Children in developed nations maybe surrounded by a lot of information and hence have abundant chances to broaden their horizons in their daily lives. Encountering picture books from early childhood is one of such a chance. Therefore those children even in small ages can answer what they want to be in the future. A cake maker, a firefighter, an astronaut, a singer… a variety of occupations comes out from children.
On the contrary, children in poor communities in Cambodia are lacking such info that reminds them of those jobs. When we ask them their future dream, usually a school teacher or a medical doctor is the answer. Their parents teach their children it’s good to be a teacher or a doctor rather than a farmer, and only those options.
In recent years a few children start to reply that they want to be a factory worker, a very realistic answer, which is somehow sorrowful…
I want them to know a lot about the world. Daily news, dubbed version of foreign TV dramas, music programs are available from a TV in average households in city areas; however, I want to make more opportunities for our foster children to read as I think of the importance of literacy.
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