendipity beach I watched several middle-aged Western men gaze at young beach-sellers.
One held the hand of a girl asking him to choose from a tray of souvenirs.
Young children sell fruit and trinkets to foreigners on Cambodia's beaches
Another, an Englishman, hid his face and shouted at us while we filmed near to him.
"When Westerners come to a place like this they are going to be very welcome and looked up to and can easily become friends with a child's family," said Ms Eno.
"Westerners have money and all that gives them a massive advantage when they're trying to abuse a child."
At her centre Ms Eno and her Cambodian staff have helped protect and educate around 3,000 children since it opened in 2003.
"We try to give the kids choices and opportunities to have a more positive future so they can be independent," she said.
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Westerners have money and all that gives them a massive advantage when they're trying to abuse a child.
Maggie Eno, founder of M'Lop Tapang
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"Then they can live with their families again and get back to education and training."
M'Lop Tapang is supported and advised by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (Ceop), the UK's major child protection organisation.
Its chief executive Jim Gamble has just resigned after a row with the Home Secretary who wants to amalgamate Ceop with the new National Crime Agency.
He said Ceop's support of projects like M'Lop Tapang illustrated its unique role in law enforcement.
Mr Gamble told me: "We created the International Child Protection Network, a coalition of children's charities, local government, local police and Ceop where we work together on the ground.
"They feed us information and we provide them with training procedures, so we are helping teachers, social workers and non-profit charities like Maggie Eno's to be more effective."
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