These are orphans living on the outskirts of Siem Reap, Cambodia. I have never really considered the idea of an orphanage to be a very happy, pleasant one (esp. not in an impovershed country like Cambodia), but my experience there was more than positive. The environment was incredibly serene, and the women who worked there had done an incredible job of working up a strong sense of community and family. The kids were more than beautiful!

In this picture, some of of the kids had gathered to pick flowers to give to us. They were just so inviting, hospitable and lovely.

Oh, I visited this orphanage as part of a “reality tour” through cambodia in order to learn more about the issue of human trafficking, and the issues of poverty that lead to it.