The Khmer Riche

Stealing a year-old post from my friend Sheryl...she highlights an article with fascinating interviews of Cambodia's young elite. Logos may have been founded for orphans, but it has a few ultra-rich Khmer students. From the impending arranged marriages, to the entourage of bodyguards and servants, and right down to the kidnappings, this article rings true with my experiences of Cambodia's wealthy. (I even live in the neighborhood mentioned in the article, within blocks of many of Prime Minister Hun Sen's relatives.)

"So have you been wondering where international aid money goes once it leaves donors' hands and enters the quagmire of Cambodian politics? Please read this article for a very interesting look at money in Cambodia.

"What is even more fascinating and encouraging is that some of the Khmer Riche children attend Logos International School. These children are being taught Christian ethics, given an education to international standards, and introduced to the Lord Jesus on a daily basis. We have already seen dramatic shifts in some of these kids' lives and look forward to seeing how God uses them here in Cambodia in the future. We praise God for the privilege of working with so many different children at Logos as the school represents dozens of different nationalities and straddles all economic layers."

I don't pretend to understand my students' lives, but I know they're intense. The wealthy ones' entire world depends on corruption and dirty money. They've experienced their own sort of trauma: the weight of secrets much bigger than themselves and pressure to live a very limited, if self-indulgent, lifestyle. Home and school pull them in opposite directions, and most of them know which one has to win. Seeing some of them learn to show compassion for other segments of Cambodia is so exciting, because it's such a huge departure from their whole upbringing.