My thoughts and sentiments seem like rhetoric to me-of
course I cannot ‘save’ these girls, but I can love them like Christ. Even if
that means through a hug, a smile, and a craft project.
Which is what Casondra, Keet, and I did on Thursday morning.
It was the simplest of crafts, but what I have come to realize this year is
that people in all situations are in need of attention and love, regardless of
how it is demonstrated. So, today, we paid attention and loved the girls with making
a memory game that combined art and English, to connect with them and further
their language skills.
As I drew a star, a beach, a moon, and other simple objects,
this bizarre thought occurred to me: the 14-year old girl sitting to my right
used to dress to please men, tourists and locals alike. Now her wardrobe is
modest and it is not uncommon for her to wear pajamas all day long. When I was
14, I was, admittedly, nonplussed and unconcerned about looks and clothes. I
was a late bloomer when it came to such things, to be honest. I was more
concerned about my siblings, academic record, tennis serve, 2-mile track time,
and the Girl Scout troop I co-led. I didn’t worry about boys and especially not
men. At 14, I did not even know that
such atrocities existed for girls my age. Which, sadly, this girl knows far too
well.
But this is normal here. Ugh-“normal”-I don’t even know what
this word means anymore. The normal in Cambodia
is not the normal in the Philippines and the normal in the Philippines is not the normal in Australia, New
Zealand, and America. The normal here painfully
includes human trafficking just as the normal includes consumerism in the
States. What is worse, what is better? It all
disgusts me.
Which brings me to…
What did you know at 14?
Did you know that children your age were sold into slavery? Did you know that children your age were
taught how to seduce prospective clients?
Did you know that children your age lived on the streets, barely fed and
unsheltered? Did you know that an education
was nearly impossible for these young ones?
Did you know that lies were told to parents to sell their children? Did you know that your iPod could provide
enough food for 2 months here? Did you
know that what you ‘want’ and what you ‘need’ were not always compatible? Did you know that it is not a given to be
loved, sheltered, clothed, fed, and educated?
I certainly did not.
Now, at 24, after nearly 3 weeks in Cambodia, I am
beginning to.
