Siem Reap Orphanage Visit Feb 7

It is amazing the beauty that can be found along a simple dirt road.

Today my driver is taking me to an orphanage but he wanted to stop at a Buddhist temple first because it had some history of the killing fields. It was a worthwhile stop.

Here is a little temple that was in front of the main temple. It contains the bones and skulls of people who died on the killing fields. There was a display of faded photos also.

The orphanage I went to was one of the sites of the Poor, Street Children and Orphans Training Centers which is a division of PACDOC, Preahatit Community Development Organization of Cambodia. They are a non-profit NGO.


Here is the entrance to the site.

When I went in the school all the children ran in also and grabbed a seat. They are so eager for an interaction. They performed about four songs for me.


I talked about Canada and showed them where I was from on the map. I wasn't prepared that they might expect me to teach them.


Instead we played some games outside.

They are in the process of building a new orphanage across the road and this will be the new school.

This is the front of the existing orphanage.

Some bags that the children have been weaving to earn money.

The factory where they make another type of bag, shown below. A lot of stuff in the markets has been made by children or is sold by children.

Here is lunch cooking in the kitchen.

They didn't tell me about this urn. It is either for water for washing your body, cloths or dishes.

A wall mural made by the kids.






This baby looks happy now compared to the looks she was giving when I was closer. She was trying to write in her book and I was disturbing her.



Here we have a communal louse picking session.

Don't know where she got these flowers.

The older kids coming home from a real school for lunch.

Group photo with staff in the back.

It was poor conditions and yet they are giving a chance at a life to those who would have had none. Some are orphans, some from poor single parent families and some are kids they have retrieved from traffickers who intended to sell them to beg in another country.

One never knows if kids begging on the street have been stolen and sold to do that. There are so many things which just aren't what they appear. As a matter of fact, an orphanage could be used as a front to rake in donations. I'm not saying this one is but I'm not saying I know that it isn't either. They have people coming by everyday giving money and gifts who don't check out a thing.

Anyway, there does appear to be a need for aid here in the form of manpower, materials, money and food. I would seriously recommend a healthy business check before making a major commitment though.