Monday, September 15, 2008

The unfortunate ones

I wrote this last week but never get around to publish it until now. Better late than never!

A three year-old boy fell into a big pot of boiling "gulai" yesterday. 50% of his body was scalded. Even the TV footage was dimmed as to hide the boy's pain (I guess!) This boy was playing alone while the parents were busy preparing dishes to be sold at the Ramadhan bazaar, including the gulai kawah. He was lucky to have survived!

On the same day, another boy lost 4 of his fingers while helping his father with the sugar cane machine to produce the sugar cane juice to be sold.

This is the price these boys have to pay to "help" their parents to earn a living. But how about their own future? What will become of them?

I shuddered thinking of the pain the boys have to go through. How did the parents feel? Guilty? I'm not trying to blame the parents but at least, they have to think in the best interest of their children. They shouldn't expose the children to the high risks of being hurt and eventually affecting the children's future. I guess they have no choice.. but still.. !

And this.. is just the tips of an iceberg. I'm sure there are many more out there having the same fate or worse!

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