Comparing my Life to the Life of Kimsey, a Cambodian Girl

Kimsey and I have very different lifestyles and environments we live in. Kimsey's role that she takes in her family puts her under an incredible amount of stress. I am provided with all the things I need and more to survive where, whereas Kimsey needs to work hard at the age of 16 to provide those things for herself and her family.

How hard Kimsey works to provide for her family is extremely different from my experiences. Kimsey's bed is just a simple thin mattress on the floor with a few sheets a perhaps a blanket, this would affect her sleeping pattern, and most likely, she would not get the sleep she needs. She would also have disruptions in the night from her daughter, possibly abuse from her boyfriend, and late-night clients to go to. In contrast, I get the recommended amount of sleep most nights with a proper mattress on a bed frame with multiple bedspreads and an electric blanket for winter. Looking at the average temperatures in Cambodia (winter average is 21.9°C, summer average is 28.9°C), they stay very much the same throughout the year; therefore, Kimsey would not have to worry too much about buying different things for the different temperatures. Referring to Australia's average temperatures for winter and summer (winter average is 15°C, summer average is 30°C) are completely different, so we do have to worry about investing in different things for the change in temperatures, such as different clothes, fans, air conditioners and warm blankets for winter.

Love and feeling like I belong is an important factors in my life, and unfortunately for Kimsey, she does not have that in her life. Kimsey has a very abusive boyfriend that is constantly putting her down and making her feel worse about herself. He also physically abuses Kimsey and tells her that he doesn't care if he goes to jail because it will only be a matter of time before he gets out. This would make Kimsey feel unsafe in her own home and would also make her feel like she is not loved and does not have the respect of her family. Her boyfriend tells her that she enjoys being a prostitute and does it for fun rather than for the money to support her and her family. The home environment that I live in is very different from the home environment that Kimsey lives in because I know my family is always looking out for me, and I feel loved at home and with my friends, which makes me feel like I belong.

The people around Kimsey are blocking her from her full potential, unlike the people around me who are always encouraging me to reach my full potential. Kimsey, at just 12 years old, sold her virginity for $400 for the week; at 14, she had her first child, and when she was 15, she gave birth on the floor and was then forced to sell the baby for $300. All these traumatic events are not good for her esteem; at such a young age, she should not have to constantly be put under so much stress. After picking up clients, who pay for her to have sex with them, she gets home to her mother handing her baby over and asking if she made enough money to pay for her mother's medication to prevent her from dying. All this stress ends up being too overwhelming for her, so she decides to leave home and run away from everything with her child. Kimsey does not have any time to think of herself because, being the age she is, doing what she does daily is way too much stress for her to handle.

In conclusion, Kimsey decides to run away from her family with her child. The life that Kimsey is living is entirely different from how I am living. She is always doing everything for everyone in her family, and they are always relying on her compared to me, where I am not put under anywhere near as much stress as she is.

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