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Cambodia, home to 13 million people, has seen more the 600 orphanages open over the last decade – many of these were corrupt and have since been closed. The Daily Advertiser journalist Olivia Shying talks to a Wagga woman who has dropped everything to help children in dire need.
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SWELTERING in the Cambodian heat, Chloe Flanagan is surrounded by people riding motorcycles.
She’s in Phnom Penh, home to around 2.2 million people.
The city, which still harbours pain from the relatively recent devastation caused by the Khmer Rogue, houses grand elaborate buildings – temples decorated with gold. Drive down the main boulevard and you could mistake it for Paris – but there are two sides to every story, and Phnom Penh harbours some dark secrets.
Millions of young children are exploited in Cambodia every year.
Children as young as three will haggle westerners in the street, trying to sell bracelets. Tourists are discouraged from buying them, because if they are successful these children will never end up in school.
Until a few years ago, Chloe was a Wagga beauty therapist, comfortable in the town she grew up in – but Chloe wanted more.
She purchased a one-way ticket to Asia and volunteered for three months at a Cambodian orphanage. What she saw shocked her into action.
The 25-year-old worked with a number of young people who were under the care of an orphanage “mother” who eventually neglected them.
Government action forced the closure of many orphanages late last year – many of the children had families to return to – but for the ones who were left, the situation was not great.
In the past decade around 600 orphanages have been established in Cambodia.
“About 77 per cent of these children have parents or they are rented from their parents for the day,” Chloe said.
“Often in these institutions the children are kept in deliberately poor conditions so the managers get more money from the generous, misled western tourists.”
Chloe left the orphanage and moved to Laos.
“I had moved to Laos when I got an urgent and distressed call from 22-year-old SreyOn.”
SreyOn had been at the home Chloe had initially worked at. She found herself on the street, on the run from her former orphanage “mother” who still attempts to track her down, hassle her and intimidate her.
“She has polio and wears a full leg brace, she still has parents but she is from a small rural village one-and-half hours out of Phnom Penh and there are no opportunities for her there.
“Her parents sent her to live at the orphanage so she could study.”
Chloe said many poor, uneducated parents sent their children to “orphanages” under the false impression that they would be better off there.
“About 77 per cent of the kids have parents but they are from very poor families,” Chloe said.
SreyOn was left with nine other children, with nowhere to stay, no money for food and little mobility.
Chloe realised she had to do something.
“SreyOn is quite innocent – they had no clothes and I just knew I had to go,” Chloe said.
“When I got there SreyOn had lost about 15 kilograms and was so distressed.”
The nine children and SreyOn had been living in an apartment paid for by a kindly Singaporean woman.
“They were living in fear,” Chloe said.
Chloe organised accommodation and set up a small children’s orphanage under the international umbrella organisation – Bethel.
Bethel Children’s Home Cambodia was born.
Chloe, fiercely protective of the young children, sees the home as a family.
She is the founder and director of the home.
“They are like brothers and sisters,” Chloe said.
SreyOn is the orphanage manager – she has chosen to take on the responsibility of the children because she knows what it is like to be in the same situation.
Chloe is all too aware of the dangers of voluntourism and does not want the children in her care subjected to the well-meaning but prying eye of a constant flow of tourists.
“Their situation was pretty dire,” Chloe said.
Chloe said adult literacy rates are less than 70 per cent. Less the 60 per cent of the population have adequate access to clean drinking water.
Data suggests around 22 per cent of Cambodians live on less than US$1.25 per day.
Chloe is determined to help the children in her care gain the opportunity to have a better life.
English classes are compulsory and young children from neighbouring schools often join to participate in the classes.
“I’m proud of them and I’m providing them with a home, I want them to have a brighter future,” Chloe said.
“It’s a home, not a zoo.”
Chloe was made all too aware of the dangers these children can face during a recent horrifying experience.
Two children – one a 12-year-old girl – were taken by their aunt and uncle and transported, illegally to Thailand to work.
“They were not taken to clean houses – they would’ve done sex work,” Chloe said.
“I was shocked at how desperate these people were for money that they would go to that extent.”
Chloe does not want the orphanage to become a large foundation where money will be spent on wages and infrastructure.
“(My vision) is that it will remain small and personal so all the donations will go directly into helping these people in their lives,” Chloe said.
The current aim of the foundation is to find sponsors for the family, to keep the children at school and to help young adults continue studies at university.
To find out more out donate with the Bethel Children’s Home of Cambodia facebook group.
SreyLik is a 12-year-old girl. She is the only girl and loves to help the youngest boy Chomrein. She loves to spend time with SreyOn – helping out around the house and learning.
Da is an 11-year-old boy. He is gentle, placid and diligent about his studies which he practices every night.
Lay is a 10-year-old boy who is kind, gentle and loves having cuddles.
Daro is a 10-year-old boy is more fiesty than the others. He loves play fighting. He is SreyLik’s brother.
Bo is a nine-year-old boy who has been in care since he was two. He is sweet, innocent and always happy.
Tola is a 10-year-old boy. Chloe decribes him as a “cheeky little monkey” who is very active and loves to climb all over people.
Chomrein is a five-year-old boy who Chloe describes as very special. He was brought to the orphanage by a ministry. He was found wandering the village alone and is severely mentally and physically disabled due to failed abortion attempts by his mother.
Donations to Bethel Children’s Home Cambodia can be made by sending money to Chloe Flanagan. BSB: 062600 Acc: 10347068