The realities some people are forced to live in.

There I sat with two girls age 11 and 12 telling me with all the excitment they could have had over them being able to have a conversation i English about their past. They were sitting there talking in eachothers mouth they were so excited. The topic? Before CDCC, working at the garbage dump, the bad smell, not eating, picking garbage from 6 am til 5 pm, their father dying. All this they told me with a big smile on their face not realizing what an unnatural childhood that was just soo excited being able to tell me and me listening.

A boy decided to run away, apparently this isnt the first time it has happened. He is a quite irrational child. Nevertheless we were very worried. You should have seen him when he was brought back after three days. He hadnt had a shower during that time or a decent meal. Imagine a 13 year old boy looking exhausted from something else but say play football. Difficult huh?

A little boy is suffering from severe acute bronchitis, he tried to take part in our English class but had to leave when he was coughing up mucus on the floor. When I went to see how he was doing he was leaning towards one of the beds coughing and coughing. I sat down on the bed opposite and then I sat there for about half an hour listening to him coughing literally hanging on me for support with tears in his eyes from all the coughing. Then all of a sudden it was as if he had had enough cause he just stod up and looked at me and said, Study English? and then he started coughing again. Yes, children do get sick and yes, children are capable of managing but it still hurts to see one of those kids who always has a smile on their face clinging on to you for support.


You'd be blown away if you ever came to Cambodia. I'm here, trying to cope.