| Zoe
and Chor Meng: 8 days in Cambodia
August 1, 2001
Children snatching rubbish to eat, foreigners
using a slice of bread to lure street children into sex and helpless
families infected with AIDS… the 8 days spent in Cambodia reduced
Zoe Tay to tears and Chew Chor Meng to rage.
Translated by Kwok Kar Peng
Story by Lam Yen Fong
(Click on pictures for larger image)
Just mention
his trip to Cambodia, and Chor Meng will get too angry to speak.
Kit Chan speaks of her experience in Ethiopia.
 On
the night of July 28, World Vision 2001 ambassadors Zoe Tay and
Chew Chor Meng shared with the guests of 30 Hours Famine Concert,
their heart-wrenching encounters in their trip to Cambodia in early
July. In her recollection, Zoe was overwhelmed by sobs and publicly
broke down in tears.
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"I
was crying practically every moment of the trip. I saw children,
some only 3 or 4 years old, begging on the streets because their
mothers are unable to bring them up. Some parents even sold their
children to prostitution; it is very pitiful…" Zoe recounted.
World Vision
set up a children centre there, providing free food and accommodation
and teaching these children a skill for life.
 "These
3 or 4 years old children have simple aspirations, which is to be
with their parents. When I saw situations like these, I couldn't
control myself and just kept crying… When we visited the AIDS
patients…" At this point, Zoe choked and her eyes gleamed
with hot tears.
Unable to continue, she turned her back to the
audience to wipe away her tears. A heavy air hung among the audience.
Compared to these Cambodian children,
Singaporean kids are simply so fortunate
"All are
children but they live such different lives! We went to a lot of
places, and saw situations that are impossible for you to feel and
imagine. For example at the rubbish dump, even though I smeared
my nose with lots of medicated oil and covered my nose, I can still
smell the stench. I even saw a headless dog… I almost threw
up… it is really very hard to imagine.
"In Singapore, children are studying in
school, playing computer games or in the playground. But in Cambodia,
children have to pick rubbish and beg in that kind of environment."
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Zoe adopted 2 Cambodian children;
a boy and a girl.
 "I
was really looking forward to meeting them. When I met the boy for
the first time, I realise how scrawny this 8 year-old is, compared
to kids of his age. They were always frowning too; I guess they
are rather unhappy. Many of the kids there are small, skinny and
dirty, and dressed in tattered clothes. You'll never see this in
Singapore. Even the costumes we use for filming are cleaning than
theirs!
"I received letters from my 2 adopted children
before I went over to Cambodia. Although I couldn't understand what
they wrote, they drew an outline of their palms, and I suddenly
felt a connection, a relationship between us.
"Adopting a child costs $45 each month.
A part of this amount is given to the child's family, another part
will be used to build the village, including increasing hospital
facilities, providing education, teaching them to pave roads, building
schools and even loaning the villagers the money to build their
own business. Because of their backward living environment, their
lifespan usually doesn't exceed 54 years. I hope that with this
form of assistance, besides increasing their lifespan, they can
also be educated and contribute back to their country and society."
 Zoe,
Chor Meng and Kit signed World Vision teddy bears for sale. Stocks
are limited and interested parties can contact World Vision Singapore
at 221 1040 for enquiries.
Zoe and Chor Meng's Cambodia trip will
be telecast in 3 parts on every Wednesday starting from July 25,
8.30pm on Channel 8.
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