WE ARE - CAMBODIA

A little girl's playground - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh is a city of both incredible beauty and unbelievable hardship. This first photo for me, personifies this beauty and heartache. Thanks for taking the time to voyage with me: WE - ARE CAMBODIA. 2016.

Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

Girls play outside their homes in the railway slums of Phnom Penh. Since the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, property ownership has been a major issue in Cambodia, with the poor often being the most disadvantaged. The Boeung Kak Lake property development, which is next door to the railway slums, is a prime example of this. Here an estimated 17,500 people were forcibly evicted from their homes and the lake itself was filled in. This has left residents at the railway settlement fearing the same treatment, having already been informed that the government will extend an adjacent block by 15m. Although this won’t directly affect any homes, locals remain concerned that the land grab won’t stop there. 2016.

Girl plays outside her home in the railway slums of Phnom Penh. 2016.

Girls play outside their homes in the railway slums of Phnom Penh. 2016.

Girl plays outside her home in the railway slums of Phnom Penh. 2016.

After I took this photo I said to the girl that she looks pretty. She looked at me with an expression and smile on her face that said 'I know!' Railway slums, Phnom Penh, 2016.

Playing marbles - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

Playing marbles - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

A school boy practices skipping with a make-shift rope - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. Education is free in Cambodia - or so it's supposed to be. The reality however, is a completely different story as teachers impose ‘informal fees’, or bribes at the door. In Phnom Penh the going rate seems to be about 25 cents a day, which is a lot for a family living on the poverty line. If children are unable to meet these costs, then they are either refused entry or have their learning needs neglected. This financial pressure has lead to extensive dropouts, with only 21% of students throughout Cambodia making it to upper secondary school. 2016.

On the way home from school - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

These boys have just finished class at a local NGO - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

These boys have just finished class at a local NGO - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. NGOs in Phnom Penh do their best to fill the education gap with a range of classes including English. 2016.

Kasy, 11, Phnom Penh Railway Slums. “It takes me 30 minutes to ride to English lessons” Kasy had just finished class and was enjoying something he loves - ice-cream! When I asked him if he felt the same way about English, he said he likes it but he’s not very good at it. In spite of this, he makes the hour-long journey each day to receive extra lessons in an effort to improve. 2016.

Davry, 18, Phnom Penh. “I love teaching kids. I want to listen to them, help them and motivate them!” Davry has a remarkable outlook on life for an 18 year old and growing up in a slum area in Phnom Penh has lead to her ultimate goal of helping the poor. Although she's had her fair share of challenges, what shines through is Davry’s underlying determination. “I would look at other kids and wonder why they had a mother and I didn’t” Davry grew up in a small farming village in northern Cambodia. Her parents separated when she was 4 years old, effectively abandoning her, but thankfully a great-aunt in Phnom Penh took her in. These years were very tough for Davry: “I had no one to turn to, as my aunty was busy working. I didn't know where my mother was and my father moved to Thailand for work. On top of this, I had to sell food in order to earn the 25 cents I needed to pay for school.” “My NGO has made me stronger” Davry’s life changed when she started going to classes at a local NGO. Here she began to feel more empowered through lessons in leadership, teamwork, debating and English to name a few. This then inspired Davry, along with a few others, to start their own organisation called ‘Smile Group’. Their aim was to help the local community by providing school materials for children, as well as educating them in hygiene, waste management, recycling and other various social issues. “I want to become a doctor and provide free healthcare for the poor” Davry’s long term plans have meant she now places a lot of importance on her own education. She hit a hurdle at the end of last year however, as she didn’t acquire the grades needed to get into university. This has meant repeating her final year of high school and for now, putting the Smile Group on hold. During my last conversation with Davry, she mentioned that one of her teachers had refused to let her sit an exam due to low attendance for a Saturday class, even though she explained that she has to work on weekends to pay for school. Her teacher was unrelenting however and Davry refuses to pay a bribe which is common practice in Cambodia. “I don’t want to find my mother until I’m successful. I want to show her that I don’t need her” At 18, Davry continues to live under her aunt’s roof along with 4 of her cousins. Although Davry’s father still works in Thailand, she caught up with him a year ago and met his new wife and son. She wishes she could receive his help and understanding, but believes it’s not possible to share these feelings with him. As for her Mother, she thinks she’s probably got another family somewhere … 2016.

Hand washing - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

Playing on her smart-phone - Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

Street Food, Railway Slums, Phnom Penh. 2016.

Pov, 67, Railway Slums - Phnom Penh. "I've lived here since 1979" Pov dries cooked-rice on the railway tracks outside her home, which she then sells for 20 cents a kilo. She lives with her family, but said her husband passed away 5 years ago. She is still coming to grips with his loss as she was moved to tears when mentioning him.

Despite its seedy reputation, the ‘White Building’ is a place some 2,500 people have come to call home. After the Khmer Rouge were ousted in 1979, the surviving population returned to a Phnom Penh that must have seemed like a ghost town. Given nearly a quarter of the population were wiped out, many houses and apartments were left abandoned. The White Building was one such example of this, being re-inhabited by returning residents and squatters alike. In 2014, the White Building was deemed unsafe by the municipal government. A demolition order was issued and residents were to be relocated to new housing on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. The demolition order was quickly revoked however, yet residents remain fearful that their homes will be repossessed and their land given over to property developers. 2016.

There's lots of laughter and chatter as children play on rooftops and in corridors - the White Building, Phnom Penh. 2016.

The White Building is synonymous with prostitution and drugs, but in reality, these seedier elements only occupy a small section of the 450m long apartment block. The 2,500 residents that live here seem mostly to be families, workers and shop owners. The one common denominator however is wealth - this is certainly one of the cities lowest socio-economic areas. Phnom Penh, 2016.

Ny, Phnom Penh. “Life is normal here - I know everyone” Ny’s family have lived on the top floor of the White Building since 1982. She says she’s happy living here and has one of her five children living in the next apartment. 2016.

A local woman cooks lunch outside her home - White Building, Phnom Penh. 2016.