Part 2
"TEARS FOR CAMBODIA"
Produced by BLACKSMITH PRODUCTIONS
Cambodians are great people, they are nice, friendly and humble, but face many problems of poverty.
Emerging from three decades of brutal civil warfare, genocide, and virtual elimination of its skilled workforce during the reign of POL POT, Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in the world where an estimated 36% of the population lives below the basic poverty line, remains one of the least developed countries in Asia.
Cambodia still faces a huge task of reclaiming productive land and clearing millions of land mines laid during decades of conflicts.Because of a lack of education and skills training, people have inadequate employment opportunities and low capabilities.The gap between the rich and the poor and rural and urban areas is increasing rapidly.
Located in southern Phnom Penh. lies Stueng Mean Chey municipal waste dumpwhere 700 tons of garbage collected from Phnom Pehn's streets is disposed.
This mountain of urban waste sprawling over 6 hectares , where household, industrial, medical and other hazardous waste is dumped, is flanked by private property where rubbish pickers build homes and are charged extortionate rents by landowners.
About 10,000 people live in the slum that borders Stueng Mean Chey.
Tourists pass through Banteay Stueng, some unaware that a kilometer off the main road every day hundreds of the poorest of the poor, including many small children as young as 4 often risk their lives scavenging through stinking rotting,soggy garbage, dogging heavy trucks and rambling bull dozers,searching for recyclable materials, tin-cans, plastic bags, and glass bottles, anything of value earning themselves about (US 50 cents) per day.
Digging garbage is a daily fight for survival , but they will not give up on life.
Several children are killed at Stung Mean- Chey every year, usually as a result of a truck backing over them.
Garbage pickers have to use the waste dump as a toilet as there is no were else for them to go.
With lack of any sanitation diseases are easily spread, dire a epidemics are common,and is the number one killer of children.
Cambodia has one of the highest infant mortality rate in South East Asia,one baby in 1000 will die.
Many children are forced into child labor at an early age working extremely long hours in sweltering heat , filth and flies just to make enough money to help support their families.
They have no hope of education, because they can't afford to pay the teachers.. or buy books.
Orphans who have lost their parents to AIDS, and a banded children are vulnerable to drugs, prostitution, and extortion.
Poverty drives parents to sell their children or themselves on the streets.
Some parents sell their children as young as 5 for less than $10 to buy food,and provide some economic security for their family... many will die of AIDS.
20 percent of Cambodia's female sex workers are HIV-positive .
90% of street children use drugs .....
Malnutrition at the dump is endemic through lack of proper nutrition, and children often in desperation eat old food found amongst the garbage.
It' survival, this is reality! ..... It's easier to ignore those that make us uncomfortable.
Each one of them is an individual, have their name, personal feeling,dignity and story......
They suffer just because they were born in the wrong place.Health, level of education, and quality of life must be improved.
Education , opportunity and encouragement with a little push is what they need.
With education and skills training, people have adequate employment opportunities, high capabilities and self esteem , leading Cambodia and themselves into a better future.
Each of us can make a difference , image what it would mean to realize their hopes and dreams becoming reality....
With your support they can have an education, and gain skills that gives them light to escape from poverty.
Produced by BLACKSMITH PRODUCTIONS
Cambodians are great people, they are nice, friendly and humble, but face many problems of poverty.
Emerging from three decades of brutal civil warfare, genocide, and virtual elimination of its skilled workforce during the reign of POL POT, Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in the world where an estimated 36% of the population lives below the basic poverty line, remains one of the least developed countries in Asia.
Cambodia still faces a huge task of reclaiming productive land and clearing millions of land mines laid during decades of conflicts.Because of a lack of education and skills training, people have inadequate employment opportunities and low capabilities.The gap between the rich and the poor and rural and urban areas is increasing rapidly.
Located in southern Phnom Penh. lies Stueng Mean Chey municipal waste dumpwhere 700 tons of garbage collected from Phnom Pehn's streets is disposed.
This mountain of urban waste sprawling over 6 hectares , where household, industrial, medical and other hazardous waste is dumped, is flanked by private property where rubbish pickers build homes and are charged extortionate rents by landowners.
About 10,000 people live in the slum that borders Stueng Mean Chey.
Tourists pass through Banteay Stueng, some unaware that a kilometer off the main road every day hundreds of the poorest of the poor, including many small children as young as 4 often risk their lives scavenging through stinking rotting,soggy garbage, dogging heavy trucks and rambling bull dozers,searching for recyclable materials, tin-cans, plastic bags, and glass bottles, anything of value earning themselves about (US 50 cents) per day.
Digging garbage is a daily fight for survival , but they will not give up on life.
Several children are killed at Stung Mean- Chey every year, usually as a result of a truck backing over them.
Garbage pickers have to use the waste dump as a toilet as there is no were else for them to go.
With lack of any sanitation diseases are easily spread, dire a epidemics are common,and is the number one killer of children.
Cambodia has one of the highest infant mortality rate in South East Asia,one baby in 1000 will die.
Many children are forced into child labor at an early age working extremely long hours in sweltering heat , filth and flies just to make enough money to help support their families.
They have no hope of education, because they can't afford to pay the teachers.. or buy books.
Orphans who have lost their parents to AIDS, and a banded children are vulnerable to drugs, prostitution, and extortion.
Poverty drives parents to sell their children or themselves on the streets.
Some parents sell their children as young as 5 for less than $10 to buy food,and provide some economic security for their family... many will die of AIDS.
20 percent of Cambodia's female sex workers are HIV-positive .
90% of street children use drugs .....
Malnutrition at the dump is endemic through lack of proper nutrition, and children often in desperation eat old food found amongst the garbage.
It' survival, this is reality! ..... It's easier to ignore those that make us uncomfortable.
Each one of them is an individual, have their name, personal feeling,dignity and story......
They suffer just because they were born in the wrong place.Health, level of education, and quality of life must be improved.
Education , opportunity and encouragement with a little push is what they need.
With education and skills training, people have adequate employment opportunities, high capabilities and self esteem , leading Cambodia and themselves into a better future.
Each of us can make a difference , image what it would mean to realize their hopes and dreams becoming reality....
With your support they can have an education, and gain skills that gives them light to escape from poverty.
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