The pictures of Tha Sophat, a 20 months old toddler living in Koak Roka Siem Reap province, is pitiful worldwide. In third countries, the child development is at the most important agenda for the government. Tha Sophat is just an emerging sample reflecting thousands or hundred thousands of other Cambodian children whose future is wholly depending on the capability of their parents in upbringing them. Upbringing children in Cambodia is considered experiencing back to ancient era in which children were left alone at home, or depending on their young siblings, or depending on grandparents etc. In rural areas, don’t mention about nutrition for children, only rice with salt on plate are hard to find for those children to eat.

Currently, I observe my 13 months old daughter is luckier than me when I was a toddler; but she seems share the same character like me as she picks and eats everything on the floor. Frankly, I ate every small piece picking up from the ground to including trunks and leaves of the trees till I was 11 years old.

Tha Sophat might be luckier than other street children who are making a living by scavenging. Tha Sophat has reserved a very compassionate cow who are not harming him but accepting him as her extra son by providing her fresh milk everyday!

In Canada, no children are left on the street. No children are left in home without adult attendance. No children are left in home without schooling if their ages are 5 years old up. Parents are arrested if they have violated such as leaving children alone or with minor without adult attendance, have not sent children to school at their schooling age, or feeding children without having sufficient nutrition food etc.

Personal Opinion

09/09/2011
The Associated Press

KOAK ROKA, Cambodia—A Cambodian man says his young grandson has lived partly on milk he suckles directly from a cow since the boy’s parents left their rural village in search of work.

Um Oeung says 20-month-old Tha Sophat started suckling the cow in July after he saw a calf do the same.

Um Oeung told The Associated Press he pulled the boy away at first. He relented after his grandson protested loudly and the boy has suckled the cow’s milk once or twice a day since then.

Tha Sophat has lived with his grandparents in Siem Reap province in northwest Cambodia since his parents moved to Thailand in search of work.

Um Oeung said Friday the cow doesn’t mind the young boy suckling but he is worried about his grandson’s health if he continues.

Tha Sophat, the little toddler who suckles on cow after his parents had to leave to work in Thailand

Tha Sophat, a 20-month-old boy, suckles from a cow in Koak Roka village, Siem Reap province, Cambodia

Tha Sophat started suckling the cow after he saw a calf do the same

More picutres of Tha Sophat, the toddler who shuckles from a cow directly after his parents had to leave to Thailand to earn a living

Neighbours and local officials in the village of Pheas in Siem Reap province, about 195 miles from the capital Phnom Penh, say they are not happy about the nursing. But his grandfather counters: ‘His health is fine, he is strong and he doesn’t have diarrhea’

The boy watched a calf nurse from its mother, and began to do the same thing, feeding direcly from the cow each day, his grandfather said

Tha Sophat suckles milk from a cow in Nokor Pheas village, 195 miles from the Cambodian capital. The 18-month-old toddler began suckling directly from a cow as part of his daily meals since his parents left to work in Thailand