ABSTRACT

This paper examines the lived experiences of children who interacted with tourists in a performance-based orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The orphanage was perceived by poor Cambodians as the only opportunity for their children to access food and education and a place to care for children when parents migrated for work. In recent years, however, orphanages in the majority world have come under increasing international pressure because many are associated with children’s rights abuses. As a result, the Cambodian Government committed to closing many orphanages and reintegrating 30 per cent of institutionalised children back into their family’s care. The children’s narratives were collected through child-focused participatory research. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the children’s lives, their aspirations and the extent to which the orphanage provided for their rights and human development. The findings are pertinent for other communities and organisations advocating children’s rights-based development and educational initiatives.

摘要

本文考察了柬埔寨暹粒市一家以表演为基础的孤儿院中与游客互动的儿童的生活经历。贫困的柬埔寨人认为孤儿院是他们的孩子获得食物和教育的唯一机会，也是父母外出工作时照顾孩子的地方。然而，近年来，大多数世界的孤儿院受到越来越大的国际压力，因为许多孤儿院与侵犯儿童权利有关。因此，柬埔寨政府承诺关闭许多孤儿院，并使 30% 的收容机构儿童重新融入家人的照顾。儿童的叙述是通过以儿童为中心的参与式研究收集的。调查结果提供了对儿童生活的更深入了解，他们的愿望以及孤儿院为他们的权利和人类发展提供的程度。调查结果与其他倡导基于儿童权利的发展和教育举措的社区和组织有关。