So why were these children in the streets collecting Coke cans when they were supposed to be in school? I thought I had an answer.
I've just come back from Bangkok (Provincial House) asking to volunteer for the Battambang project where we run a small literacy center for children of brick workers.
I reasoned out that if these kids would not be taught to read and write, they would not be able to join in the educational mainstream.
Consequently, they would become our future street kids.
I thought that this small work in Battambang (around 200 kms from Phnom Penh) could be a potential solution to the street children problem because it tries to solve the problem at its very roots - PREVENTION!
To cut the story short, my request was not granted. In computer language - Access denied!
It seems to me that our politics (religious policies like: not staying apart from the community, no independent lifestyle, etc) would rather have them turn into street children first so that we can come up with works (institutions) for the street children later.
I'm not complaining, just asking?