Selling Fruit - Reflection
As is the case with any touristy place you go in most of SE Asia, there were way too many little girls (avg age about 10) aggressively trying to get you to buy things from them at the spider town. I did buy fruit after talking to one girl for a while, but it is so sad how fast these kids grow up.
It makes me want to get to know them better and look forward to the next few days at the school even more. As we learn about development programs in Cambodia, I can't help to think about all the people that still aren't affected by the aid we are giving... but why it is important to help on a small scale if you can.
I should mentioned that one of the fellow members on my trip actually had a really bad experience with the kids that left her in tears. She went up to a few children who were singing and tried to say hello. When they asked for money and she didn't oblige, they suddenly changed their attitudes and became mean and aggressive. They said some awful things and snarled at her. She was bawling, and cried when she tried to explain the situation later, but one of the PEPY volunteers told us the same thing happened to her in Siem Riep. Another girl shot me nasty looks and said something (I assume was not nice) to the others and turned away, only to come back and give me more nasty looks when I didn't want to buy any pineapple. These kids can be aggressive, yes, but I think the mean looks are all part of a game they are taught. It's a survival skill. Maybe it does guilt-trip some people into buying something (the profit from which often goes to a "manager", not the kids, by the way) and the act is just exploiting their situation.
For many of these kids, there isn't an alternative to working. They should be in school, yes, but I learned in India (and know it applies elsewhere) that if you get a kid off the street, there isn't always a school for them to go to (this is hopefully where the Bike to School Program helps!!) and the money they are earning may be dinner for their family. The alternative of getting them out of a job like selling fruit may be something much worse.
There's some food - or fruit - for thought.
It makes me want to get to know them better and look forward to the next few days at the school even more. As we learn about development programs in Cambodia, I can't help to think about all the people that still aren't affected by the aid we are giving... but why it is important to help on a small scale if you can.
I should mentioned that one of the fellow members on my trip actually had a really bad experience with the kids that left her in tears. She went up to a few children who were singing and tried to say hello. When they asked for money and she didn't oblige, they suddenly changed their attitudes and became mean and aggressive. They said some awful things and snarled at her. She was bawling, and cried when she tried to explain the situation later, but one of the PEPY volunteers told us the same thing happened to her in Siem Riep. Another girl shot me nasty looks and said something (I assume was not nice) to the others and turned away, only to come back and give me more nasty looks when I didn't want to buy any pineapple. These kids can be aggressive, yes, but I think the mean looks are all part of a game they are taught. It's a survival skill. Maybe it does guilt-trip some people into buying something (the profit from which often goes to a "manager", not the kids, by the way) and the act is just exploiting their situation.
For many of these kids, there isn't an alternative to working. They should be in school, yes, but I learned in India (and know it applies elsewhere) that if you get a kid off the street, there isn't always a school for them to go to (this is hopefully where the Bike to School Program helps!!) and the money they are earning may be dinner for their family. The alternative of getting them out of a job like selling fruit may be something much worse.
There's some food - or fruit - for thought.
posted by Brenda Ann Elizabeth McKinney @ 1:44 PM
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