Exposed
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
In Cambodia, life on the streets can start at an early age and often remains there, with even the most intimate facts-of-life being exposed. Sadly, most often a life on the streets starts because the child is orphaned. Decades of warfare, continued death by landmines, rampant disease, and the scarcity of health care have all contributed to the growing orphan population. The result is a nation with half its people under the age of eighteen.
Life for these parentless children is desperate. Without parents to care for them, they are forced to beg for food and are often the victims of violent assaults or sexual predators. For this reason, young homeless boys stick together not only for friendship but also for protection. Sadly, the outlook for this generation is grim.