By LARISSA TUOHY
It is natural for an adult to worry about their child; it goes with the territory of parenthood after all. But to hear children talk of their fear of losing their parents is something else.
For some kids this may be an unfounded fear. In Laos, this fear is terrifyingly real.
I know, because I went there and met dozens of gorgeous kids who told me that every day they worry about their parents going to work and not coming home. Or that their brothers or sisters will go out to play and not return.
You can meet some of these kids in the short video below:
The psychological impact of living in an area filled with deadly bombs is nothing short of debilitating. There was not a single person I spoke to – man, woman or child – who did not express feelings of unease, despair, even terror.
As a parent in Australia, it’s almost impossible for us to imagine what it’s like putting our life on the line every day just to make ends meet. Imagine if your daily commute to work involved driving down a road filled with unexploded bombs – one false move and you’re gone. But if you don’t do it, your family won’t eat.