I was so sleepy in this very afternoon and I’m cursing myself for not doing something beneficial to make myself useful! Thus, I decided to do something rather than sleeping. Yeah! I’ve sleeping for almost two days at home. Escaping work and doing nothing like what Bruno Mars used to sing “Today I swear I’m not doing anything…”. After two days I found out that being lazy does not work for me. I am lazy but being lazy was something! Being lazy is boring!
So, I opened my computer and screening any materials that I can use to “expelled” my “boringness”. Am I using the correct words? Doesn’t matter anyway. My brain doesn’t work rightly I guessed! Doing my leisure screening I came across some of pictures and photographs that I took long long long time ago. It’s been ages since I took my last picture (not picture of mine definitely!). Few pictures make me stop from ‘screening’. These few pictures reminds me of my old self. Reminding me of what is the thing that I really wanted to do.
This is 10 years old Harizal. He’s a boy I found at a KFC restaurant near Segama, Kota Kinabalu. He’s a local street kid and having some physical difficulties. My uncle bought him some food from the franchise restaurant and feed him. The moment I finished up my supper, I went out and talked with him. I asked him what he’s doing wandering around the city at 11 pm. Night was so cold and dark. If I were at his age, I would have cry for fearing whatever will happen to me. He told me the whole story of his life up to the moment I met him. Harizal lived with his parent before they died in a car crash. He survived but with impaired leg. Then, he moved in with his sister and grandmother. Sadly, his brother in-law doesn’t really like him staying with them. Without no consideration, his brother in-law told him to move out from the house and warned him, he will call the police if he refused. Outcast, he wandered around the city for about three months.
STREET KIDS. Street kids is one of my biggest concern in life. I felt the sympathy for them to live such a pitiful life. People around doest not really care or take into account about this matter. But my mind could not stop thinking about them each time I saw them or stumble upon them. Street kids is one of the major problem in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. I’m not going to talk about statistics or official reports. I just want to share what I have seen
These three Filipino kids, I met them at Tanjung Lipat beaches. We’re having family days occasion and these kids wandering around searching for foods and drinks. They lived below the bridge with unhealthy environment for kids to grow up. The little brother and sister can’t talk normally. They can utter words but you wouldn’t understand them. Being so dirty and smelly, nobody will look at them, I meant no one would like to approach them. They are also having some sickness due to their environment.
The boy and the girl above working at Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu. When I was still a little kid, I saw many of street kids doing this kind of job. Selling plastic bags and earned MYR 0.20 for each that has been sold. Some of them offered carrying bag service. I thought the situation has changes after 15 years but I think that was too much for me to ask.
These two little sweet angel was sitting in front of the Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu. I was just passing by and by chances snapping their picture. They might be just another street kids, but I loved their smile. Despite everything they have gone through, their spirit makes me feel alive!
Street kids might be not important for us, the government or anyone. But I like to remind myself that they are just kids. Whether they are illegal immigrants, local, born out of wedlock or coming from bad attitudes parents, they are still kids. Kids that need our protection and love. They have the right to go to school like others. They ought to live in a healthy and comfortable environment.
Though living in a hard condition, they still can survived, they still can offer us a very bright smile, they still can lived up our spirit. They are the street kids, or I might say as Angels of The Street .
WITH SUZE 