Children in Cambodia

If you wander around the streets of Phnom Penh its not going to be long before you get stopped by children wanting you to take a photo. In areas frequented by tourists, almost always this will be followed by begging for money or food. If you're somewhere outside a tourist zone, a more common response is that they want to see themselves or their friends on the live preview and have a laugh.

As a child, one of the resounding messages I remember being taught is "do not accept presents from strangers". From a child protection perspective, the logic of this lesson is obvious.

Traveling the developing world I find it odd that so many tourists seem to think the rules are different. That its OK to give gifts of food, stationary, money or toys to children that they do not know and have no connection with. By their practices they're teaching the children that its good to ask for and accept gifts from strangers.

In countries such as Cambodia, the damage however is double - not only are the children put at risk, parents are given reason to send them into the streets to earn an income because children are often better at begging or selling products than their parents. For added effect, you will frequently see children carrying babies.

Resisting the urge to give to children can be tough. They are persistent and convincing, but if you really care about the interests of the child, don't give money or gifts to children, and don't buy goods that they're selling on the streets. If you want to purchase something, doing so from an adult is far better for the community in the long term.