Kim Heng, a blind handicap man, is seen struggling to haul his merchandise cart (Photo: S. Amatak, Koh Santepheap)Blind handicap man hauls cart for a living
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Banteay Meanchey Province – Handicap takes many forms, but what it boils down to is that it designates someone with physical handicap, and their life is much harder than those who are non-handicap. Furthermore, if different types of physical handicap are compared to one another, the degree of handicap cannot be compared to one another at all. Nevertheless, hunger prevails among everybody, regardless of whether they are handicap or not, that is why we usually see people begging, while others are doing whatever they can to survive.
Among the handicap people we met, there is this middle-age man who is blind on both eyes, with both forearms chopped off, however, he does not beg like others, he uses his own strength to haul merchandise cart across the Poipet international border gate to earn a living and to support his family. Kim Heng is the name of this blind man who lost both forearms. He is 42-year-old and he has 8 children under his charge: 5 boys and 3 girls. They live in the O’Russei Leu village, Poipet commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province. Both he and his wife are working as laborers hauling merchandise carts from the Rong Kluea market in Thailand to Cambodia, across the Poipet international border gate to support their meager livelihood.
Kim Heng revealed to Koh Santepheap that he lost both of his eyes and his forearms from a mine explosion during the pre-1993 war, when he was a soldier. Later he was discharged from service. His life has been extremely harsh, he struggles with his cart hauling job to support his family. He told us that he cannot see anything at all and both his forearms were blown off, and when he is hauling the merchandise cart, he depends on his wife or one of children to help him find his way. He said that each day, he earns between 50 to 100 Thai baths, the equivalent of 10,000 riels (~$2.50) only, after he deducts the bribe fees he had to pay the guard at the border gate.
The poor men said that his family is extremely poor, they never have enough to eat because of the large number of children he has, besides that his children are all too young and cannot do any work yet. His cart was a gift by a foreigner who saw how poor he was, and the struggle he has to go through to survive. The foreign Samaritan then decided to buy him this cart, but now the foreigner had already returned back to his country. He complained that his income does not leave him with any saving at all, nor can he provide a decent living for his children. However, without putting effort into his work, he wouldn’t have anything to live on at all, and besides, there is no other job for him either.
Among the handicap people we met, there is this middle-age man who is blind on both eyes, with both forearms chopped off, however, he does not beg like others, he uses his own strength to haul merchandise cart across the Poipet international border gate to earn a living and to support his family. Kim Heng is the name of this blind man who lost both forearms. He is 42-year-old and he has 8 children under his charge: 5 boys and 3 girls. They live in the O’Russei Leu village, Poipet commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province. Both he and his wife are working as laborers hauling merchandise carts from the Rong Kluea market in Thailand to Cambodia, across the Poipet international border gate to support their meager livelihood.
Kim Heng revealed to Koh Santepheap that he lost both of his eyes and his forearms from a mine explosion during the pre-1993 war, when he was a soldier. Later he was discharged from service. His life has been extremely harsh, he struggles with his cart hauling job to support his family. He told us that he cannot see anything at all and both his forearms were blown off, and when he is hauling the merchandise cart, he depends on his wife or one of children to help him find his way. He said that each day, he earns between 50 to 100 Thai baths, the equivalent of 10,000 riels (~$2.50) only, after he deducts the bribe fees he had to pay the guard at the border gate.
The poor men said that his family is extremely poor, they never have enough to eat because of the large number of children he has, besides that his children are all too young and cannot do any work yet. His cart was a gift by a foreigner who saw how poor he was, and the struggle he has to go through to survive. The foreign Samaritan then decided to buy him this cart, but now the foreigner had already returned back to his country. He complained that his income does not leave him with any saving at all, nor can he provide a decent living for his children. However, without putting effort into his work, he wouldn’t have anything to live on at all, and besides, there is no other job for him either.
5 comments:
I'm speechless, tearless (but chokingly and nearly panic)and quite poignant to have seen this graphic picture of this truly remarkable individual that depicts and illustrates his strong determination for survival.
Thank you for posting this photo!
what do anyone learn from seeing this picture? there are many ways to interprete this picture, case study.
Is he better than thecrook Hun Xen as Human?
That is so freakin sad. I'd rather send money directly to someone like this than give it to any organized charity. Is he a better human being than Hun Sen? That isn't asking much, even if this guy were guilty of some crimes once they can't be as large as Hun Xen. Life ain't fair. Birds eat worms and it ain't fair to the worms.
This should be very shameful to the Cambodian government. The money that they donated yearly to to Cambodia only feed the crooks. At least Hun Sen government create some kind of assistance or help to this helpless people. At least supply them some kind of money or welfare to let them live. Come on get a grip! Can you see our people live?
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