Analytical report on Cambodian Children’s Dream (2012)

Analytical report on Cambodian Children’s Dream (2012)

In our recent study on Cambodian Children’s Dream and what they want for life, we have surveyed 281 Cambodian Children in 7 Child Care Centers in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap respectively. Among the interviewed children, they were 54.3% female and 45.7% male aged between 2 years old and 22 years old, and average age is 11 years old. We have found out that 66.8% of them are non-orphan, meaning that they have parents and 5% of them are from single parent family, mostly live with mothers, another 33.2% are orphans, living in the child care centers. The children were sent by their parents to the center due to poverty as their parents could not afford raising them. Second reason of sending the children to these childcare centers would ensure the kids be taken care of since these centers provides three meals and education.

The childcare centers participated in the interview are: Chay’s Children Home, ACODO Farm, Sunrise Children’s Home, Di-Al Social Care Foundation, Khna Thmey Center, Angkor Orphan Organization and Cambodian Development Organization.

Question 1: What do you want for your life?

From the pie chart above, we learnt that 19% of these children were keen to go to school, equip themselves with knowledge, followed by 17% of them who wished to own a car and 15% of children wants a bicycle respectively. Then, 9% of kids expressed themselves to own a big house or a land for house, and followed by 6% wanted to leave their country or travel abroad. The rest of the children wanted to own motorcycle, clothes and shoes, books, money and others such as needed a pair of glasses to improve their vision to learn, find their parents, or be away from their family.

In this study, we found that these Cambodian children have already realized the importance of education. They could only be employed or well-functioned if they are equipped with knowledge. They indicated that being able to speak Khmer, English, French or Chinese is an advantage for them in business world. Since they are living in the rural area, about 1.5km to 2km away from town, they wish that they could own a vehicle for them to go to school or work that includes car, motorcycle and bicycle. Next, owing to poverty, the kids are living in a relatively small and crowded house/center, therefore they dreamed to own a land to build big house. The kids merely have money to spend on entertainment, but they are keen to have clothes and shoes to wear, to have toys and dolls and books in their childhood time. The items recorded were very basic, and realistic- they need education, transportation, clothes, shelter and money.

Question 2: What is your dream occupation?

In the pie chart 2.0, we asked the Cambodian children from the childcare centers for their dream occupations. Among the 280 feedbacks, we found that 26% of them want to be a teacher and 25% of them want to be a doctor. The dream list is followed by 13% of them want to work in corporate such as bank, hotel or factory, and then 9% want to be a nurse. They are a few dreamed to be tour guide, pilot, engineer, singer, chef and so on.

The children choose the educational path because they realized that knowledge transfer would bring great changes to their community- a gate that leads to better living. Some of the children want to be English teacher, Khmer language teacher and teacher that teach information and technology. Besides that, since the poor are suffered from the lack of healthcare supervision, these children hope to work in the medical care line such as becoming a doctor or a nurse in order to improve the community’s health status. The poverty in this country is a factor that drives her people to work harder to improve their life- so the kids wish to work in corporate company, some with to start-up with small business to generate income. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are places that attract tourists from the Europe and Asia region, therefore there are a few respondents wish to be a tour guide too.

Overall, the dream lists of the children we have met are very basic and realistic. They have shown their concern towards education, healthcare, development and others to ensure a sustainable livelihood. In conclusion, the Cambodian children look for basic necessary items provision such as education, healthcare system, job opportunity and shelter. Therefore, the governments, non-governmental organizations, individuals such as volunteers are welcome to study in depth on strategies to improve the living of these Cambodian families and children.

Prepared by

Choy Kim Lee

Executive Secretary

Malaysia Smile Action Team Association