Because of poor regulation, many children work in the garment industr in this country, and the working conditions are, typically, very poor. In addition, the clothes sell for much higher prices than it takes to produce them, but the workers do not profit. The solution? International companies and consumers need to demand fair trade clothing. I was excited to see many fair trade cooperatives throughout Cambodia. I purchased a little Cambodian wallet that is made from banana leaves. Local women join the co-op and produce sustainable products in good working conditions. There are many co-ops in the larger cities.
In the smaller villages, one of the biggest problems is access to healthcare and education. In the village that we visited, most of the people worked as farmers. There were 400 families living in the village, and before 2018, there was no school. The families gave a small amount of money to a local teacher who taught the kids in her home. Now, there is a structure in place for kids to go to school, but kids in Cambodia do not get the same quality of education that kids get in wealthier countries. School in Cambodia only goes until 6th-grade. After that, children are expected to become farmers or fishermen and have little opportunities for other kinds of work. Many students start working at a young age and don't even make it to 6th grade.
The biggest thing I took for granted as a kid was my education. I never loved school. It was hard work! In Canada, everyone had an education, so I didn't think it was that special to learn. If you have a good education in Cambodia, you are very lucky, because you have opportunities to work, travel and communicate with people around the world.
