Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

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Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

A Cambodian student is preparing a documentary on what it's like to be a child of migrant parents, and the wider impact of migration on the community. The film is set in Siem Reap where over 7 per cent of the province’s populations are known to have migrated inside the country and about 5 per cent are known to have migrated internationally, according to the 2014 Commune Database.

“PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME!”
Parents leave to earn money, while children are at home crying. Is it a tragedy or dilemma? Does migration become the hope or the secret weapon killing children’s life?

This is a thesis graduated documentary film about a young Cambodian girl in a rural area of Siem Reap province, Cambodia, whose mother migrated to work in Thailand and left her behind with her old grandmother since she was 6 years old.

Net Niyanich or Srey Nich (nick name), 12 years old, a daughter of a widow migrant mother, is now living with her old grandparents in Prey Jruk Commune, Puk District, Siem Reap province. Nich is a smart girl, but she becomes emotional when talking about her parents. Since her father passed away 6 years ago due to a traffic accident, her family situation started to get worse day by day. By having no choice, Srey Nich’s mother decided to migrate to Thailand by leaving Srey Nich and her other two younger siblings with her grandparents. Since then, Srey Nich rarely meets her mother, and her life depends on her grandparents.

Srey Nich has only the simple wish to stay together with her mom here in Cambodia, work hard and fight all the problems together. This wish is not only just Srey Nich’s wish but also the wish of other children that are left behind by their parents in Cambodia as well.
Image
My name is Sorn Chhorvyatey. I am currently a fourth year student at the Department of Media and Communication in the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. I’m a producer/ director of the student documentary film “PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME!”, which focuses on the impact of parents’ migration on left-behind-children.
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explorer
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by explorer »

It is important to present a balanced view.

Many children living with their grandmother or grandparents, while their parents work away, are happy. That is provided they are loved by their grandparents, they know their parents love them, they are well looked after, and get a good education. They are not happy when they are not loved, not treated well, or don't have a good life, often because they are very poor.

There is one village I have visited a number of times, where a large proportion of children live with their grandparents, while their parents work away. The children are well looked after, get a good education, and are happy. However, I asked one girl, whose parents work in PP, where she would be happier, in the village or PP. She said she would be happier in PP with her parents. She thinks, when she finishes high school, she will go to university in PP, and live with her parents.

When I have met children who live with someone else, such as an uncle, because their parents have died or remarried, I have asked them if they are happy. Then I have asked them why. If they say they are not happy, they say it is because there is no love. If they say they are happy, they say it is because there is love.

It is important to be solution orientated. What can be done to improve the situation? The solution is difficult. It is no good if the parents stay in the village with the children, but are so poor the children do not have enough to eat. Many are actually better off with their parents working away and sending money.

There are also children from poor families living with better-off families, sometimes relatives, sometimes not related. In many cases, the children of the better-off families get a good education, while the child from the poor family does not get a good education, and is treated like a servant. Some girls in this situation are sold.

Another idea for a film is the children who are abandoned when their parents get remarried. In many cases they are worse off than the ones whose parents work away.

There is one girl. whose mother died when she was young. Her father left her with her aunt, got remarried, and moved away with his new wife. He has never been back to visit his daughter. He has visited friends who live nearby, but never his daughter. They are extremely poor. She has relied on clothes handed down when neighbors children grow out of them. Sometimes neighbors have given them food. My heart goes out to her, and there are some good people in that town, who are good to her. I plan to ensure she has enough money to get a good education, even through university, so she has a good life. Kind of, make up for what her parents don't do for her. Most of the very poor really appreciate it when you care about them. For example, I bought her a bicycle, and she really appreciates it.

There are girls living on the streets of PP who have been completely abandoned when their mother has remarried. Usually males tell them they love them. They start out begging, and finish up working as prostitutes.

Another idea for a film is girls being bought and sold. Many girls are bought and sold around the age of 14. That is when they are old enough to to work as a servant (or prostitute). I know of one girl who was sold at the age of 2 or 3. Her parents went to a casino and lost all of their money. So they sold their daughter. Very sad.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by explorer »

When you spend time in a poor village, you begin to realize how poor people are, and that most of the people in the village are poor. There are families who cannot buy shoes for their children. There are houses where rain comes through the roof and wind comes through the walls. There are people who grow up hungry.

Because most of the people in the village are poor, people cannot make a significant amount of money from other people in the village.

The only way to make money is to produce something which can be sold in another place, or go and work in another place.

This is the dilemma many people face.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by Duncan »

explorer wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:03 pm When you spend time in a poor village, you begin to realize how poor people are, and that most of the people in the village are poor. There are families who cannot buy shoes for their children. There are houses where rain comes through the roof and wind comes through the walls. There are people who grow up hungry.

Because most of the people in the village are poor, people cannot make a significant amount of money from other people in the village.

The only way to make money is to produce something which can be sold in another place, or go and work in another place.

This is the dilemma many people face.



Today I spent a few hour visiting a family in a village and it reminded why some people are poor and will stay poor. Nothing was clean, dirty plates, food and rubbish on the floor and ground, with hoards of fly's spreading bacteria and kids that were sick needing medicines.
The $20 I gave them is just a waste of money cause next week they will be back in the same situation.

I'm convinced the only way forward in cases like this is in education, especially starting with everyday living and hygiene .
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by that genius »

Yup, but better to play endless karaoke on TV.
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by explorer »

"I'm convinced the only way forward in cases like this is in education, especially starting with everyday living and hygiene ."

I think we all agree.

Next time give your money to help with education.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by Beerinthemorning »

[quote=Duncan post_id=239961 time=1523968518 user_id=326]
[quote=explorer post_id=239952 time=1523966580 user_id=11433]
When you spend time in a poor village, you begin to realize how poor people are, and that most of the people in the village are poor. There are families who cannot buy shoes for their children. There are houses where rain comes through the roof and wind comes through the walls. There are people who grow up hungry.

Because most of the people in the village are poor, people cannot make a significant amount of money from other people in the village.

The only way to make money is to produce something which can be sold in another place, or go and work in another place.

This is the dilemma many people face.
[/quote]


Today I spent a few hour visiting a family in a village and it reminded why some people are poor and will stay poor. Nothing was clean, dirty plates, food and rubbish on the floor and ground, with hoards of fly's spreading bacteria and kids that were sick needing medicines.
The $20 I gave them is just a waste of money cause next week they will be back in the same situation.

I'm convinced the only way forward in cases like this is in education, especially starting with everyday living and hygiene .
[/quote]

I live with chinese and indians here in australia they live in dirty condition, dont wash plates and leave rotting food out , it the world in 2018, over run woth third worlders and dirty people.
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by frank lee bent »

I live with chinese and indians here in australia they live in dirty condition, dont wash plates and leave rotting food out , it the world in 2018, over run woth third worlders and dirty people.
why do you do that?
i thought you were a pacific peso millionaire?
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by Beerinthemorning »

frank lee bent wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:09 am
I live with chinese and indians here in australia they live in dirty condition, dont wash plates and leave rotting food out , it the world in 2018, over run woth third worlders and dirty people.
why do you do that?
i thought you were a pacific peso millionaire?
oz is expensive
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Re: Raising money for Cambodian social documentary on migrants' left-behind children

Post by frank lee bent »

it certainly is. i can't afford it anymore, though i love living in the bush= 20 years of winters at Lightning Ridge. luckily i have dual nationality
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