Comments on: The Children of Cambodia

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 12:45:13 +0000

In reply to Whitney. And I bet the kiddos loved them just as much :) Well, now that I think back to the times we tried giving out healthy Halloween treats, maybe that's not true ha ha...

By: Whitney

Whitney — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 04:10:28 +0000

We handed out toothbrushes to the children in the countryside. My husband is a dentist, and we fully agree about not giving the children candy.

By: 50 Inspiring Travel Bloggers - South East Asia Backpacker

50 Inspiring Travel Bloggers - South East Asia Backpacker — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 04:42:04 +0000

[…] Must read post: The children of Cambodia […]

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 07:16:09 +0000

In reply to Daab. Hey Daab. Actually, I'd do a bit of research on that. Most local NGOs explicitly recommend not to give money or gifts to these children for a variety of reasons.

By: Daab

Daab — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 02:51:38 +0000

In reply to Glenn.

True Glenn…

Better to give the money to the kids at the entry of the temples…

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 19:44:33 +0000

In reply to Glenn.

Hey Glen, you definitely have made me stop to think. The issue of whether or not we need permission to take a photo, and what constitutes that permission (a signed waiver versus a gesture towards a camera and a nod in response, for example), and to publish said photo, is a complex one.

However, in defense of this post, I certainly did not publish this post to “get money” from my blog. At the time I wrote it I was barely making a dime off my site. Also, while I realize there are different theories on how you can be a responsible tourist in Cambodia, the overwhelming majority agree that buying from adults causes the least harm, which I agree with and is what I promote here.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:53:31 +0000

It’s also explosive when tourists from wealthy countries come to Cambodia and take picture of the kids and post them online without the families permission- all so they can get money from their blog! These are human beings not animals in a zoo.
And in fact the Moon Guide book to Cambodia recommends buying post cards from the kids at the temples, rather than a shop, to bring money to the local villages.
Please take these pictures of the children down. You have no right to post them.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 20:47:02 +0000

In reply to JONtotheworld. They are indeed insanely effective salespeople -- they could probably lead seminars for used car salesmen in North America :) Thanks for chiming in.

By: JONtotheworld

JONtotheworld — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:35:28 +0000

I am guilty. I gave in to one of the child vendors when I was in Cambodia.

I thought living in the third-world country, seeing child vendors is just normal to me. But Cambodian kids gave me a different perspective.

They’re feisty and irresistible. And they’re really good in sales.

You’ve got a thought-provoking post. 🙂

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:48:05 +0000

In reply to Marieke Hensel. Hey Marieke, thanks for your comment! But we may have to agree to disagree. I stand by what I wrote here, and while I am happy I was able to provide some alternatives, I think the "What Not To Do" are in fact the most important ones. Good intentions are simply not enough, and we can do damage even when it is in our hearts to do the opposite.