Steung Meanchey:Phnom Penh,Cambodia’s city dump

Steung Meanchey: Phnom Penh, Cambodias city dump.   

Also the residence of 600+ men,women & children..

We armed ourselves with: 

6 cases of water

5 kilos of bananas

5 kilos of oranges

Bread

Noodles

10 childrens t-shirts    

Our tuk-tuk pulled in slowly and immediately the air filled with thick gagging-gray smoke.  The garbage burns from within and there is literally small fires, like polka dots all over the entire dump. At first we see a couple of children running around, a closer look towards a small hill reveals hundreds of people lined up at a huge blue truck. Within seconds of stopping a few people noticed and ran to us. Within one minute half the line that was up on the hill cleared and surrounded the tuk-tuk.

In our seats hands grabbed at us from all directions pulling on our shirts, legs and bags. After the unexpected scene change we quickly gathered our wits and handed out food and water to 100+ people coming from all directions, kids were climbing over the back of the tuk- tuk to get stuff screaming “one more,one more.” Mothers and fathers with small babies strapped to them held out there hands asking only with there eyes. Intense and desperate was the atmosphere for 6 straight minutes untill we were left breathless with wrappers, and orange peels. The people cleared back to the formed line at the blue truck. We were finally able to get out of the tuk-tuk and see what was going on. I headed straight for the crowd. I heard english words kindly yelling “don’t push,stay in line.”

Then, words I will never forget an older man in surgical gloves and a khaki colored pant & trouser combo frantically screamed “where are they? where is the man with the norwegian scabies and the women with the dying baby? I need to find them right now!” he was searching each face in the 20 ft line. I stood there in a trance, in the middle of hundreds of people waiting in line for food, I stood shocked,hurt and angry with a digital camera. I ran to follow the doctor screaming “what’s happening?” in one sharp quick breath he replied “a child is about to die, I need your tuk-tuk NOW.I have to get to my med station.”  He then asked sighing ” will you be ok till I come back?” Stone-faced, trying to process the words I nodded, he was already gone.

The people in the blue truck volunteered 3 times a week bringing fresh fruits and vegtables while simultaneously setting up a make shift med station to wash and bandage children’s bare bloody feet.One of the volunteers, a man from Denmark has worked at the dump for 2 years he spends his life raising money to help desperate situations all over the world. He saw my bewildered stare when the doctor left in our tuk-tuk and offered to show us around and explain it all.

 

There’s 3 main parts of Steung Meanchey. The left side is the dumps shantytown, tent like structures made from old rugs umbrellas and tarps called “home”. The middle area is an access path for the garbage trucks. The right side is where the fresh trash gets piled up and people anxiously wait with empty rice bags and sharp hand hooks battling for first pick.

The area is at least five football fields worth of uneven mountains of rumbling trash.Every step forced heat through my sandals burning my feet. I liked the burn.I felt lucky to have shoes. The children around me were barefoot walking unconsciously over glass and dirty needles, living, working, and eating in a scenery of what we know only to be garbage.

 

I’m helpless. I hate knowing that some people consider the dump a step up from there rural countryside lives they leave behind to come to the city in hopes of a “better life” eating and finding valuables amongst the rubble. They are happy to be doing better.  

I ended the day releasing sad energy shooting a German M5 at the local range and got to play with all sorts of guns, an uzi and my personal favorite an ak-47. I wasn’t half bad, the target read I hit 10 out of 30 shots and some even close to the center of the target.

This morning started off with taking Chanty and her friend Paula to the National Museum & teaching them about digital cameras, encouraging them to roam free with there inspiration.(Chanty learned quick, see pink lotus left) We picked them up a couple of kids books on the way out and filled there bellies with (G Dbl oo D)noodles and coconut juice.    

The girls had to go to work it was nearly 2pm,so back to our street to drop them off, before we headed to the dump.

Phnom Penh,Cambodia:CHANTY

Chanty is an 8yr old girl who sells books on the streets of Phnom Penh,Cambodia.

Everyday after a two hour morning of school, she spends from 2 to 8 pm earliest selling books along with at least 15 other children.If she sells 3 she can return home at 8pm if not she is to remain selling until 10pm.

I bought a few my first day here and wondered who, what, where & how…

We played yesterday for a couple hours and I asked her lots of questions about herself and her life!! I asked if tomorrow (today) she would want to go to the market with us to explore,she said yes and we met today at 11am .

She decided she would bring 4 of her friends along which was very cute so Kir, Tammy me and the 4 children set out on a tuk tuk to the central market.We FILLED up on yummy fresh sweet fruit and fried treats for our 2 hr adventure. We bought the kids there favorite, a bag full of fried maggots and bags of fruit juice.

We had an experience not to be forgot. Looking around at all the crazy fish,lobsters,crabs,and other unknown sea creatures used as a food source. It was lovely  having the children with us, they easily translated khmer to english for us letting us ask & get answers to way more questions. All of which always started with “What’s this?” and always ending with a laugh and a perfect answer.

Our fun ended when the children had to go to work, and we caught a tuk tuk back to the area we stayed.Instead of being dropped off in our normal spot Chanty asked if I wanted to meet her mom? “of course” I answered.

I was able to gain valuable insite into her living area, her reason for selling books, where she gets them from, & how much the profit from each is. I am sure everyone wonders as they see these 8 yr old kids carrying around baskets adorned with a krama scarfs as a handle thats either slung around there neck, shoulder, or back and lugged around with 10 to 20 books in it. 7 days a week 6 to 8 hours a day.

Well not today! I decided if I wanted to undersand her then I needed to know first hand.

Today was her day off, she most joyfully directed me around from 2 to 7pm.  Today I sold books for 3$ to each and every non cambodian/african I saw (Chantys rules) I ate when & what she ate, I rested when she rested and I worked how she said to. We drank wintermelon sodas & munched on small spicy clams, sold on the same tin lined carts that they are cooked on sold by the bagfuls for 1,000 riel (25 cents) to the locals. (everyone snags handfuls as they walk by)

We are done early today as I bought a book and paid a 2 weeks salary of 20$ for it so she could go home early..

Now, I can barely type this and need to sleep, i’m sore and tired…

Now imagine your 8yrs old and you do this everyday 7days a week. This is Chanty's world.

As I close this I hear that cute little voice yell CCccccc its Chanty and she has come back to play before bed she is in play clothes and on her bike with her 3 friends!!!

Maybe i’ll stay awake a little longer!!!

Tomorrow we will explore some more of the city as we put it off today.

☆Below is the video I made when I returned home in February 09☆