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SYNOPSIS :
The 12 year old boy, Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’) is one of thousands of waste picking children in Cambodia. Being fond of reading books and a bright child as well, his record is very high in a school where he is a 4th grader as of 2013.
Two years ago, Loy has decided to pick recycling materials to help his impoverished family. He also had been eager to buy school materials, bag and a new bicycle. Ever since, he never skipped any single day for work, which starts from around 4 am to last about 3-4 hours if his school hours are set for after noon. If his classes are set in the morning, he works after school. However, he couldn’t make afford a new bicycle because of high price. He earns on average 1,000 Riel (approximately 0.25 USD) per day. Loy’s father, tuk-tuk driver, said the family’s income is as low as 20 USD per month during low season, reasoning that the family had to move from a 30 dollars (monthly) rent house to current neighborhood where illegally built shacks are plenty, 3 years ago. In this neighborhood, most of dwellers are waste pickers. Loy’s mother is also a waste picker working from 11 pm till early morning.
The family are living near downtown of Siem Reap, where 2 million tourists are annually attracted to Angkor Wat. Despite the town’s prosperity, the province of Siem Reap is one of the poorest in the country. Extreme poverty is not uncommon. Making matters worse Loy’s both parents are HIV positive, while Loy, his half-sister and a nephew are not.
Loy’s childhood and his family mirror still the devastating reality of the country. Cambodia has enormously suffered from a decades-long civil war and also brain drain, which legacy was caused by Khmer Rouge’s abhorrence of intellectuals many of whom were massacred. Even though the war is over well before, extreme poverty remains intact today. Exploitation by developers and foreign business are rampant. Deep-rooted corruptions has made urban poor, like Loy’s family, have kept cycling poverty line.
Loy’s story would be part of my long term project Life Recycling, in which I would proceed with stories of South Korea, my home country, the one considered to be among developed world. Yet a number of elderly are picking recycling materials for a living. As South Korea has been persistent to keep welfare system at poor level, disparity between the poor and the rich has been substantially widen.
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’) is a 12 year old waste picker living in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Having both parents HIV positive, he has decided to pick recycling materials two years ago for helping his family. He also had been eager for buying school materials, bag and a new bicycle. He never skipped any single day for work, which starts from around 4 am to last about 3-4 hours if his school time is set for after noon. If his classes are set in the morning, he works after school. Loy earns on average 1,000 riels (0.25 USD) per day, which has enabled him to buy some notebooks and his school bag, but bicycle. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, has been living in slum area, where most of dwellers are waste pickers. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, has a bicycle with broken brake, which he drives every day during waste picking work starting from 4 am to last 3-4 hours. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’) and his mother at home. Loy’s mother is waste picker as well working from 11pm till early morning. The family used to live at a rent house for which they paid 30 dollars monthly. However, they could not afford the rent but had to move illegally built shacks’ touted neighborhood 3 years ago, where most of dwellers are waste pickers. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
A notebook which Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’) bought for himself with his income. Loy is a 4th grader in a school having a good record. He loves reading and writing.(Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’) prepares of going to school with help of his mother. The 12 year old boy, who’s been picking waste for a living, is a 4th grader in a school having a good record. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’, front left) and his friends sitting in a playground of the school. Some of his class mates also do waste picking for a living. Loy’s daily income, which amounts to 1000 riels (0.25 USD) on average, has been contributing family’s living. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’, right) and his friend are playing in their class room. Both are waste pickers. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’, left), a 12 year old waste picker is reading books in a school library which was donated by NGO Room To Read. Being fond of reading books and a bright child as well, his record is very high in a school. He is attending 4th grade as of 2013. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
To finalize school hours, Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’, right), a 12 year old waste picker and his class mate are taking down a national flag in school’s playground. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
As evening approaches, residents including Loy’s father in his neighborhood are mingled, drinking and dancing. Most of Loy’s neighbors are waste pickers (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker, is preparing for work in the very early morning. He normally starts to work around 4am until 7 or 8 am. For the past two years, he never skipped a work earning 1000 riels (0.25 USD) per day. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker, is driving his brake-broken bicycle for a work with his friend at dawn. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
A 12 year old Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia, is searching for recycling materials. He’s wearing small sized-pants for his growing body as his family can’t afford proper cloths. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
A 12 year old Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia, is searching for recycling materials in the early morning while he works. He never skipped a work for the past two years. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
A 12 year old Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia, is searching for recycling materials in the early morning while he works. He never skipped a work for the past two years. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’) is searching for recyling materials on the road side. He is one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia, earning 1000 riels (0.25 USD) per day. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
A 12 year old boy, Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’) is driving his brake-broken bicycle during work. He is one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia. Ever since he started to work, Loy has never skipped any single day for work, which starts from around 4 am for about 3-4 hours if his school time is set for after noon. If his classes are set in the morning, he works after school. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, is looking at opposite side of the road as he found a huge rubbish bin, in which he must have expected lots of recycling materials. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, crossed the road to searching a huge rubbish bin after a minute he found it. He would have some recycling materials from it. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Having added more recycling stuffs, Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, is pushing his brake-broken bikes. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chao Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old, is pushing hard his brake-broken bicycle seemingly to attempt to pass ahead garbage truck. He is one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia. His both parents are HIV positive.(Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old school boy is searching out recycling materials near down town in Siem Reap, Cambodia. He is one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia earning 1000 riels (0.25 USD) per day. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, is reorganizing his collected recycling materials before moving on. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, is checking goggles which he got during work whether or not he himself could use it. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, is throwing remains inside cans, after which he wants to add empty ones to his collected recycling materials. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’) is nearing his neighborhood from working field, in which he has picked plastics, cans, papers and other recycling materials. Loy is one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’) is arriving his neighborhood from working field, in which he has picked plastics, cans, papers and other recycling materials. Loy is one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’) is nearing his home from working field, in which he has picked plastics, cans, papers and other recycling materials. Loy is one of thousands waste picking children in Cambodia. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Loy’s father, a tuk-tuk driver, is overviewing what Loy have picked as his son has returned from work in the morning. Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’) is 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Loy’s mother, who is also waste picker is crashing cans flat before selling. 1 kilogram of cans can be sold for 200 riels (approximately 5 cent) (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Cans have been crashed flat before selling for recycling. 1 kilogram of cans can be sold for 200 riels (approximately 5 cent). (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Loy’s neighbors are about to leave to sell their collected recycling materials. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Waste pickers in Phnom Khnom, one of villages near Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap in Cambodia, are scaling their collected recycling materials. Woman (right) buys recycling materials from children who all are waste pickers. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
Chan Chor Loy (or ‘Loy’), a 12 year old waste picker in Cambodia, are having relax with his nephew at home. Since two years ago, Loy has started to pick recycling materials for helping his impoverished family. He has never skipped any single day for work, which starts from around 4 am for about 3-4 hours, earning 1,000 riels (0.25 USD) per day on average.(Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2013)
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