The Stung Meanchey Dumpsite that is located at Stung Meanchey, just outside Phnom Penh. It is also known as Smoky Mountain of Cambodia. The environment there is quite different from Singapore. At there, you can find the workplace, the playground and the home to families. Everyday, several hundred people scavage through Phnom Penh daily refuse. Most of them are looking for recyclable materials which they turn in at a amall recycling businesses earning themselves an average daily income of about 2000 Cambodian riels ( US 50 cents ). Due to this, many of the workers come to work here to escape the crushing poverty and malnourishment found in several of the rural Cambodia. There have been complains made to the government of Cambodia, informing them of the horrible situation. A spokesperson for the Cambodian government was qouted as saying " but locking people out of the dump means denying them work and wages... not allowing them to work could mean endangering their lives". The people there include teenagers and young children.
As you can see, the people there are poor. Some of them did not wear clothes and even if they do, their clothes were dirty.
There were many waste at the dumpsite. Some even formed a hill. The waste include plastic, metal, paper, rotting food and miscellany. However, hazards such as hypodermic needles can be spotted there.
At there, you can also spot a school as named above. It is one of the groups that provide assistance. It is founded in 1994. It is located at
#25A, St. 118, Sangkat Phsar Depo III, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Their main activities are children's rights awareness, providing assistance to child scavengers at Stung Meanchey, which include first aid and literacy education, and protection of child domestic workers. It is a place where Cambodian children play as they wait for the arrival of humanitarian workers.
The children there are being taken care of.
Here are some photos of the children:
Other Information:
The Stung Meanchey Dumpsite is located at industrial neighbourhood on the southwestern outskirts of Phnom Penh. The Vulnerable Children Assistance Organization is located at #25A, St. 118, Sangkat Phsar Depo III, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
You may contact Vulnerable Children Assistance Organization by calling Mr Chea Pyden at (+855) 23 884 722.
Both of the places is free of charge and is accessible anytime except at night.
If you looking for another place of interest nearby, it is the Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek.
We hope you visit these place!
Be AMAZE by their hardwork and give them a helping hand!
Done by: Alfiean, Crystal, Stephanie and Shobana.
